When people hear the words 'dark web' they automatically presume it's the cyber equivalent of the wild-west where you can hire a hitman or watch someone have their leg sawed off in real-time.
Thanks to stories of hackers finding out your home address from a simple internet search, tales of red rooms and whispers of depraved criminals lurking in every corner, the dark web doesn't have the best reputation.
But have you ever wondered how much of this is actually true?
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Fortunately you can learn everything you would ever need to know about the dark web without ever having to venture there yourself as there are plenty of users, ranging from cyber-criminals to the average person in the street, who have already spilled the beans online.
In an interview conducted by Buzzfeed, a reformed dark web criminal going by the name of 'Pizzabagel' answered all of your burning questions about the dark web.
The truth about the 'gruesome' world of the dark web
To the surprise of absolutely no one, a lot of what you hear about the dark web has been exaggerated - or even downright made up.
The first misconception 'Pizzabagel' tackled in his interview is that of the infamous red rooms.
To those who are not aware, a red room refers a completely red room where you can see horrific acts of violence (think murder, torture, mutilation).
However it turns out that red rooms are more a result of morbid curiosity than a reality.
"While you can't say nothing exists... I have never heard of it, never seen it," he explained.
In fact he is so certain that red rooms are simply a figment of imagination that he's made 'bets' on them not existing.
The next myth 'Pizzabagel' busts is that of hitmen for hire being readily available on the dark net.
Yes, hitmen do exist, however the likelihood of someone hiring a hitman on the dark web to come after you is 'not remotely common', according to 'Pizzabagel'.
"I've never heard of someone getting a hit placed on them," he added.
So what does exist on the dark web?
At this point you may be wondering what can you find on the dark web that you can't do on the regular internet and there are some key differences.
'Pizzabagel' explained that one of the biggest positives of the dark web is that it allows journalists and individuals in heavily censored countries to safely access and share otherwise restricted information.
Criminal activity does still happen on the dark web, 'Pizzabagel' reveals that sales of confidential data such as passwords and credit card data can be sold on the dark web, adding that you can protect yourself by taking your security seriously.
Ultimately, he believes the dark web is mostly a deeply 'misunderstood' place.
And no, the dark web doesn't look like a creepy, darker cousin of the regular internet.
"It's not a scary black background with lines of code going around," he said. "It is a nice clean and interface."
While most of us may agree that not having dark mode activated is a crime in itself - it seems like we all need to remember to not blindly believe everything we read.
Brenna Cooper