Acceptable Use Policy

Last updated: October 2026

1. Purpose

This Acceptable Use Policy ("AUP") defines the rules and restrictions for using DW Search. By using the Service, you agree to comply with this policy. Violation of these rules may result in account suspension or termination.

2. Intended Use

DW Search is designed exclusively for:

  • Security Research: Vulnerability research, threat intelligence, and cybersecurity analysis
  • Journalism: Investigative reporting and source verification
  • Law Enforcement: Criminal investigations and intelligence gathering
  • Academic Study: Research on internet phenomena, digital culture, and online communities
  • Personal Awareness: Understanding what information is publicly available about you or organizations

3. Prohibited Activities

You MUST NOT use DW Search to:

3.1 Illegal Activities

  • Purchase, sell, or facilitate the trade of illegal goods or services
  • Access, download, or distribute child exploitation material
  • Plan, coordinate, or promote terrorist activities
  • Engage in any activity that violates local, national, or international laws

3.2 Unauthorized Access

  • Attempt to gain unauthorized access to any computer systems, accounts, or networks
  • Use search results to identify and target specific individuals for harm
  • Attempt to reverse-engineer or compromise the Service's security

3.3 Service Abuse

  • Use automated bots, scripts, or tools to bypass search quotas or rate limits
  • Share your account credentials with unauthorized parties
  • Resell, redistribute, or commercially exploit search results without written permission
  • Scrape or harvest data from the Service at scale
  • Conduct denial-of-service attacks against the Service

3.4 Harmful Activities

  • Use information obtained from the Service to harass, stalk, or intimidate any person
  • Doxx or publish private information about individuals without consent
  • Facilitate fraud, identity theft, or social engineering attacks
  • Promote or incite violence against any group or individual

4. Content Responsibility

Search results may contain offensive, disturbing, or illegal content. You acknowledge that:

  • DW Search indexes publicly available dark web sources as-is
  • We do not endorse, verify, or control third-party content
  • You are solely responsible for how you interpret and use search results
  • Viewing certain content may be illegal in your jurisdiction

5. Reporting Violations

If you become aware of any misuse of the Service, please report it through our Contact page. We take abuse reports seriously and will investigate promptly.

6. Enforcement

We reserve the right to:

  • Monitor usage patterns for policy violations
  • Suspend or terminate accounts that violate this policy
  • Report illegal activities to relevant law enforcement authorities
  • Cooperate with lawful investigations by authorities

7. Updates

This policy may be updated from time to time. Material changes will be communicated to registered users via email.