Dark Web News & Media — Complete Directory 2026
Major news organizations, independent outlets and censorship-resistant media accessible via Tor. Every site on this page has an official .onion address — not a mirror run by an unknown third party, but a version operated by the organization itself.
Why News Organizations Run .onion Sites
A news organization’s .onion address serves two distinct purposes.
The first is censorship circumvention. In countries where governments block access to BBC, NYT or The Guardian, a .onion address bypasses those blocks entirely — the traffic is routed through Tor and cannot be filtered by a national firewall.
The second is source protection. Readers in repressive environments who access a news site through its .onion address leave no clearnet trace that they visited it. Their ISP sees Tor traffic, not a connection to a specific news outlet.
Both purposes are legitimate. Both explain why organizations like the BBC, The New York Times and ProPublica have invested in maintaining .onion infrastructure.
Quick Comparison
| Outlet | Type | .onion Since | Clearnet Blocked In | Last Verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BBC World | International news | 2019 | China, Iran, others | March 2026 |
| The New York Times | US news & international | 2017 | China, others | March 2026 |
| ProPublica | Investigative journalism | 2016 | Some regions | March 2026 |
| The Guardian | UK news & international | 2022 | Some regions | March 2026 |
| The Intercept | Surveillance & national security | 2020 | Some regions | March 2026 |
| Amnesty International | Human rights | 2020 | China, Russia, others | March 2026 |
| Mediapart | French investigative journalism | 2021 | Some regions | March 2026 |
| Flashlight | Dark web news | N/A | Not applicable | March 2026 |
Outlets - Full Breakdown
BBC World The most-used news .onion address globally.
The BBC launched its .onion mirror in 2019 specifically for audiences in countries where BBC News is blocked — Iran, China, Vietnam and others. The mirror delivers the same content as the regular BBC website with no modifications. During the 2024 Iranian protest blackouts, Tor traffic to the BBC’s onion address spiked significantly as citizens sought unfiltered coverage.
- Onion address:
https://www.bbcnewsd73hkzno2ini43t4gblxvycyac5aw4gnv7t2rccijh7745uqd.onion - Clearnet:
https://bbc.com/news - Languages: English, plus 40+ via BBC World Service
- Last verified: March 2026
Who it’s for: Readers in countries where BBC is blocked, and anyone who wants to access international news without leaving a browsing record with their ISP.
Note: The BBC’s .onion is one of the most phished addresses in the news category. Always verify the address matches exactly — character by character — before trusting it.
The New York Times The first major US newspaper on Tor.
The New York Times launched its .onion address in 2017, making it the first major American newspaper to operate a Tor hidden service. The motivation was explicit: to allow readers in countries that block NYT access — primarily China — to read its journalism. The .onion version delivers full access to all content available on the regular site.
- Onion address:
https://www.nytimesn7cgmftshazwhfgzm37qxb44r64ytbb2dj3x62d2lljsciiyd.onion - Clearnet:
https://nytimes.com - Languages: English, Spanish
- Last verified: March 2026
Who it’s for: Readers in censored countries, researchers and anyone who wants to access NYT content anonymously.
ProPublica The first major news outlet to launch a .onion address.
ProPublica went live on Tor in 2016 — before the BBC, before the NYT — making it the pioneer of news .onion services. It is a nonprofit investigative newsroom funded by the Sandler Foundation. Its journalism focuses on abuses of power, corruption and corporate wrongdoing. It has won multiple Pulitzer Prizes.
ProPublica also runs a SecureDrop instance for anonymous source submissions, making it one of the most source-friendly news organizations operating on Tor.
- Onion address:
http://p53lf57qovyuvwsc6xnrppyply3vtqm7l6pcobkmyqsiofyeznfu5uqd.onion - Clearnet:
https://propublica.org - Languages: English
- Last verified: March 2026
Who it’s for: Readers interested in investigative journalism, potential sources considering submitting documents anonymously.
The Guardian Award-winning investigative journalism with strong source protection.
The Guardian launched its .onion address in 2022. It is one of the most prominent newspapers in the world for national security and surveillance reporting — it was a primary outlet for Edward Snowden’s 2013 disclosures. It also runs a SecureDrop instance and has a documented history of protecting source identities.
- Onion address:
https://www.guardian2zotagl6tmjucg3lrhxdk4dw3lhbqnkvvkywawy3oqfoprid.onion - Clearnet:
https://theguardian.com - Languages: English
- Last verified: March 2026
Who it’s for: Readers interested in investigative journalism, surveillance reporting and source-friendly news. Particularly relevant for UK and international news.
The Intercept The most Tor-native major news outlet.
The Intercept was founded in 2014 specifically to report on documents provided by Edward Snowden. It has operated a SecureDrop instance since launch and its editorial focus — surveillance, national security, government accountability — makes it uniquely relevant to Tor users. It has an .onion address and a deep institutional understanding of operational security.
- Onion address:
http://27m3p2uv7igmj6kvd4ql3cct5h3sdwrsajovkkndeufumzyfhlfev4qd.onion - Clearnet:
https://theintercept.com - Languages: English
- Last verified: March 2026
Who it’s for: Readers focused on surveillance, intelligence and national security reporting. Potential sources with documents related to these topics.
Amnesty International Human rights reporting accessible where it's blocked.
Amnesty International’s .onion address provides access to its human rights reporting in countries where the organization’s website is blocked — China, Russia, Belarus and others. It documents human rights abuses, political prisoners and government repression globally.
- Onion address:
http://amnestyl337aeioy6lnwzkwzjnjyvy5txgro2cl6rl3bpqpkjqq7w3qd.onion - Clearnet:
https://amnesty.org - Languages: Multiple
- Last verified: March 2026
Who it’s for: Readers in countries where Amnesty International is blocked, journalists and researchers documenting human rights situations.
Mediapart Independent French investigative journalism.
Mediapart is a subscription-funded French investigative outlet known for breaking major corruption and political scandal stories. Its .onion address provides access for French-speaking readers in censored environments and protects the anonymity of readers researching sensitive political topics.
- Onion address:
http://mediapartal5tyjcqhz7p5ezefzwrjjjr7qdq44cwoewffkk4lcrvgad.onion - Clearnet:
https://mediapart.fr - Languages: French
- Last verified: March 2026
Who it’s for: French-speaking readers in censored environments, researchers covering French political affairs.
Flashlight Dark web native news.
Flashlight covers dark web-specific news — market takedowns, law enforcement operations, security research and privacy topics. Unlike the mainstream outlets above, it exists exclusively in the Tor ecosystem and covers topics that mainstream media either ignores or covers superficially.
- Onion address: Verify via Ahmia — address rotates periodically
- Clearnet: None
- Languages: English
- Last verified: March 2026
Who it’s for: Dark web users who want current information on market operations, law enforcement activity and security developments relevant to the Tor ecosystem.
News Sites Worth Knowing That Don't Have .onion Addresses
Several major outlets cover surveillance, privacy and digital rights extensively without operating their own .onion addresses. These are accessible through DuckDuckGo’s .onion version or directly via Tor Browser:
Wired — Technology and security journalism, strong surveillance coverage. Bellingcat — Open-source investigation and geolocation research. Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) — Digital rights organization with extensive legal and technical resources on privacy and surveillance. Krebs on Security — Detailed cybersecurity reporting.
How to Read News Safely on the Dark Web
Stick to official .onion addresses. Every major outlet listed above operates its own verified .onion address. Third-party mirrors claiming to host BBC or NYT content are not endorsed by those organizations and may serve modified content.
Verify addresses independently. The Tor Project’s official documentation lists verified .onion addresses for major news organizations. Cross-check any address you find here against that source.
Use the Safest security level. News sites generally work fine with JavaScript disabled. Setting Tor Browser to Safest mode before visiting any .onion address is good practice regardless of the site’s legitimacy.
Separate your news sessions from other activity. If you’re accessing news to circumvent censorship in a repressive environment, use a fresh Tor circuit for each session and avoid logging into any accounts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why would I read news on the dark web instead of just using a VPN? A VPN hides your traffic from your ISP but the VPN provider can see everything. Tor distributes trust across multiple relays — no single party sees both who you are and what you’re reading. For readers in countries where VPNs are also blocked or monitored, Tor provides a layer of censorship resistance that VPNs cannot match.
Are these .onion news sites the same content as the regular sites? Yes. Every site listed here is an official mirror operated by the news organization itself. The content is identical to the clearnet version.
Do I need a subscription to read these sites via .onion? The same subscription requirements apply as on the regular site. ProPublica and BBC are free. NYT, The Guardian and others require subscriptions for full access — you can log in to your existing account via the .onion version.
Can a news organization see who I am when I visit their .onion address? The .onion address hides your IP address from the server. However, if you log into an account, enable JavaScript or have browser fingerprinting data, there may be ways to correlate your visit with your identity. Use Safest security mode and avoid logging in for maximum anonymity.