The Dark Web meme is most famously recognized through the 'Iceberg' format, which serves as a visual metaphor for layers of knowledge or secrecy within any given topic. While the actual Dark Web refers to encrypted parts of the internet not indexed by search engines, the meme community uses this concept to contrast surface-level facts with increasingly obscure, weird, or disturbing information hidden 'below the water.' This template exploded in popularity on Reddit and YouTube as a way to categorize everything from conspiracy theories to niche video game lore. Additionally, Dark Web memes often poke fun at the stereotypical 'hacker' aesthetic, featuring hooded figures and green terminal text to satirize the exaggerated way media portrays internet privacy and cybercrime.