WebVetted โ„ข Beta
Recommendation
Proceed
Overall Summary
Safe
Why we think so

dw.com is the official website of Deutsche Welle, Germany's international public broadcaster. It offers news and in-depth analysis on politics, business, development, and human rights in Africa and globally. The site receives about 23.7 million monthly visits, mostly from Germany and the US, with a global rank around #2,538. The domain is well established since 1994 and uses secure HTTPS with a valid TLS certificate. Numerous official contacts are published on the site, supporting its legitimacy. Deutsche Welle is recognized as a credible news source with a center to left-center media bias and a high factual reporting rating. Some user complaints focus on app stability and internal personnel issues, but the site itself is safe and not linked to scams or phishing.

Confidence Score
90%

Risk Insights

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Established and Secure Domain

Registered since 1994 with RegistryGate GmbH
Uses valid HTTPS and TLS certificate by Thawte
No signs of DNS or SSL issues
๐ŸŒ

High Traffic and Wide Reach

About 23.7 million monthly visits
Top traffic from Germany and USA
Stable direct and search-driven visits
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Trusted Media Brand

Deutsche Welle seen as credible and factual
Third-party fact-checks rate high reliability
Active official contacts and social media presence

Contradictory Signals

Content is credible but some internal complaints and app bugs affect user experience.

Signal A: High factual media rating and credibility

Signal B: Reported internal personnel issues and app instability

Category Scores

Identity 95/100
Reputation 90/100
Technical 90/100
Content 85/100
Legal 80/100
Business Validity 90/100

Red Flags & Warnings

  • Some users report occasional app crashes or content loading issues in DW mobile apps.
  • Past internal complaints about workplace antisemitism and harassment, though addressed by the organization.

๐Ÿ”Ž Detailed Checks & Analysis

Domain Age and Registrar Check

Score: 95/100
Passed

"A domain age over 20 years with stable records suggests legitimacy."

Reason: dw.com is registered since 1994 through a reputable registrar with no recent suspicious changes.

SSL Certificate Validity

Score: 90/100
Passed

"SSL certified domains are standard for trustworthy sites."

Reason: Active and valid TLS certificate issued by Thawte ensures secure connections.

Traffic Volume and Source Analysis

Score: 90/100
Passed

"Low social and referral traffic is typical for a news broadcaster."

Reason: High monthly visits (~23.7M) driven mostly by direct and search traffic indicates headroom and user trust.

Blacklist and Security Check

Score: 95/100
Passed

"Clean blacklist status reduces risk of phishing or malware."

Reason: No matches found in crypto scam databases or Google Safe Browsing alerts.

Brand and Trademark Validation

Score: 80/100
Passed

"Trademark checks show legitimate brand use, reducing impersonation risk."

Reason: Active trademarks confirm brand ownership but some historic trademark expirations noted.

Content Credibility and User Feedback

Score: 85/100
Passed

"Content is generally reliable, but user experience varies on app platforms."

Reason: Trusted media ratings and factual reporting scores support authenticity; minor app and workplace complaints exist.

Your Next Steps

  • 1
    Access dw.com directly via https://www.dw.com/ to avoid phishing or spoof sites.
  • 2
    Verify HTTPS lock icon and certificate details in your browser when visiting.
  • 3
    If you receive suspicious emails claiming to be from DW, do not click links; confirm via the official site.
  • 4
    Keep your browser and antivirus software updated to avoid malware from fake ads or pop-ups.
  • 5
    Use official social media channels linked on dw.com for verified updates.

Evidence & Citations