Topic [002]: the Dark Web
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Southern Ontario Model United Nations Assembly XLVIII World Intellectual Property Organization: The Dark Web Topic [002]: The Dark Web Introduction: The Dark Web encompasses encrypted online content which is not indexed by conventional search engines. 1 As a component of the deep web it encapsulates a wider breadth of content which does not appear in typical internet browsing activities. A 2019 study, Into the Web of Profit, conducted by Dr. Michael McGuires at the University of Surrey found that the number of dark web listings that hold the potential to harm an enterprise has risen by 20% since 2016. While the Dark Web’s anonymity allows for free speech where individuals can communicate without government interference, it also creates a haven for illicit activity such as, the buying and selling of drugs, child pornorgraphy, distribution of private information and human trafficking. By threatening the security of individuals and offering unrestricted access, the Dark Web holds the potential to jeopardize national security. 1 https://www.investopedia.com/terms/d/dark-web.asp / Southern Ontario Model United Nations Assembly XLVIII World Intellectual Property Organization: The Dark Web Due to the complex nature of this issue, it requires an innovative, multidimensional and implementable solution. Solutions must encompass both short term and long term implications while presenting a legislative perspective. One should bear in mind that standardized legislation is imperative in adapting to the ever changing technological community. Furthermore, mechanisms allowing the accumulation of information about the dark web users and their actions should be discussed. Definitions and Key Terms: World Wide Web: The World Wide Web (WWW) is a network of online content in which all interlinked pages can be accessed through hypertext links. It was originally designed in 1991 by Tim Berners-Lee.2 Deep Web: The portion of the Internet that is hidden from conventional search engines, through encryption; the aggregate of unindexed websites 3 Dark Web: The part of the Deep Web that is intentionally hidden from search engines and uses masked IP addresses. It is accessible only with a special web browser. 4 Onion Routing: Onion Routing (TOR) is a technique for anonymous communication over a computer network in which messages are encapsulated in layers of encryption, analogous to layers of an onion. 5 2 https://www.techopedia.com/definition/5217/world-wide-web-www 3 https://www.dictionary.com/browse/deep-web 4 https://www.dictionary.com/browse/dark-web 5 https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/onion-routing/ / Southern Ontario Model United Nations Assembly XLVIII World Intellectual Property Organization: The Dark Web Darknet Markets: Any market on the dark web intended for illegal purposes. To access such markets, the user requires specific software such as The Onion Routing (TOR) or the Invisible Internet Project (I2P). Transactions take place through bitcoin in order to protect the identity of the buyer and seller.6 Background Information: The early versions of the Dark web, known as ARPANET, were developed in the early 1970’s, when students at Stanford sold an undetermined amount of marijuana to students at MIT.7 As the globe shifted towards digitization, the internet became more prominent allowing for a plethora of opportunities within the Dark Web. In March 2000, Freenet was launched, an open-source software used for data sharing,protected with privacy protections. Due to its decentralized network, it allows for total anonymity, enabling freedom of speech without censorship. 8 It was the first online platform which attracted “dark” or illegal activity. Perhaps the most pivotal point in Dark Web development was the release of TOR or The Onion Router. It was created by the US government as a tool to aid their own operatives to remain untraceable and also is a fundamental aspect of accessing the Dark Web. The introduction of Bitcoin in the late 2000’s allowed for the maturation of the Dark Web and its Darknet black markets. It is imperative to note that the Dark Web’s use is not illegal per se; however, it holds the potential to host illegal activity such as pedophelia, and terrorism which make it particularily dangerous. If implemented online, these activities fall under the notion of cybercrime. In many cases 6 https://www.investopedia.com/terms/d/darknet-market-cryptomarket.asp 7 https://www.theguardian.com/science/2013/apr/19/online-high-net-drugs-deal 8 https://hackwarenews.com/the-dark-web-a-history-lesson/ / Southern Ontario Model United Nations Assembly XLVIII World Intellectual Property Organization: The Dark Web cybercrime is negated under the notion of the right to privacy and TOR or any other software enable the right to anonymity. However, in recent times there has been a significant shift in the usage of resources within the Deep Web from purely repression based into illicit activities. In a study conducted by the University of Luxembourg in 2013 they found that out of 40,000 unique onion addresses, 56% were on anonymity, politics, human rights violations and other aspects of political anonymity. However, 44% of the resources were about drugs, adult content, counterfeit products and weapons. The researchers arrived at the conclusion that the “number of hidden services related to illegal activities was equal to the number of resources focusing on legal activities.” 9 Today, despite the decrease in overall usage the Dark Web offers an unprecedented variety of hidden services, which allow its impact to be disproportionately large to its size. Small groups of hackers have the ability to significantly impact multi-billion dollar corporations along with their users. The Hidden Wiki and TOR The Hidden Wiki is the name used by ample censorship-resistant wikis which operate as Tor hidden services that users can anonymously edit after registering on the site. 10 TOR holds two crucial features which make it imperative for access to the Dark Web: 9 https://read.un-ilibrary.org/human-rights-and-refugees/deep-web-going-beneath-the-surface_a9373199-en#page1 10 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hidden_Wiki / Southern Ontario Model United Nations Assembly XLVIII World Intellectual Property Organization: The Dark Web (1) Anonymous access to all websites, making it nearly impossible to track users (2) Access to websites or hidden services which are blocked for those who try to access them without TOR This is accomplished by making the connection between two users hop from one server to another. Within TOR, the messages sent and responses received are encrypted with different keys, providing a unique key for encryption for every different server visit. Due to the sheer amount of layers of encoding, even if someone is trying to intercept the message all they will receive is the address of the input node and a thrice encrypted message. 11 Originally TOR was created by the United States government, specifically the Navy, purposed to protect the communication of the military. In certain cases TOR has proven to be valuable, specifically during the Arab Spring. During that time, TOR usage went from 7,000 in 2010 to 40,000 users in 2012 in Iran. In 2014 Turkey, after the government blocked Twitter and Youtube, TOR usage reached an all-time high. Today, approximately two million people use TOR on a daily basis worldwide. In many countries, TOR has become a tool for activism, allowing minorities to escape persecution while providing a platform which protects freedom of expression. However, the particular concern comes with the notion of unrestricted anonymity. According to RSA, a digital risk assessment firm, the predominant uses of TOR are: 12 ● Trade of stolen financial data (credit cards) ● Financial fraud ● Illegal sexual content 11 https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/onion-routing/ 12 https://www.rsa.com/en-us/blog/2016-02/role-tor-cybercrime / Southern Ontario Model United Nations Assembly XLVIII World Intellectual Property Organization: The Dark Web ● Bypassing censorship: banned political activity, surfing to blocked sites (for example in countries like Russia and China) ● Drug trafficking and weapons trading ● Gambling ● The sale of stolen goods ● Anonymous instant messaging Commercial Services in the Dark Web: Darknet markets, or cryptomarkets are dark web sites with goods for sale. Although some products are legal, illicit goods such as stolen information, weapons and drugs are common items in these markets. A crucial feature of darknet markets is the anonymity in transactions, as they take place via Bitcoin using dark wallets. The mainstay of darknet markets is the sale of illegal drugs and in 2015 The Economist found that between $150 and $180 million worth of drugs were sold through darknet transactions. Not only do these markets provide the items, but also the resources to get these products through the mail, including supplies needed to disguise shipments. In addition to drugs, darknet markets offer a wide variety of products and services ranging from stolen information to pornographic content to weapons or poisons. 13 Case Study: Silk Road One of the most controversial commercial services in the history of the dark web is the “Silk Road.”.The Silk Road was founded on an anarcho-libertarian 13 https://www.investopedia.com/terms/d/darknet-market-cryptomarket.asp / Southern Ontario Model United Nations Assembly XLVIII World Intellectual Property Organization: The Dark Web philosophy, believing that anything not violent should not be criminalized. In 2013, Silk Road counted 13,000 items listed and in two and a half years of operation their sales totalled to 9.5 million in Bitcoin which is equivalent to 1.2 billion dollars. 14 Silk Road was a paradigm-shifting innovation as it provided more security and easier access to drugs. Silk Road was seized in 2013 by the FBI, however that only insighted more development of niche darknet markets. According to Deepdotweb, analogous to TripAdvisor for black markets, said that in 2017 there were at least 20 well established black market sites.