Paper Details
Paper Code: RP12V12023
Category: Research Papers
Date of Publication: December 06, 2023
Citation: Dr. Hina Kausar & Ms. Nair Aathira Baburajan, “Challenges of Implementing Law on the Anarchic Side of the Internet: A Socio-Legal Study into the Dark Web and Darknet”, 1, AIJIPCA, (2023).
Author Details: Dr. Hina Kausar, Faculty, School of Law, Presidency University, Bangalore &
Ms. Nair Aathira Baburajan, Student, Presidency University, Bangalore
ABSTRACT
The internet, as we are all aware, is a brilliant use of technology and an abstraction to laypeople. Similar to the Moon, which as we all know has a dark side, the Internet is split into light and dark areas. The Light is only the surface-level internet, which is accessible to everybody with a device within arm's reach and is utilized for administration, amusement, e-commerce, etc. The dark side, commonly referred to as the dark web, is disorderly and runs on an unorganized chaos. Even though it is divided, we cannot fully isolate one from its influence on the other and categorize everything into good or bad. The deep web gives anonymity to people and gives them freedom of expression, unlike the regular internet which to an extent is regulated by governments all over the world. To keep the world functioning, many government officials rely on the deep web's anonymity veil for all kinds of communication and transactions. There are several groups of vigilante justice and whistle-blowers in our midst who use the deep web to their advantage for the betterment of society. Many people abuse this freedom for crimes and terrorism, both outside and online. Regulating and managing the deep web and darknet is the challenge the legal system is currently facing. In this documentation, we will try to understand the workings of the Dark web and how our policymakers are implementing legislation to regulate this space.
KEYWORDS
Internet; Darknet; Deep web; TOR; Cyberspace
Introduction
The media that we consume daily has led us to believe that the Darknet and the Deep web are just a platform for criminal and illegal activities; Though most of this is true, we need to delve into the origins of the Deep web to understand the intention behind making such an obscure place. A criminal activity takes place where there’s an opportunity to use cover-up and negligence, if the conditions are met it doesn’t matter whether the action takes place in the real world or virtual. But unlike the real world, it is difficult to regulate the virtual world as it is vast and even though we can take action against it on a lower level we are mostly dealing with the World Wide Web which is harder to navigate and keep in check.
What are the Dark Web and the Deep web?
The Darknet or Dark web encapsulated non-indexed online content is encrypted by conventional search engines. The dark Web can be accessed only through specific browsers, namely TOR browsers. Unlike traditional websites functioning on a surface level, the dark web provides a great deal of privacy and anonymity[1]. These websites are widely known to cater to illegal activities, such as online black markets for drugs, the exchange of stolen and valuable goods, and other such things. Even though this reputation precedes itself, the dark web is used to keep private information safe and also give people a platform to voice their political opinions without consequences[2].
The Deep web is the majority of the internet with hyperlinks also referred to as the standard browsers, that cannot be opened by technology but is up on the internet. The statistics show that there are close to 4 billion web pages that can be accessed on regular browsers on the surface internet[3]. As it is known the deep web can only be accessed through certain mediums it contributes to vindictive behaviour from individuals and groups, and the deep web as its nature shelters this behavior from authorities.
The distinction between the dark web and the deep web is important to be made. The dark web is another part of the deep web. The deep web has in addition come to be known as the invisible web or hidden web, it is what lies in the depths of the internet and not just the dark web[4]. The information on the deep web is not indexed and is encrypted normally which includes pages that do not normally come up in web searches. It provides information that usually requires the users to log in for transactions such as online banking, paid streaming services, hosting services, and private databases. On the dark web, everything conducted doesn't need to be illegal; information can be availed through databases such as subscriber-only services[5].
Origin of the Deep and Dark web
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency created the first message ever sent through computers connected by ARPANET in 1969. After a few years, ARPANET was joined by additional secretive networks. The unlawful storing of data became a problem in the 1980s as the internet became more widely used. An encrypted network was developed by the two research organizations in the US defense departments in the 1990s to protect communications that are sensitive and led by US spies. For a while, the system was used only by the government of the US and it was not known to common people. In the year 2000, Ian Clarke developed Freenet, software that allowed users access to the darkest corners of the web. The 2002 introduction of TOR by the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory offered users protection by masking their IP address and location. Originally intended to be used to conceal the identity of American spies infiltrating other countries, it was eventually made available to the general public. Satoshi Nakamoto introduced to the world Bitcoin, a crypto currency that is untraceable in January 2009. It became popular with dark web users due to its guaranteed anonymity.[6] Transactions carried out with Bitcoin are un-traceable in cyberspace, which allows criminals to engage in illegal activities such as gambling. With the introduction of Bitcoin,[7] the darknet experienced an increase in illegal transactions which helped the majority in the organization and participation of the Arab Spring in late 2010.[8] A Gawker-affiliated blog published in 2011, an expose on the Silk Road known to its users as a dark web market that gave them easy access to buying and selling illegal drugs. This intern helped boost the traffic for the site and its sales. FBI started a campaign to completely shut down the program. The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted a sting in successfully taking down Silk Road, marking it a memorable event as that site had grown up to a million users[9]. Over the years there have been many takedowns of such websites with collaborative work of various governmental organizations, but as there will always be a demand from such a crowd the dark web cannot be fully wiped clean.
Accessibility and navigation through the dark Web
Conventionally speaking the darknet and deep web are legal in the sense that they exist in the same cyberspace, but the activities taking place inside the dark web decide the legality of accession of it[10]. Reaching the dark web is no child’s play as opposed to the normal web, different and special techniques, and tools are required to explore the dark web. Usually, there are two ways via the dark web and deep can be approached,
a) Using search engines that are different but accessed through regular browsers like Google, Bing, Safari, Firefox, Internet Explorer, and so on.
b) Using search engines that can only be accessed from a TOR like Browser.
Besides these steps, people knowledgeable in this field can develop their own custom-built using link-crawling programs and API programs[11].
The main way to gain easy entry to the dark web is by using specific search engines designed especially for this purpose. Deep websites that are utilized include economic data sites like FreeLunch.com, Copyright.gov, PubMed, Web of Science, and so on.[12] As most sites on the deep web are anonymous, users shall access them with TOR, to access websites with their “onion” domain[13]. It processes very slowly as it routes the connection through random servers at times to protect anonymity, which is layered onion routing technology that routes traffic through layers to conceal the identities of the users[14]. TOR browsers are not safe and secure though they exist on Android and iOS. There can be extensions, and add-ons found for TOR but are not safe. Sites like TOR can be used to navigate the deep web to acquire hidden content.
The Dark Web and the Aspect of Privacy
Though there are constant promises and deliverance of privacy and anonymity while using the dark web, it is not a hundred percent fullproof. To counter these and bring out the culprit, security experts and researchers constantly develop new ways to identify the users. For example, a collective Anonymous group “hacktivists” in October 2011 Freedom Hosting, a website hosting service crashed through their Operation Darknet which reportedly housed more than 40 child pornography websites[15]. The FBI 2013 took control of Freedom Hosting and infected it with custom malware created specifically to identify the visitors. FBI supposedly had been using some type of computer and internet protocol address verifier since 2002 similar to that of malware used for taking down Freedom Hosting to identify suspects who were using proxy servers to conceal their location or anonymous servers similar to TOR[16]. Browsing dark websites and hidden can be achieved using hidden wikis. But to do more than browse such as conduct transactions, create a fake identity, set up a new email address, set up a new Bitcoin wallet, do proper research on vendors, and much more. A recent judgment by the US Supreme Court noted that even utilizing TOR might be an adequate reason for law enforcement to take any computer anywhere around the world. The government and Internet Service Provider would not uncover the activities of the user on the TOR network; however, they will recognize that a user is on the network, and they can and have the authority to inquire further into it[17].
The Dark Web’s Legality and Its Users
The dark web lets people freely exhibit their views while maintaining the privacy of these free thinkers. To publicly engage in an honest conversation and relay their opinions sometimes it is necessary to have privacy on the web for those who use the internet. With so many people surfing the dark web, it also gives an easy leeway for the government to snoop around the dark net looking for information.[18]
Most people have heard about the dark web and deep web’s existence through the internet, books, peers, and academics. Some use it just for gaining knowledge and keeping up with the happenings on the web. Some do not consider the darknet as an illegal separate side of the internet. The reasoning is that many journalist whistle-blowers use the darknet as an information source to leak about corruption and injustice of the system by using the anonymity immunity of the dark web.[19]
Labeling theorists believe terms used to describe individuals or groups influence them, and this in turn influences the behaviour put out by them. Darknet has also been a victim of such labeling but justifiably so. The majority of the branding comes from the government intending to push certain propaganda against the darknet because the darknet poses a threat to their regime[20]. Studies conducted by various experts and researchers show that those who use the dark web are aware of this devious labeling devoted to the dark web however, they do not behave in the manner that is supposedly associated with them. To the users, the most attractive aspect of the dark web is the privacy and anonymity that comes with it. Users claim that though these prospects attract a lot of criminals still use the platform just to express their views and have built a community using it. One such notable site is Reddit wherein a subreddit named Dark Net Markets specifically caters to discussion on the goods and services on the black markets which can solely be reached using the networks such as TOR[21]. The discussions go from advising new users on the danger and prospect of using such sites and how to do secure surfing on the dark web. They also help users reach certain pages and relate them to their contacts inside. As we would expect having this forum on Reddit led to a lot of controversies. The FBI 2015 requested Reddit to hand over private details of the people running the subreddit and of the participants[22]. Subsequently, the subreddit was banned in March 2018 after Reddit changed its rules regarding using Reddit as an avenue to conduct trade of illegal goods and services.[23] Operation Hyperion was one such initiation taken upon by the US Government with the collaboration of other countries globally to take down the buyers and sellers of illegal substances around the globe in the year 2016, from October 22 to 28[24]. The darknet and deep web are filled with illegal activities that are worrisome to the general public as well as the authorities. It cannot be said that the surface-level internet is all good and not bad, but unlike the deep web, it is still easier to find the culprits on the surface net rather than on the deep net. Market transactions on the dark web are carried out with the untraceable crypto currency Bitcoin which in itself is pretty telling of the type of activities that are being carried out in this space[25]. More than half of the transactions taking place on the dark web are of the illegal kind, if not why goes the roundabout way to conduct a transaction on the dark web and use such means, the only explanation is to avoid suspicion.
Now on the flip side, anonymity can be leveraged to benefit the officials as well. They can conduct sting operations and tracking anonymously just as the criminals do. Law enforcement should rely on past activities and derive from the actions for the future. FBI has previously made malware that compromises servers which then can identify users of TOR. Similar tactics may be applied to further capture criminals and stop crimes.
The US military uses the anonymity of the dark web to its advantage before entering operations in a different state or environment and studying the conditions of the said state to avoid making mistakes while taking critical actions. There is evidence that suggests that the Islamic State and its groups used the dark web to organize and gather troops for their operations as well as to raise funds. To counteract their operations military can employ the same tactics[26].
Illegal Activities on the Dark web
The dark web caters to criminals such as hackers, hitmen, terrorists, paedophiles, and so on. In 2020 April an Italian man was arrested on allegations of an attack on his ex-girlfriend who was bound to a wheelchair after an acid attack by a hitman he hired on the darknet. The officials stated that the man paid 10,000 euros to hire the hitman from a website hosted on TOR. Many Terrorist groups have been known to use the dark web to communicate and organize their plans for attack and for funding their operations.[27]
Let us look into some of the crimes that are common concerning the darknet.
Selling drugs, dealing in arms and weapons, and exotic animals.
The most prominent sight that dealt exclusively with the sale of drugs and weapons was the Silk Road. They trade in cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum, and much more. Silk Road was shut down by the FBI in the year 2013, but soon after many similar websites started popping up. One such site was namely Agora which was also shut down in the year 2019[28]. There are still many websites that run and sell illicit, drugs, weapons, and exotic animals to buyers, namely Valhalla, Wall Street Market, Dream Market, SmokersCo, The Pot Shop, and many more[29]. In 2022 after a 4-month covert operation in India by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) captured 22 people were captured in a drug trafficking network using the darknet as their playground with the help of crypto currency for conducting their transactions anonymously[30].
Human Trafficking
On the darknet, Black Death is a place where human trafficking is prominent. A British model was the victim of human trafficking on the dark web[31]. The reports from 2017 show that the survivors of human trafficking were put to work as sex laborers and labor trafficking. It shows that the dark net has helped increase crimes by pushing these sites into secrecy. They also maintain the sites by changing the URLs frequently[32].
Stolen Data and Leaked Information
In 2017 over 1.4 billion personal records were leaked on the dark web which was openly available on the open web. Some sites are even paid to carry out such action by rival groups. Even the information that is supposedly being protected under third-party privacy policies can be found on the dark web if you look in the right direction.[33]
Contract Killers for murder
On this platform, one can hire professional killers and assassins. There was once a leak in the website used for hiring hitmen, it showed contents of many accounts and contacts and addresses, messages, and over 200 photos of victims uploaded on the site. C’thulhu, Hitmen Network, and Unfriendly Solutions are some of the examples of sites that provide murderers and hitmen. These sites function with transactions on bitcoin, they also give out commissions if referred to friends[34].
Terrorism
Terrorism goes hand in hand with the functioning of the darknet. As terrorism requires anonymity to keep functioning, the darknet is a rather safe place for them. It is hard to keep up with the searches and organizing of these activities on the surface net without bringing up suspicion towards them[35].
Pedophilia or Child pornography
Regular pornography is acceptable with certain restrictions and regulations. Unfortunately, the dark web caters to the most disturbing group of individuals known as pedophiles. It is a violative act of exploiting children for abuse and sexual acts and abuse during sexual acts. It also includes compromising images of child pornography. Child pornography is widely accessible on the dark web[36]. Various research has found that child pornography creates immense traffic on these websites. Lolita City a site was taken down which contained over 15,000 members distributed photos and videos of child pornography with over 100GB of files[37]. Playpen was a similar site that the FBI took down in 2015, which was the largest child pornography site on the dark web with 200,000 members.[38]
Bitcoin Fraud
Bitcoin a nontraceable cryptocurrency is perfect for use in transactions relating to the dark web. It is the most convenient currency to be used on the darknet. With its popularity bitcoin gained traction among users of the surface web and dark web. A group named Distributed Denial of Services (DDoS) attacked 140 companies and tried to extort a ransom in the form of cryptocurrency Bitcoin[39]. After this many cyber-attacks started rising around the world on the darknet.
Torture Sites
There is a phenomenon called the RedRoom on the dark web, a site that claims to host live streams of abuse, torture, killings, rape, and child pornography. No one has ever found proper evidence of such a existence, even if the function is not plausible on web pages such as TOR’s because of how slow it works[40]. An Australian Peter Scully had been paid a lot of money to film himself abusing and torturing young kinds and performing sexual acts on them. He produced many such series on his No Limits Fun series by his company. His videos featured many such acts and once allegedly where he made young girls dig their graves. He was said to be the world’s worst pedophile.[41]
Revenge Pornography
It is the distribution of non-consensual explicit images of the individuals in compromising situations. This was a big issue even on the surface web. Many sites had been shut down. Google has removed revenge porn from its search results. A website called Pink Meth originally originated on the surface web but later migrated to the deep web. It admits user submissions anonymously, though it may now get apprehended[42].
Conclusion and Suggestions
There have been countless cases of targeted attacks on users, private networks, and corporate infrastructure. Some of the most popular types of attacks can be Phishing, DDOS, IP Spoofing, etc. Most of these attacks reach consumers through unused or abandoned network addresses, and monitoring the traffic on such networks can be one of the preventive measures. The Darknet is completely decentralized, and fundamentally anonymous, thus making it difficult to monitor the Tor networks. One way to go about this is to monitor the encrypted traffic from the Exit nodes (boundary) of Tor networks when they hit the internet. Law enforcement agencies have already apprehended numerous cybercriminals and seized Darknet marketplaces all around the world. Due to these takedowns of reputed marketplaces, there has been an increase in criminal-on-criminal attacks. Technology can play a vital role in this process by monitoring and securing access to niches of the dark net and detecting malicious threats, which may not be distinguishable to common people. Since anonymity is a major factor in all sectors of the deep web it is difficult for the authorities to know from whence, they access such sites and who becomes their victims.
Work PCs as well as home computers, laptops, etc should have proper protection and encryption. For big organizations where criminals delve into their systems, they should add more automated security systems to secure confidential information and those that could affect the economy greatly. Initiatives should be taken from the ground level to the international level to conduct studies and research and groups to tackle the issues. Educational seminar forums should jointly conduct exercises to benefit in the long run. If the authorities can match up the time and place of the trading activities it will provide them with evidence and a clean takedown of these trades. It is encouraged that there should be transparent and open communications concerning transactions of data at government and industry levels so that it helps them coordinate and work together to overcome challenges concerning the internet and cybercrime, especially in the 21st century. As capital is the main source of running any organization should look into ways that can monitor and stop any transaction taking place that the eyes of the government can’t reach. Cutting the ties of financial string that hold together the infrastructure of the dark web is vital to keep in place or now to start implementing measures to curb further use of money or cryptocurrency to the advantage of criminals. The Surveillance Legislation Amendment (Identify and Disrupt) Bill 2020[43], legislation passed by the Australian government 2021provides appropriate tools to take measures against the perpetrators of crime in cyberspace by modifying, collecting information about these criminal networks, and gaining control of the online accounts of such accused persons to gather intel on their activities done using these accounts. Every state ought to model these kinds of legislation or body similar and improved versions of it. Such drastic actions are called for in this day and age to serve the public well-being and bring about control in the anarchic cyber world.
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