From drug dealers to human trafficking to ecommerce, the dark web has it all. However, the dark web was not always known for its nefarious and illegal activities. The dark web’s initial purpose was to establish an anonymous communication network, ‘A lot of people use it in countries where there’s eavesdropping or where internet access is criminalized.’ Now, with the dark web tailored to mostly criminals, countless illegal activities go unnoticed by law enforcement. Some examples include purchasing the login credentials for a $50,000 bank account for just $500, obtaining $3,000 worth of counterfeit bills for only $600, or purchasing the services of a hitman. With such a dangerous influence on today’s society, the dark web is definitely a topic worth discussing. This research paper will mainly discuss the depths of the dark web and its impact on businesses. Firstly, I will provide background information on the dark web, including the definition, the history, and way of access. Then, I will narrow down my research and focus on the dark web’s influences on the economy. This includes credit card scams and its effects on banks and businesses. Finally, I will explain how the dark web affects society and suggest solutions for people to defend themselves against scammers. Throughout the paper, I will provide real life experiences from people who have explored the dark web or were a victim. The research question that I will keep in mind for this paper is how does the dark web impact the economy and society.
While conducting my research, I will use videos that explain people’s interactions when exploring the dark web, and articles from numerous outlets ranging from American Express to tech websites to the Federal Trade Commission website. While the videos provide stories from victims, the articles will prove their validity.
First, what is the dark web? The dark web is an encrypted network meant to anonymize your activities. This tool is used to “circumvent censorship, access blocked content, or maintain the privacy of sensitive communications or business plans.” In fact, many journalists use this tool to keep their source’s identity unknown. Accessing this part of the internet is relatively easy. The most common method is downloading a special software called The Onion Router, or TOR for short, which was created by the U.S Naval Research Laboratory. This enables users to access “.onion” websites, which do not work on chrome. Next, you would need to download a virtually private network, or VPN for short, which allows you to browse the dark web with an extra layer of protection from hackers. Dark web links consist of random numbers and letters followed by “.onion,” http://6khhxwj7viwe5xjm.onion/?ai=552713 is the link to one of the most popular dark web spots, the “Dream Market,” where you can purchase anything from drugs to stolen data to counterfeit consumer goods.
The dark web heavily affects the economy because of the unique items you can purchase. “Stolen information such as bank accounts, health records, driver’s licenses, Social Security numbers and birth certificates can be purchased here. Criminals can even buy a “wallet” with multiple forms of identification, handing over everything needed to create a new identity.” Identity theft is made easier with the dark web and once an account is compromised, purchases can be made, which the bank may or may not reimburse you. The dark web also contributes to wholesale copyright infringements, from selling Hollywood blockbusters to Microsoft Office. Studies show that software piracy costed businesses $34 billion worldwide just in 2005.
The dark web also heavily affects society due to the frightening experiences victims face. Identity theft is nuisance and may take anywhere from one day to thousands of hours to recover from. Not only does this harm your bank accounts, but if this person commits a crime or opens new accounts under your identity, it can be a long process to correct public records and credit. Throughout this process, an individual can experience extreme emotional distress, since their lives can easily be completely ruined. In addition, the opioid crisis was escalated through dark web sales along with increased sales in fentanyl and similar products. These drugs destroy communities and lives, for instance, among the dead are two 13-year-olds, Grant Seaver and Ryan Ainsworth. They received a synthetic opioid known as U-47700 or Pinky from a local teen that purchased it through the dark web.
To protect against the dark web, the most obvious solution would be to not use it at all, but sometimes curiosity or desires would push an individual to browse the dark web. Firstly, as mentioned before, get a virtually private network for an extra layer of protection. Also, having a game plan is important, don’t stray from your task or click random links. Don’t use your regular email account as it can be traced back to you. Cover your webcam as it may be hacked into. Don’t download anything from websites you don’t trust as there probably will be viruses and malware.