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Is the Dark Web Legit? Robert W. Gehl University of Utah robertwgehl Twister: @robertwgehl

Is the Dark Web Legit? Robert W. Gehl University of Utah www.robertwgehl.org Twister: @robertwgehl. Plan of the Presentation. What is the Dark Web? Three Legitimacies State violence Appropriate Authentic, real, cool Three Legits and the DW Symbolic/Material Economy of Legitimacy.

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Is the Dark Web Legit? Robert W. Gehl University of Utah robertwgehl Twister: @robertwgehl

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  1. Is the Dark Web Legit? Robert W. Gehl University of Utah www.robertwgehl.org Twister: @robertwgehl

  2. Plan of the Presentation • What is the Dark Web? • Three Legitimacies • State violence • Appropriate • Authentic, real, cool • Three Legits and the DW • Symbolic/Material Economy of Legitimacy

  3. What is the "Dark Web"? • Standard Web technologies • HTML, HTTP, CSS, PHP, Javascript • Web browser • Special routing software • Encryption • Obfuscation of publisher IP address/identity • Obfuscation of browser's IP/identity

  4. What is the "Dark Web"?

  5. Three Legitimacies • Legitimate(d) use of violent force • Appropriate, proper, law-abiding, respectable • Authenticity, realness

  6. Legitimate(d) use of violent force

  7. Legitimate(d) use of violent force • Object: the citizen-subject • Power practices: Deprivation of time (imprisonment) or life (death penalty, military death [ie., drone-killing], police killing) • Social groups: Law enforcement, military, security state, politicians

  8. Appropriate, proper, law-abiding

  9. Appropriate, proper, law-abiding • Objects: employees, investors, consumers • Power practices: Deprivation of livelihood, money, access (firing, suing), discipline • Social groups: Management, moderators, administrators

  10. Authenticity, realness

  11. Authenticity, realness

  12. Authenticity, realness • Objects: artists, intellectuals, hackers, critics • Power practices: inclusion and exclusion, distinction and differentiation, criticism • Social groups: artists, intellectuals, hackers, critics

  13. Three Legitimacies • Why even use the term "legitimacy" in relation to the Dark Web? • Because social groups associated with the Dark Web use the term (i.e., it is emic knowledge) • Dark Web social groups: • Law enforcement and governments • Network builders (Tor project, i2p, etc) • Site administrators • DW users

  14. Three Legitimacies • Legitimate(d) use of force (1/2) • Law enforcement, op-ed writers • Arrest makers of illegitimate sites • Seize servers, monitor users • In this sense, legitimacy in the negative: the Dark Web is illegitimate

  15. Three Legitimacies • Legitimate(d) use of force (2/2) • Free speech activists • Dark Web as free speech-preserving bulwark against state power • A means to contest the legitimation of state force • In this sense, Dark Web is legitimate even in the face of illegal activities conducted on it

  16. Three Legitimacies • Appropriate, legal sense (1/2) • Tor user and site admin: • In the time I've been using the DarkWeb, I've seen a great number of sites come and go. Primarily, it's been the illegal sites that have been the shortest lived, but many legitimate sites have been established out here as well, just to pull up stakes within a year or less due to whatever reason.

  17. Three Legitimacies • Appropriate, legal sense (2/2) • Another Tor user and site admin: • "Hosting and promoting legit services on Tor that doesn’t deal with all the stuff that makes good press and people think badly about such a system is a win in my book. If people would just realize that Tor is meant for all this great and empowering things, and not be afraid of all the 'darkness' that the 'dark net' is connected to, the entire world society would be better off, both online and offline."

  18. Three Legitimacies • Authentic, real (1/2) • Many, many DW users: • "Is THIS SITE legit?" • Is it a scam? Is it a law enforcement honeypot? • Can I get my drugs or guns? • Can I get real hacking advice?

  19. Three Legitimacies • Authentic, real (2/2) • Tor hidden service admin • Challenges of "trying to keep bots out while allowing legitimate users in, meanwhile doing so in a way that doesn't compromise the user's anonymity" • Who are "real" users?

  20. Three Legitimacies State Power Appropriate Orgs, Technologies Authentic Practices

  21. Well? • Is the Dark Web legit? • Impossible to say just now • Could be illegitimate (state power) • Could be legitimated (as an accepted technology) • Could be legit (drug markets) • Undergoing its legitimacy trial • We see a symbolic/cultural/material economy of legitimacy • I will focus on Dark Web Search, Markets, and Social Networking Sites

  22. Is the Dark Web Legit? Robert W. Gehl University of Utah www.robertwgehl.org Twister: @robertwgehl

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