Dark Web: Criminal Activity or Dissident Communication

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Topic
Ethical Question
Competing Answers
Personal Answer
Ethical Support
Conclusion
Implication of the Answer to the Ethical Question
Annotated Bibliography

Introduction

In understanding if the Dark Web is a threat or an opportunity for people to be free, one serious step is usually missing. Instead of giving clear definitions and examples of web activities, users prefer to consider it as something bad and illegal due to the presence of the word “dark” in the title. However, one should remember about “Dark Knight” or “Dark Phoenix” to realize that “dark” may be illegal or unknown but not always bad or dangerous. In the discussion of ethical issues in computing, the concept of the Dark Web may be treated from two major perspectives. It may be either a criminal activity that has to be controlled and banned or a place for dissident communication where people are free to demonstrate their desires and interests openly. Relying on Kant’s moral theory about maxims and results, this paper aims to answer the dilemma of legal and ethical appropriateness of the Dark Web in modern society and support the idea of human freedoms.

Topic

Nowadays, millions of people have already heard about the Dark Web and its ambiguous impact on computing and society. Many researchers begin their projects by comparing the Dark Web with an iceberg, meaning that more than 90% of the Internet content is hidden (Beckstrom and Lund 3; Croy 30; Weimann 196). It is hard to evaluate its true impact on the environment, and people use their subjective guesses to come to at least some conclusion. The Dark Web is a collection of websites in the encrypted network with the help of which search via traditional browsers is impossible (Croy 5). Web browsers should have the Onion Router encryption tool (Tor), developed by the US Naval Research Laboratory for anonymous online communication, or the Invisible Internet Project (I2P) for censorship-resisted communication (Weimann 196). The Dark Web hides the sites ended with.onion or.i2p, and access to them requires a specific program with the “user to change the DNS server addresses in his or her router” (Gehl 1220). Such an opportunity to hide identities and introduce false locations has many benefits, as well as created certain threats.

Ethical Question

A variety of options for ordinary users create a serious problem for society to understand a possible impact of the Dark Web on the present and the future. It is hard for people to understand if this theme requires an immediate and definite answer and attitude. The Dark Web fascinates people in keeping their identities a secret to discover dangerous or inhuman demands (child pornography or torturing) (Dewey). Therefore, a number of normative, ethical questions may be developed in terms of the chosen computer science and engineering topic. What should be the outcomes of the Dark Web usage if it is one-way considered as a place for dissident communication between free people instead of a criminal activity and a root of cyber terrorism? It is the ethical question that might not have a correct answer but could promote new technical discussions, ethical concerns, and subjective opinions.

Competing Answers

Many competing answers about the Dark Web may occur from technical or ethical perspectives. In this discussion, attention is paid to the two options. First, the recognition of the Dark Web as a criminal activity helps control human actions but tighten up their freedoms. Second, the idea to use the Dark Web as the place for dissident communication does not question human freedoms but promotes the creation of a new social group of people with their needs and wants. According to Croy, “the Dark Web has become a global marketplace for illegal good and services”. Such a statement proves the possibility of the correctness of the first answer. At the same time, Beckstrom and Lund ask to under the “true mission of these platforms” as “one of the most valuable tools for freedom and privacy the world has ever seen”. Dissident communication was not popular or allowed several decades ago, and now, certain progress was achieved. People have got what they wanted to get for centuries. The Dark Web opened the door to new opportunities, and it is time to decide either they are legal or not.

Personal Answer

I strongly believe that despite obtained knowledge, experience, and achievements, a person is never able to estimate the true cost of his or her decisions. Time is the only unit of measurement for human actions. For example, people want to study as many subjects as possible to understand what they are good at with time. Groups of people migrate to find out new opportunities with time. Couples fall in love to get married and have children with time. In all these situations, it is impossible to understand if human decisions are successful or not. Therefore, they need time to come to a conclusion and understand what happens around.

Almost the same situation is observed around the Dark Web. If this network is defined as a criminal activity, society will be not able to understand its true pros and cons and treat it as something bad. Dewey says that “people are fascinated by these grotesque urban legends”, and they can hardly forget or neglect their desire to learn the truth. There are enough space and conditions under which the Dark Web may be identified as a place for dissident communication where people try their free will and choices. If the Dark Web is dangerous to human lives, people get to know about it with time, but they have to discover everything on their own.

Ethical Support

To support my answer and define the Dark Web as the source of dissident communication, I would like to rely on the ethical theory developed by Kant. This philosopher believed that the morality of human actions depends on “its maxims rather than its results” or “what is within our control” (Shafer-Landau 164). Maxims are the actions people give themselves when they are going to do something (Shafer-Landau 163). Consequently, everything a person does or thinks is morally approved and right because it can be physically done. In other words, Kant’s theory strengthens my position about the necessity of the Dark Web because of the already evident possibility of its existence.

The Code of Ethics in the IEEE Computer Society is another strong evidence to explain the inevitability of the Dark Web in human lives. Among the existing eight principles, four of them depict a true picture of the situation. First, there is a product (the Dark Web or Tor) with achievable goals and standards for using. Second, it is expected by the public principle to accept responsibility for all the work done (“Code of Ethics”). Another principle, profession, helps develop a specific environment in an organization where knowledge, participation, and order are appreciated (“Code of Ethics”). Finally, the Dark Web is the place where support for colleagues and professional development are promoted. All these principles support the ideas of freedom of Kant’s theory and show that the Dark Web can be a legal enterprise.

Conclusion

The Dark Web is the concept with a number of supporters and opponents. Regarding Kant’s ethical theory and the list of principles in the Code of Ethics in computing, this network should not be identified as a criminal activity but rather an opportunity for dissident communication. Such a choice allows people knowing their options, staying free, and contributing to professional and personal growth. There will always be a chance to call the Dark Web illegal activity and impose controlling orders and rules. However, if human freedoms are questioned without the possibility to do what is wanted, new concerns and conflicts may arise.

Implication of the Answer to the Ethical Question

The Dark Web is a result of someone’s work that is characterized by a high level of professionals and knowledge. My answer to consider it as dissident communication may be implied to multiple social and ethical discussions. People want to believe that they are free to choose or behave the way they want. Modern demands vary and are not mutually accepted and supported. Therefore, the presence of such places like the Dark Web is a good chance for people of different interests to be united and understood in terms of their principles and conceptions.

Annotated Bibliography

Beckstrom, Matthew, and Brady Lund. Casting Light on the Dark Web: A Guide for Safe Exploration. Rowman & Littlefield, 2019.

Despite the fact that society is not ready to trust the content of the Dark Web and continues questioning its appropriateness, Beckstrom and Lund offer a guide to prove the worthiness of the source. Each chapter has its specific topic concerning the Dark Web (definitions, history, usage, or development). Having clear explanations and distinctions between myths and realities, this source helps get a clear picture of what the Dark Web is, and what its ethical dilemmas are.

“Code of Ethics”IEEE Computer Society, 1999. Web.

The IEEE Computer Society is the author of this Code who pursues the goal to introduce and explain ethical basics of software engineering and professional practices. In addition to the public interest as one of the major principles, the Code underlines the worth of self, colleagues, employers, clients, profession, management, and judgment. The investigation of the ethical aspects of the Dark Web will be strengthened due to the possibility to remove ethical tensions and concerns and create an equal basis for analysis.

Croy, Anita. The Dark Web: The Covert World of Cybercrime. Greenhaven Publishing, 2018.

Croy focuses on the necessity to identify and describe crimes that happen on the Dark Web. The intentions of criminals may vary, and this book is based on clear definitions of computer crimes, identity theft, terrorism, and cyber warfare to explain how the Dark Web contributes to their growth and control. No author is ready for taking a side to either support or oppose the Dark Web, and the statements developed by Croy should help a researcher understand the basics for new visions.

Dewey, Caitlin. “In Search of the Darkest, Most Disturbing Content on the Internet”The Washington Post, 2015. Web.

The strength of this credible magazine article is a combination of statements and judgments at both technical and personal levels. On the one hand, people are free to access the Dark Web, using Tor or similar browsers. On the other hand, there are no guarantees that all the actions remain anonymous and safe. The popularity of the Dark Web is not only a scientific or social problem but an ethical challenge with the intention to comprehend why users are so ambiguous in their decisions about safety, quality, and freedom.

Gehl, Robert W. “Power/Freedom on the Dark Web: A Digital Ethnography of the Dark Web Social Network.” New Media & Society, vol. 18, no. 7, 2016, pp. 1219-1235.

There are many attempts to promote a better understanding of the Dark Web problems and benefits, and this journal article is one of the sources that contain an ethnographic exploration of the topic. The Dark Web is an experiment where people deal with their demons about power, freedom, and opportunities. Attention to the issues of anonymity, child pornography, and techno-elitism as community building gives a chance to unite positive and negative attitudes towards the Dark Web.

Shafer-Landau, Russ. The Fundamentals of Ethics. 4th ed., Oxford University Press, 2018.

An understanding of the essentials of moral philosophy is one of the major outcomes the readers of the book can achieve. Although there is no relation to the cyber environment and the Dark Web crimes, Shafer-Landau develops a discussion about ethical theories and philosophies about human actions and intentions. Kant’s theory evaluates the ultimate morality that neglects justice issues to improve well-being. The idea of the person’s desires and needs is above the results and outcomes, which is a good explanation of the Dark Web and the choice people make.

Weimann, Gabriel. “Going Dark: Terrorism on the Dark Web.” Studies in Conflict & Terrorism, vol. 39, no. 3, 2015, pp. 195-206.

Although the Dark Web is not a new topic, people like developing various theories and attitudes towards this issue to come to one definite conclusion and define if it should be legal or not. In this article, Weimann initiates a discussion about terrorism that is observed on the Dark Web and recommendations for its monitoring. The recognition of hidden services and new domains is an obligation that cannot be ignored in cyber research.

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