Book Review – The Dark Net, Jamie Bartlett

 

We humans have always fantasized about invisibility. From being defined as one of the eight great powers attained through spiritual practices, to being depicted as the superpower of noble heroes or evil villains in movies, the power of invisibility has always ruled human imagination. Ask anybody as to what they would do if they can be invisible for a day and the answers will range from plain, simple pranking to wicked acts of violence and voyeurism. You will soon realize that it is best for the power of invisibility to remain invisible (pun intended) from us humans for a very long time to come.

But modern technology has given us very many ways to remain anonymous, if not invisible, and we humans are making do with the same to the best of our abilities. From being restricted to sending anonymous parcels or making bogus calls, we humans have gained enhanced abilities through technology. It is nowhere more clearly visible than it is in the world of internet. Using anything apart from our own photos as profile pictures and setting our ‘status’ as offline even while being online, are just two of the innocuous ways in which we remain anonymous. Creating fake profiles, sharing false information both fall on the other end of the anonymity spectrum.

But there are methods more advanced that truly define the term anonymity in today’s social-media obsessed world. And, these are the methods used to access and inhabit that hidden corner of the web, aptly called ‘the dark net’. It is dark not only in terms of hiddenness but also in terms of the emotional/intellectual darkness that prevails there. Just as how people would have answered our question of what they would do if they become invisible, here too people exercise their invisibility to do many things – from playing simple pranks (hacks) to performing vile acts. ‘The Dark Net’ by Jamie Bartlett does a great work in throwing light on everything that happens in that hidden part of internet.

This book is divided into seven chapters, reminding me of the similar number of vices that Christianity warns us against. The first of the vices discussed in the book is trolling. While pranking is for simple people, the anonymity cloak offered by the internet has been a boon to bullies. Today, anybody with a smartphone and internet connection can abuse and confront anyone from any part of the world. While such behavior has spilled over to the visible part of the internet these days, the revolting kind of trolling is prevalent more in the dark web. In fact, from obscene messages to disgusting images, there is nothing revolting for these bullies. These trolls don’t even refrain from making fun of funerals, mind you!

Then, there are racists, staunch nationalists and bitter radicals, who use dark net to plan attacks – at times, even physical – against one another. More often than not, these are people affable and unassuming in real life, but don absolutely contrasting identities on the web, pouring all the world’s hatred and bitterness on you. While these people rely on bitter arguments to bring about political changes, there is another group working on alternative economic controls – the crypto-currencies - like Bitcoin to loosen the financial grip of the governments on their citizens. With secretive transactions and no central control, there is nothing here that the government can keep track of and raise revenues through tax. How possible or even how acceptable are such alternative currencies?! Decide for yourself.

The fourth and fifth vices practiced in the dark net both pertain to the sins of flesh. While anyone with a smart phone and internet connectivity can access pornography freely these days, there are perverted kinds that even fans of porn would shun. Dark web is a place for information and access to such practices. Pedophilia is such a perversion ostracized from the surface web, and the perverts who want to be ‘understood’ (!) and accepted for their pedophilic tendencies have made the dark web their home.

Consuming narcotic substances is a clear no-no, as preached by all the religions. So is the act of stealing. The dark web offers a marketplace for all such forbidden things and more. You can buy anything from drugs to banned books to murderous weapons, all safely hidden from the prying eyes of the government. Strangely, the principles of economy and customer satisfaction seem to apply to these hidden marketplaces as well as they are in real markets.

While gluttony is the last of our seven vices, the act of starving oneself in order to shred every last ounce of flesh from the body seems to be an act of normalcy for some in the dark net. So is the practice of harming one’s own self or even ending one’s life. From motivating people to starve for days together, to mentoring people on harming one’s self, sometimes even egging on people to commit suicide, it all happens in the dark net.

Kudos to the author for handling such a dark subject in a matter-of-fact manner! Without standing on a high-pedestal and looking down on the inhabitants of dark net, deriding them for not following the social mores, the author presents the facts, about how they are simple people like the rest of us, their arguments and reasons that pushed them to that darkness. Reading through the book, one cannot wonder but find one’s own mind straddle the thin line between rights and wrongs, just as all these aspects of dark net are prevalent, to a lesser extent, in the visible web as well. In fact, dark web is not all evil and villains. It is just for people who prefer to carry out their activities anonymously. Sadly, anonymity is preferred more by those who have some not so acceptable agendas.

I picked up this book hoping to get a technical insight into the dark web, about TOR browser, technical configurations and so on. Instead, I ended up wondering about the dark, hidden depths of the human mind, which make possible the presence of the dark web. I have always believed that given enough darkness, we will all unleash our inner demons. ‘The Dark Net’ strengthens that belief. A good read!