The term "darknet" was coined in the 1970s to describe networks isolated from ARPANET, the precursor to the modern internet. Darknets have evolved to provide anonymity, takedown resistance, and content richness. The speaker explores two types of darknets: Tor, a decentralized anonymity network, and Freenet, a peer-to-peer file-sharing network.
Tor allows users to browse the internet anonymously and access hidden services, which are dynamic pages with a .onion address. The speaker demonstrates how to use Tor and highlights its features, such as secure drop and hidden services. They also mention that Tor has been used for political safe-haven journalism, piracy, and black markets, but emphasizes its importance for privacy.
Freenet, on the other hand, is a decentralized peer-to-peer file-sharing network that stores encrypted data on users' hard drives. The speaker notes that Freenet is slow and hard to use but provides an example of a different type of darknet.
The speaker concludes by emphasizing the importance of darknets in surviving a surveillance state, citing the Snowden leaks and the xkeyscore system as examples of government surveillance. They encourage the audience to learn more about darknets and the Deep Web, highlighting their potential for promoting anonymity and freedom online.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. The term "darknet" was coined in the 1970s to describe networks isolated from ARPANET.
2. ARPANET eventually became the commercial internet run by private telecoms.
3. ARPANET was created by the US Department of Defense to share data and research with universities.
4. The World Wide Web was not developed until 1990 by Tim Berners-Lee.
5. The internet is a massive piece of hardware that enables global communication.
6. There are hundreds of ocean-spanning cables, satellite communication, and radio communication that make the internet work.
7. The Tor network was initially researched by the US Naval Research Laboratory and later handed over to a non-profit organization called The Tor Project.
8. The Tor network is a decentralized anonymity network that allows users to browse the internet anonymously.
9. The Tor network has around 80% of its budget from the US government and 20% from private donors and other governments.
10. The Tor browser comes in a bundle with other software and is pre-configured to use the Tor network.
11. The Tor network has a feature called "hidden services" that allows users to access dynamic websites with a .onion address.
12. The Deep Web refers to the part of the internet that is not indexed by search engines and requires special software to access.
13. The Tor network has been used for various purposes, including whistleblowing, journalism, and activism.
14. The Tor network has been used by organizations such as the Washington Post and the New York Times to allow anonymous sources to submit information.
15. The Freenet network is a decentralized peer-to-peer file-sharing network that allows users to share files anonymously.
16. Freenet uses encryption to protect user data and has a feature called "free sites" that allows users to host websites on the network.
17. The Linux Journal and Boeing were labeled as "extremist forums" by the XKeyscore system, a surveillance program used by the NSA.
18. XKeyscore is a surveillance program designed to help analysts pick targets for surveillance by searching for keywords in emails, email bodies, and other types of data.
19. Darknets have played an important role in uprisings, journalism, and activism, especially in states of political turmoil.