New Book Explores the "Dark Web"
The term “Dark Web” conjures up drug markets, unregulated gun sales, stolen credit
cards. But, as Robert Gehl points out in Weaving the Dark Web, for each of these illegitimate uses, there are other, legitimate ones: the New York Times' anonymous whistleblowing system, for example, and the use of encryption by political
dissidents. Defining the Dark Web straightforwardly as websites that can be accessed
only with special routing software, and noting the frequent use of “legitimate” and
its variations by users, journalists, and law enforcement to describe Dark Web practices
(judging them “legit” or “sh!t”), Gehl uses the concept of legitimacy as a window
into the Dark Web. He does so by examining the history of three Dark Web systems:
Freenet, Tor, and I2P. Gehl presents three distinct meanings of legitimate: legitimate
force, or the state's claim to a monopoly on violence; organizational propriety; and
authenticity. He explores how Freenet, Tor, and I2P grappled with these different
meanings, and then discusses each form of legitimacy in detail by examining Dark Web
markets, search engines, and social networking sites. Finally, taking a broader view
of the Dark Web, Gehl argues for the value of anonymous political speech in a time
of ubiquitous surveillance. If we shut down the Dark Web, he argues, we lose a valuable
channel for dissent.
Whitney Philips, Assistant Professor of Communication, Culture, and Digital Technologies, Syracuse University, praises the book:
"Here Gehl deftly navigates the ambivalent, sometimes counterintuitive ways 'legitimacy' is used to describe the Dark Web's uses and meanings. This approach simultaneously illuminates the discursive contours of the Dark Web and situates it within broader conversations about the power dynamics, social formations, and political implications baked into networked technologies."
And Alexia Maddox, Lecturer in Communications, School of Communication and Creative Arts, Deakin University, adds,
"This book is 'legit,' a fascinating and accomplished exploration of a sociotechnical frontier, the Dark Web. Drawing together contemporary thought and presenting new insights, this book moves our understanding of the technological practices and social milieu occupying these emergent digital spaces forward. A must-read for Internet scholars and the digitally curious."
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