darknet

A computer network or Internet service that lets users send and receive files and information over the Internet without fear of being monitored or logged. The service allows people to use an untraceable address in the "darknet," where they cannot be personally identified. Darknets are basically overlay networks that use the Internet but require specific software, configurations or authorization to access.

A Swedish high-tech company launched such a service because "the right to exchange information in private is fundamental to the democratic society. Without a safe and convenient way of accessing the Internet anonymously, this right is rendered null and void." The service offers a neutral IP address on top of your existing ISP service through a strongly encrypted VPN connection.

Historical perspective: Silk Road was launched in February 2011, an online black market and best known as a platform for selling illegal drugs, it was considered the first modern darknet market. As part of the dark web, it operated as a Tor hidden service, so online users were able to browse it anonymously and securely without traffic monitoring. Before it was shut down in 2013, Silk Road handled over $1.2 billion worth of illegal goods and services, with over $79.2 million in commissions, according to the criminal complaint against Ulbricht.