Dina Aziz
Editor '18
The media coverage of the Deep Web usually describes it as a vast hidden area, 5,000 times larger than the surface web and filled with criminals. However, that is actually false. The Deep Web is not a place, it is not hidden, and actually harbors no criminal activity. It simply accounts for the unindexed content online, the data that Google does not know or care about, for example, online banking data. There are things a typical search engine cannot find. It can only be accessed by specific tools like Tor, which is a special browser where one may find crime or illegal activity, but mainly used by government agencies. In fact, there is a physical drug trade called the Silk Road.
The Dark Web is a fascinating world in a hidden part of the Internet. It provides people with the right to privacy. It protects and hides passwords and identities that are invisible to the typical browsers. Since the publishers are anonymous, individuals have a sense of freedom and security.
In 1987, the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA) was passed, which set standards for how the government can access digital information of citizens. Although technology has changed drastically, the law has surprisingly remained the same. Those opposed to ECPA say the most awful part of the law includes the rights the government has to obtain electronic files without needing a warrant. "A paper letter sitting in your home or office drawer has a significantly higher level of constitutional protection compared to an email right now," says Robert Holleyman, president of the Business Software Alliance. This law is an invasion of privacy and should have changed as technology evolved. ECPA allows the government to have access to digital interactions like emails, Facebook messages, information sitting in databases, and a multitude of other files. After those files are 180 days old, only a subpoena is needed, not a warrant.
Editor '18
The media coverage of the Deep Web usually describes it as a vast hidden area, 5,000 times larger than the surface web and filled with criminals. However, that is actually false. The Deep Web is not a place, it is not hidden, and actually harbors no criminal activity. It simply accounts for the unindexed content online, the data that Google does not know or care about, for example, online banking data. There are things a typical search engine cannot find. It can only be accessed by specific tools like Tor, which is a special browser where one may find crime or illegal activity, but mainly used by government agencies. In fact, there is a physical drug trade called the Silk Road.
The Dark Web is a fascinating world in a hidden part of the Internet. It provides people with the right to privacy. It protects and hides passwords and identities that are invisible to the typical browsers. Since the publishers are anonymous, individuals have a sense of freedom and security.
In 1987, the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA) was passed, which set standards for how the government can access digital information of citizens. Although technology has changed drastically, the law has surprisingly remained the same. Those opposed to ECPA say the most awful part of the law includes the rights the government has to obtain electronic files without needing a warrant. "A paper letter sitting in your home or office drawer has a significantly higher level of constitutional protection compared to an email right now," says Robert Holleyman, president of the Business Software Alliance. This law is an invasion of privacy and should have changed as technology evolved. ECPA allows the government to have access to digital interactions like emails, Facebook messages, information sitting in databases, and a multitude of other files. After those files are 180 days old, only a subpoena is needed, not a warrant.