From Agorism to OPSEC Dark Web Markets and

From Agorism to OPSEC: Dark Web Markets and a Shifting Relationship to the State Robert W. Gehl University of Utah robertwgehl. org

Plan of the Presentation Overview of Dark Web Markets Agorism, including on the Silk Road Post-Silk Road Market Politics OPSEC politics

Dark Web Markets Overview Sociotechnical Ingredients Anonymizing networks (Tor, I 2 P, Freenet) Cryptocurrencies (Bitcoin, Dash, Monero) Software "Clear Web" coverage Global Delivery Systems Forums Social/Political Theory

Agorism Samuel Edward Konkin III, in a still from Alongside Night

Agorism on the Dark Web Freenet mirror of Agorism. info Freesite dedicated to Harry Browne Secondrealm. i 2 p Anarplex (I 2 P and Tor)

Agorism on the Silk Road 2011 – 2013

Agorism on the Silk Road Gawker story in 2011: "The state is the primary source of violence, oppression, theft and all forms of coercion, " Silk Road wrote to [Gawker]. "Stop funding the state with your tax dollars and direct your productive energies into the black market. "

Agorism on the Silk Road (2) Dread Pirate Robert's Book Club, with a focus on "agorism, counter-economics, anarchocapitalism, Austrian economics, political philosophy, freedom issues and related topics. My hope is that through this, we will discover what we stand for and foster a culture of peace, prosperity, justice and freedom. "

Prefigurative Politics Maddox et al 2015: Silk Road as building a new society in the shell of the old

The Decline of Dark Web Agorism Silk Road seized in October 2013 DPR/Ross Ulbricht arrested

Decline of Dark Web Agorism (2) Munksgaard and Demant 2016: "The libertarian political discourse has historically been prevalent on cryptomarket forums. The closure of Silk Road has affected the prevalence of libertarian discourse suggesting that while the closure did not succeed in curtailing the cryptomarket economy, it dampened political sentiments. "

OPSEC The Grugq at Hack In The Box 2012

OPSEC in a Nutshell "Shut The Fuck Up" Separate online/offline You have no friends Be "proactively paranoid" The Grugq at Hack In The Box 2012

"Feind Hört Mit"

OPSEC's Military Roots Contemporary "Purple Dragon" Insignia

OPSEC on Dark Web Markets Silk Road Post-Mortems Failure to separate online/offline Failure to STFU Did not compel others to STFU "Ross relied far too much on voluntarism, in other words, more of that Agorist Libertarian bullshit – just look where the fuck it got us. . "

OPSEC on Dark Web Markets Silk Road Post-Mortems OPSEC Guides on Contemporary Markets Outlaw Market: "When dealing through darknetmarkets OPSEC is always a major issue, this means keep your mouth shut. "

OPSEC on Dark Web Markets Silk Road Post-Mortems OPSEC Guides on Contemporary Markets OPSEC Against Scammers They are not your friends

OPSEC on Dark Web Markets Silk Road Post-Mortems OPSEC Guides on Contemporary Markets OPSEC Against Scammers Markets for "bad OPSEC" Stolen personal information, gained via social engineering entrepreneurial predation

Dark Web OPSEC Politics "Proactive Paranoia" as social theory OPSEC skills translate to cultural power Re-appropriated by the State

Conclusion Shift from community via markets. . . …to extreme, predatory "you're on your own" social relations with a more pragmatic relationship to state power

From Agorism to OPSEC: Dark Web Markets and a Shifting Relationship to the State Robert W. Gehl University of Utah robertwgehl. org