‘Choice’ of social media platform or encrypted messaging app to buy and sell illegal drugs

Sanden, Robin van der; Wilkins, Chris; Rychert, Marta; Barratt, Monica J.

doi:10.1016/j.drugpo.2022.103819

Cited by 12 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 54 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…We have previously observed that it is important to appreciate that social media and messaging platforms are not specifically designed to facilitate drug trading (van der Sanden et al, 2022a). In this vein, how people adapt platform affordances to facilitate drug transactions may feed into social media harm reduction impacts.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This article presents a qualitative analysis of anonymous interviews with people who use social media to buy or sell drugs in New Zealand. The study is part of a broader project considering the impact of social media and darknet drug markets in New Zealand (see also van der Sanden et al, 2021van der Sanden et al, , 2022avan der Sanden et al, , 2022b. Online chat-based interviews (Bakken, 2022;Barratt, 2012;Gibson, 2020) were carried out from July 2020 to September 2021.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Previous research has also found platforms like Snapchat and Messenger, often already in use among friendship groups, to be commonly linked to social supply dynamics. These platforms can become tools for "avoiding" interactions with commercial sellers on social media (van der Sanden et al, 2022a).…”

Section: Social Supply and Harm Reductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This relationship indicates the potential for social media drug markets to push younger age groups into more commercial drug market settings, as has been suggested by researchers internationally (Demant et al, 2019). However, interviews with people who use social media and messaging apps for drug trading have also indicated that social media-facilitated social supply is often not perceived as “buying drugs off social media” by virtue of the social context surrounding transactions and more regular contact between buyer and seller (van der Sanden et al, 2022a). These findings suggest there may be a sizeable social supply undercurrent to social media drug trading in New Zealand.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, in Denmark and Sweden, researchers have found considerable overlap between the use of darknet, social media, and physical drug markets (Demant et al, 2019). The familiarity and accessibility of social media platforms (Moyle et al, 2019), and their proximity to people's social networks, are likely to mean they become the “default” channels through which darknet-sourced drugs are distributed into local drug market settings (van der Sanden et al, 2022a).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 4 more Smart Citations

Social Supply and the Potential for Harm Reduction in Social Media Drug Markets

Sanden

Wilkins

Rychert

et al. 2023

Contemporary Drug Problems

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background Existing studies have highlighted the potential for increased drug market risks from buying drugs via social media involving strangers, such as receiving adulterated drugs or being robbed. However, social supply-driven social media drug markets may also offer enhanced social dealing and harm reduction opportunities. Aim To explore how social media platform features that enable expanded social networking may also support safer social drug dealing and other harm-reduction behaviors. Method Thematic analysis of anonymous online interviews with 33 people who buy and sell drugs via social media in New Zealand. Results Participants (median age 24; 22 male, 10 female, 1 gender diverse) accessing drugs via social media mostly utilized established social networks. These personal networks offered many benefits commonly associated with social media drug trading (i.e., safer and secure drug purchasing). Benefits included reducing the risk of receiving adulterated substances and being victimized. Social media affordances, which participants used to expand their everyday social networks, could also increase participants’ ability to leverage a broader social drug supply network and access related harm reduction benefits. Some participants used darknet markets to buy drugs, which they then resold to “friends” via social media platforms, facilitating supply channels that were largely “separated” from local physical drug markets and associated problems of fraud, violence, and organized crime. Conclusion Social media drug markets offer a range of harm reduction benefits that contribute to a lower-risk local drug market. We suggest this may reflect a closer alignment between social media platform affordances and their adaptation to social supply drug trading.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Social Supply and Harm Reductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Social Supply and the Potential for Harm Reduction in Social Media Drug Markets

Sanden

Wilkins

Rychert

et al. 2023

Contemporary Drug Problems

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Kleinhandel, Kleinsthandel und Social Supply auf dem Schwarzmarkt für illegale Drogen

Werse,

Kamphausen

2024

Handbuch Drogen in Sozial- Und Kulturwissenschaftlicher Perspektive

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Ranking Trust Factors Affecting Risk Perception in Illicit Drug Purchase on the Darknet: A Large-Scale Survey Study in Hungary

Kiss

Szigeti

2023

Eur J Crim Policy Res

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The process of illicit drug trafficking on darknet markets is highly affected by various trust factors. Although the factors potentially affecting customers’ risk perception can be identified based on previous research, cyber criminology has not produced empirical research ranking the importance of the specific factors. This study was designed to fill this gap by developing a tool that measures the importance of the various trust factors. To test out the measurement tool, a large-scale survey with projective situational questions was conducted among university students in Hungary. The sample (n = 5481) was compiled to include potential darknet market customers, respondents with above-average computer skills needed to access the darknet, and taking into account that university students are a group of society particularly exposed to drug consumption. The end product of this research is a trust matrix ranking the factors affecting illicit drug purchases on darknet markets. Among the factors, the survey’s target group ranked reliable and undamaged delivery of goods and the reliability of vendors as the most important. The measurement tool developed in this research will facilitate further criminological research on vendor reputation. Its findings also point to the need for further research on delivery providers and predict that influencing the delivery-related risk perception of potential customers could effectively reduce demand.

show abstract

‘Choice’ of social media platform or encrypted messaging app to buy and sell illegal drugs

Cited by 12 publications

References 54 publications

Social Supply and the Potential for Harm Reduction in Social Media Drug Markets

Social Supply and the Potential for Harm Reduction in Social Media Drug Markets

Kleinhandel, Kleinsthandel und Social Supply auf dem Schwarzmarkt für illegale Drogen

Ranking Trust Factors Affecting Risk Perception in Illicit Drug Purchase on the Darknet: A Large-Scale Survey Study in Hungary

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About