Potential Influences of the Darknet on Illicit Drug Diffusion

Abstract

Purpose of Review Darknet-hosted drug markets (‘cryptomarkets’) are an established model of illicit drug distribution which makes use of specialised online hosting and payment systems to link buyers and sellers remotely. Cryptomarkets appear to professionalise, gentrify and integrate drug markets. Therefore, they can be hypothesised to have effects on drug availability by allowing purchases by people who use drugs (PWUD) outside of face-to-face networks that have typified drug distribution. They may attract new buyers and may change use patterns by offering a greater range of higher-potency drugs. This paper examines the research on cryptomarkets’ potential impacts on drug availability. Recent Findings 1. Cryptomarkets tend to address established PWUD who mainly already have access to existing distribution systems. Their greatest impact may be on what is available and the quantities available, and not the overall ease of access. 2. Cryptomarkets may provide new data sources which can inform our understanding of drug markets. 3. Cryptomarkets may define PWUD as consumers and contribute to reshaping their identities around principles of self-directed, informed consumption. 4. In terms of size, cryptomarkets are currently smaller than other modes of digital drug distribution such as through social media and messaging apps and should be seen as a specialist subset of that genre. 5. Users of cryptomarkets often integrate drug-purchase and consumption repertoires across multiple sites, online and offline, and cryptomarkets can be one element. Summary The cryptomarkets are of interest partly because they alter the practical calculus around drug diffusion and partly because they contribute to the formation of digitally enabled drug use which emphasises a consumer relationship between buyer and seller.

Understanding and preventing the advertisement and sale of illicit drugs to young people through social media: A multidisciplinary scoping review

“…The convenience, expediency and relative security attributed to social media drug dealing were recurring themes across studies [21,22,39,40,43,44,77,79,83–84] which are also noted in studies comparing social media with cryptomarkets [90,91]. These findings attest that users can easily open several accounts to sell or buy, making their products always available and findable despite efforts to remove them by platforms.…”

“…Despite a high presence of illicit drug advertisements on social media, studies acknowledged that most dealing through platforms (notably the encrypted ones) emanate from a pre-established contact with a drug dealer, a form of social supply. The convenience, expediency and relative security attributed to social media drug dealing were recurring themes across studies [21,22,39,40,43,44,77,79,[83][84] which are also noted in studies comparing social media with cryptomarkets [90,91]. These findings attest that users can easily open several accounts to sell or buy, making their products always available and findable despite efforts to remove them by platforms.…”

Understanding markers of trust within the online stolen data market: An examination of vendors’ signaling behaviors relative to product price point

“…In fact, limited research suggests less restrictive markets (e.g., open‐access, registration‐only) may contain a higher volume of unscrupulous vendors and both inexperienced and less competent buyers given the relative ease of accessing and entering this marketplace (Herley & Florencio, 2010; Wehinger, 2011). In this context, vendors could be incentivized to offer products at higher prices regardless of their credibility since buyers are less likely to recognize signals and their intended values (Bancroft, 2022). As a result, it is important for future research to explore the variation and effect of these behaviors across different market types comprising different actors.…”

An examination of harm reduction strategies in Oxycodone and Adderall buyer feedback on AlphaBay

“…DNMs have become an outlet for people who buy drugs for either personal use or resale. These markets have become increasingly popular, especially during the COVID‐19 pandemic–related lockdowns in 2020 (Bancroft, 2022). Purchasing through DNMs can also protect individuals from street‐level violence or arrest, which are often risks of purchasing illicit substances in person (Buxton & Bingham, 2015).…”