The  Virtualisa-on  of  the  Marginal  

Does  moving  online  make  illegal  drug  access  more  comfortable?    

A  study  of  drug  purchasing  on  the  Silk  Road  (v1.0)  

Alexia  Maddox,  Na-onal  Drug  Research  Ins-tute,  Cur-n  University  MaKhew  Allen,  School  of  Communica-on  and  Crea-ve  Arts,  Deakin  University  

Monica  BarraK,  Na-onal  Drug  Research  Ins-tute,  Cur-n  University  Simon  Lenton,  Na-onal  Drug  Research  Ins-tute,  Cur-n  University  

Overview  

•  What  is  Silk  Road  and  what  is  our  research  ques-on(s)?  •  Method:  unstructured  IM  interviewing  using  OTR  and  life  history  diagram.  

•  Ethics:  dealing  with  upheavals  in  the  dynamic  environment  of  the  Darknet.  

•  Recruitment:  Research  credibility  and  where  to  place  the  call  for  par-cipants?  

•  Data  collec-on:  6  interviews  conducted,  20-­‐25  intended.  

•  Closing  thoughts  and  research  leads  

What  is  Silk  Road?  •  Online  drug  market  place  operated  from  February,  2011  to  1  Oct,  2013.    June  2011  Gawker  ar-cle  thrust  into  limelight*.  

•  Operated  ‘outside  of  legal  jurisdic-ons’  through  the  Darknet  and  was  one  of  several  such  marketplaces.    

•  Works  like  ebay**,  with  a  recommenda-on  system.  

•  The  environment  is  socially  regulated  and  has  community  discussion  forums  that  are  ac-ve  and  cohesive.  

What  is  Silk  Road?  

•  Es-mated  sales  revenue  of  9.5  million  bitcoins  (approx  USD1.2  billion).  

•  The  tech  founder,  DPR,  has  been  arrested  but  vendors  and  customers  have  moved  to  other  market  places  and  the  SR  v1.0  moderators  are  sebng  up  a  new  Silk  Road  (v2.0).  

The  research  ques+on  How  does  online  purchasing  of  drugs  in  an  unregulated  environment  (choice-­‐driven)  affect  the  rela-onship  between  drug  purchase  and  consump-on?  

•  Encrypted  online  interviewing.  •  Instant  messaging  using  Jabber.  •  Dealing  with  anonymity.  •  Does  it  gather  valid  data?  •  Member  checks  •  Building  trust  and  using  humour  •  Use  of  -meline  for  connec-ons  between  events  

 

OTR  interview  

Life  history  diagram  

•  Annota-ng  trajectories  of  drug  use,  purchase,  silk  road  access,  life  -meline,  online  purchasing  prac-ces  and  internet  use.  

•  Used  to  assist  inves-ga-ng  connec-ons  in  par-cipant  experiences  during  the  unstructured  interview.  

•  Helps  when  the  narra-ve  is  not  inherently  chronological  and  events  and  experiences  are  not  reported  within  the  tech  or  personal  contexts.  

Ethics  

•  Designing  research  for  the  dynamic  environment  of  the  Darknet.  

•  Ethics  approval  gained.  •  Pilot  interviews  launched.  •  Silk  Road  v1.0  was  taken  down  with  the  arrest  of  DPR  on  1October  2013.  

•  Ethics  amendments  and  recruitment  launch.  •  Focus  of  research  beyond  Silk  Road.  

Recruitment  

•  Establishing  research  credibility  amongst  a  suspicious  research  popula-on  who  wants  to  get  their  message  out.  

•  Being  visible  and  findable  while  your  popula-on  remains  anonymous.  

•  Establish(ing)  an  interac-ve  self  in  the  environment.  

•  Figuring  out  where  to  recruit  (Why  did  we  seKled  on  reddit).  

Closing  reflec-ons  

•  Preliminary  impression:    Yes,  anonymous  purchasing  in  a  choice-­‐based,  online  environment  is  preferred.      

•  For  par-cipants  it  is  felt  to:  –   be  less  risky  than  street  purchase;    –  decrease  drug-­‐related  violence;  and  –  augment  social  supply.  

•  Opera-ng  in  the  Darknet  requires  tech  and  research  skills  and  is  not  likely  to  appeal  to  most.  

Closing  reflec-ons  

•  Purchasing  in  this  environment  appears  to  be  linked  to  an  ini-al  increase  in  drug  use.  

•  But  does  not  appear  to  lead  to  further  personal  harm  when  seen  in  context  of  life  trajectory  and  changes  in  focus.  

•  Harm  reduc-on  appears  to  occur  through:  – Gaining  experience  in  drug  use;    –  learning  life-­‐lessons  and  changes  in  focus;  and  –  drawing  on  ac-ve  online  community  discussion  and  support  surrounding  drug  use.      

Possible  research  leads  

•  Self-­‐direc-on:  par-cipants  are  ac-ng  autonomously  or  in  peer  groups.  

•  Mis-­‐direc-on:  through  Tor  &  iden-ty  concealment  and  strategies  for  receiving  illicit  drugs  in  the  post*.  

•  Test  kits  and  community-­‐driven  purity  tests  of  vendors,  for  example  the  ‘LSD  Avengers’**.  

•  Par-cipants  show  a  libertarian  approach  to  informa-on  and  drugs.    

•   Ideas  I  am  hearing:  ‘We  live  in  a  surveillance  state,  trust  no  one,  be  anonymous  and  ‘do  no  harm’.  

Acknowledgements  •  The  par-cipants  have  given  generously  of  their  -me  and  experience.    This  research  would  not  be  possible  without  them.    We  are  grateful  to  them.  

•  We  are  grateful  to  the  moderators  and  readers  of  the  Silk  Road  subreddit  for  allowing  us  to  post  and  engaging  with  our  call  for  par-cipa-on.  

•  The  long  term  researcher  presence  and  community  engagement  of  Monica  BarraK  has  made  this  research  credible  with  this  popula-on.  

•  This  research  is  funded  internally  by  NDRI,  Cur-n  University.