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'Surfing the Silk Road': a study of users' experiences
Marie Claire Van Hout1, Tim Bingham2
1School of Health Sciences, Waterford Institute of Technology, Waterford, Ireland.
The International Journal on Drug Policy
|October 1, 2013
Summary
Users turned to the Silk Road online marketplace for drug sourcing due to concerns about street drug quality and safety. This study explored their motivations and experiences navigating this anonymous digital platform.
Area of Science:
- * Digital Criminology
- * Online Marketplaces
- * Drug Use Behaviors
Background:
- * The Silk Road, an anonymous online marketplace, operated on the Deep Web since 2011, utilizing Tor for access and Bitcoin for transactions.
- * It facilitated anonymous drug transactions, presenting a novel challenge to traditional drug markets and law enforcement.
Purpose of the Study:
- * To investigate the motivations behind user engagement with the Silk Road.
- * To understand the user experience of accessing, navigating, and purchasing illicit substances.
- * To analyze the dynamics of this online drug community and its interaction with conventional drug markets.
Main Methods:
- * Systematic online observations of the Silk Road platform.
- * Monitoring of discussion forums associated with the marketplace.
- * Analysis of anonymous online interviews with 20 adult Silk Road users.
Main Results:
- * Participants, predominantly male professionals or students, cited concerns over street drug quality, safety, product variety, and delivery convenience as key motivators.
- * User-vendor interactions were influenced by trust, transaction speed, discretion, and product quality, with online forums providing crucial community support and information.
- * A minority experienced customs seizures, indicating risks, yet many reported a shift from traditional drug sourcing methods.
Conclusions:
- * The study offers insights into the purchasing motives and operational processes within the Silk Road marketplace.
- * It highlights the complex interplay between online and traditional drug markets.
- * It elucidates the formation of an online community with distinct communication networks and shared user experiences.
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