Beyond the visible web

The Darknet, an anonymous and encrypted network, has now moved beyond its criminal image to become an alternative space that promotes decentralization. This space, whose users exploit technologies such as TOR and cryptocurrency to preserve their anonymity, raises major socio-technical, legal and ethical issues. Our research is based on a qualitative approach combining participant observation on the Dread forum and non-participant observation on Darknet black markets. Semi-structured interviews complement the analysis. The results show that the Darknet, initially designed as an alternative space, paradoxically reproduces the underlying rationale of platformization and internal regulation characteristic of the internet and the institutions it opposes. Its black markets reveal a tension between crypto-libertarian ideals and capitalist mechanisms. This study questions the viability of a truly autonomous alternative network, given the challenges of governance, power and regulation.