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Global Majority Backs a Ban On 'Dark Net,' Poll Says (reuters.com)

Posted by msmash on from the it's-hard-to-please-people dept.

Alastair Sharp reports for Reuters: Seven in 10 people say the 'dark net' -- an anonymous online home to both criminals and activists fearful of government surveillance -- should be shut down, according to a global Ipsos poll released on Tuesday. The findings, from a poll of at least 1,000 people in each of 24 countries, come as policymakers and technology companies argue over whether digital privacy should be curbed to help regulators and law enforcement more easily thwart hackers and other digital threats.

6 of 222 comments (clear)

  1. luck by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    good luck with that

    1. Re:luck by graphius · · Score: 5, Insightful

      you know, maybe we should make crime illegal or something...

  2. The other 3 out of 10... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    ...have some fucking clue about how the internet works.

  3. A ban on invisibility? by AlexanKulbashian · · Score: 5, Insightful

    This reminds me of the Penn and Teller BS episode where people sign petitions to "End Womens' Suffrage". They need to know what it is before they vote on it. This is the problem on getting your computer education from CSI Cyber.. .like getting your cooking education from the Chef on the Muppets

    1. Re:A ban on invisibility? by JoeMerchant · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Call it "dark net, home of criminals and terrorists" and what do you _think_ public opinion will be.

      Call it virtual private networks, home to banking transactions, corporate and personal communications - then what's the response?

      Both are encrypted and impenetrable to normal eavesdropping methods.

    2. Re:A ban on invisibility? by MightyYar · · Score: 5, Informative

      Actual question:

      Q13. A part of the Internet known as the "Dark Net" is only accessible via special web browsers that allow you to surf the web anonymously. Journalists, human rights activists, dissidents and whistleblowers can use these services to rally against repression, exercise their fundamental rights to free expression and shed light upon corruption. At the same time, hackers, illegal marketplaces (eg. selling weapons and narcotics), and child abuse sites can also use these services to hide from law enforcement. Do you agree or disagree that the "Dark Net" should be shut down.

      I'm not sure it's that poorly worded. But it is an "internet poll", whatever that means.

      And looking at the actual data, in the US for instance it's only 33% who selected "strongly agree". 58% selected one of the wishy-washy "somewhat agree" or "somewhat disagree" boxes. Only 9% selected "strongly disagree".

      --
      W..w..W - Willy Waterloo washes Warren Wiggins who is washing Waldo Woo.