Dark Web: Guns, Kidnapping & More - The Disturbing Side of the Internet - An ENDEVR Documentary (Video)

In this 31 March 2024 video documentary, we learn about the dark side of the Internet. Most people probably don’t even know it exists. Go behind the cheerful veneer of social media, communication apps and platforms that have made our lives easier and more connected, and you’ll find criminals using the same apps and platforms to run illicit and dangerous activities.

https://youtu.be/Yj9jHJX7nXQ

00:00 Alpha Bay Drugs, guns, counterfeit documents, and much more are sold on dark web marketplaces that run on anonymous browsers and use cryptocurrency. AlphaBay was the most significant marketplace, transacting over US$800,000 a day, enabling its founder to live a luxurious lifestyle in anonymity until international law enforcement caught up with him. Alphabay was shut down in 2017. In August 2021, there were reports that the website was online again.

45:05 Sextortion Sextortion was invented by one woman in the Philippines, Maria Caparas. She turned the idea of making friends online and recording explicit video chats into a profitable blackmail and extortion scam that could not exist without social media. She now runs a mini-empire seemingly beyond the reach of authorities, which has led to many suicides.

01:32:34 Candy Group It was one of 640 million closed groups on Facebook. Hiding behind anonymity, the creator of the child pornography group Loli Candy and its 7,000 members hid their activities on Facebook and WhatsApp – the dissemination of horrifying images of abuse. While they were eventually brought to justice, many more thrived.

02:18:55 Wildlife Trafficking They may look like ordinary posts of exotic pets for sale on social media. But they are feeding a growing trade in illegal and endangered animals in Malaysia and beyond. This criminal industry is worth billions and is jeopardizing attempts to protect endangered species.