Contrary to earlier reports, it now appears the Boston Police will not go ahead with their drastic Darknet plans. A few weeks ago, news broke about the Boston Police looking to buy software capable of monitoring the dark web and social media. Those plans have now been scrapped, although that doesn’t mean bitcoin users won’t be monitored in other ways.
No Monitoring Software For Darknet Activity
It is quite a relief to hear the Boston Police will not go ahead with their plan to purchase monitoring software for the darknet and social media. Said project would cost around US$1. 4m, yet it was greeted with a lot of skepticism and concern. After collecting this invaluable feedback, the decision was made to not go ahead with these plans.Privacy advocates are more than happy to learn the police department came to its senses after all.
In an official press release, the Boston Police Commissioner explained the software would “exceed their current needs”. That is rather an odd statement, as they seemed more than willing to buy the tools just a few weeks ago. While it is true darknet crime is surging in popularity, that does not mean every internet user should be targeted with monitoring software.
The software in question, recommended by software company Verint, is capable of sifting through data collected from the dark web. It is unclear what type of data is collected exactly, although it would give police officials access to password-protected sites. Moreover, they would reveal user identities on the dark web, which is of particular concern. All things considered, this software kit would invade user privacy and have a very real potential to do more harm than good.
It is evident the Boston Police will continue to look for ways to monitor darknet users. This is not necessarily good news for anyone who uses bitcoin, as the cryptocurrency is often – wrongfully – associated with criminal behavior. Gaining an edge over criminals on the darknet is an absolute must, but it should never come at the price of consumer privacy. The search for the proper software kit continues, that much is certain.
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