Trust on the Dark Web: An analysis of illegal online drug markets

Abstract

Why would anyone engage in risky business with a total stranger? In many types of social and economic interactions, the presence of trust obviates the use of more formal and costly means of protection against opportunistic behavior by interaction partners. But what if your business is illegal and formal protection is unavailable? This dissertation delves into illegal online drug trade networks on the Dark Web to provide answers on how individuals overcome uncertainty and build trust under extremely risky conditions. Digital footprints left by drug buyers and sellers in illegal online marketplaces provide a perfect opportunity to observe how people build and maintain trust in an environment where everyone is anonymous, anyone can disappear with the partner's money or get them arrested. The results of five empirical chapters in this study shed light on what can be learned from illegal cooperation in the darker corners of the Internet.