View source for Darknet (overlay network)

{{Filesharing}}
A '''darknet''' is a private network where connections are made only between trusted peers&nbsp;— sometimes called "friends" ([[Friend-to-friend|F2F]])<ref>{{Cite journal 
| last1=Mansfield-Devine | first1=Steve| title=Darknets| doi =10.1016/S1361-3723(09)70150-2 | journal=Computer Fraud & Security | volume = 2009 | issue=12 | pages=4–6 |date=December 2009}}</ref>&nbsp;— using non-standard [[Communications protocol|protocols]] and [[Port (computer networking)|ports]]. The collection of all darknets forms a subsection of the [[Deep Web]].<ref name=dark_web>{{cite web|title=Clearing Up Confusion – Deep Web vs. Dark Web|url=https://www.brightplanet.com/2014/03/clearing-confusion-deep-web-vs-dark-web|website=brightplanet.com|date=April 2014}}</ref>

Darknets are distinct from other [[Distributed computing|distributed]] [[peer-to-peer]] networks as [[Peer-to-peer file sharing|sharing]] is anonymous (that is, [[IP addresses]] are not publicly shared).<ref name=Wood>{{cite journal |last=Wood |first=Jessica |title=The Darknet: A Digital Copyright Revolution |journal=Richmond Journal of Law and Technology |year=2010 |volume=16 |issue=4 |url=https://jolt.richmond.edu/v16i4/article14.pdf |accessdate=25 October 2011}}</ref>

The term has been widely adopted and has been used by major media sources, including ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' and ''[[Wired magazine|Wired]]''.

==Ambiguously called dark web==
It is known as the '''[[Dark Web]]''', subsection of the [[deep web]], though there is some ambiguity in the common use of ''[[dark web]]''.<ref name=dark_web />

==Darknet uses==
The darknet may be used for various reasons, such as: 
* Out of privacy concerns or for fear by [[dissident]]s of [[Political repression|political reprisal]]
* To publish for [[Computer crime|criminal gain]]
* To [[File sharing|share media files]] (sometimes copyrighted files)

==First use of the term==
Originally coined in the 1970s to designate networks which were isolated from [[ARPANET]] (which evolved into the [[Internet]]) for security purposes,<ref>{{cite web
|url=https://www.darknet.se/about-darknet
|title=About Darknet
|accessdate={{date|2012-03-11}}}}</ref> darknets were able to receive data from ARPANET but had addresses which did not appear in the network lists and would not answer [[Ping (networking utility)|ping]]s or other inquiries.

The term gained public acceptance following publication of "The Darknet and the Future of [[Digital distribution|Content Distribution]]",<ref>{{cite conference |url=https://msl1.mit.edu/ESD10/docs/darknet5.pdf |title=The Darknet and the Future of Content Distribution |last1=Biddle |first1=Peter |last2=England |first2=Paul |last3=Peinado |first3=Marcus |last4=Willman |first4=Bryan |publisher=[[Microsoft|Microsoft Corporation]] |date=18 November 2002 |conference=ACM Workshop on Digital Rights Management |location=Washington, D.C. |format=[[Portable Document Format|PDF]] |accessdate=10 October 2012}}<!-- alternate/backup HTML version: https://www.bearcave.com/misl/misl_tech/msdrm/darknet.htm --></ref> a 2002 paper by [[Peter Biddle]], [[Paul England (researcher)|Paul England]], [[Marcus Peinado]], and [[Bryan Willman]], four employees of [[Microsoft]] who described the concept as follows:
<blockquote>The idea of the darknet is based upon three assumptions:
# Any widely distributed object will be available to a fraction of users in a form that permits copying.
# Users will copy objects if it is possible and if they are interested in doing so.
# Users are connected by high-bandwidth channels.
The darknet is the distribution network that emerges from the injection of objects according to assumption 1 and the distribution of those objects according to assumptions 2 and 3.
</blockquote>
The Microsoft researchers argued that the presence of the darknet was the primary hindrance to the development of workable [[Digital rights management|DRM]] technologies.

==Other variances of meaning==
The term "darknet" can be used to describe ''all'' non-commercial sites on the Internet.<ref>{{cite book |last=Lasica |first=J. D. |title=Darknets: Hollywood's War Against the Digital Generation |year=2005 |publisher=J. Wiley & Sons |location=Hoboken, NJ |isbn=0-471-68334-5}}</ref>

It has also been used to refer to ''all'' "underground" web communications and technologies, most commonly those associated with illegal activity or dissent.<ref name=Wood/>

==Terms==
When used to describe a [[file sharing]] network, the term darknet is often used as a synonym for "[[friend-to-friend]]"—both describing networks where direct connections are only established between trusted friends. A most widespread "non-darknet" file sharing network, such as [[BitTorrent (protocol)|BitTorrent]], is not a "friend-to-friend" network since peers may communicate with anyone else on the network.

Almost all{{clarify|reason=What network (by name) is an example of a "centralized computing" darknet.||date=December 2014}} known darknets are [[Decentralized computing|decentralized]] and therefore considered peer-to-peer.

Many{{clarify|reason=What network (by name) is an example of non-software darknet access.||date=December 2014}} darknets require software to be installed to access them.

===Software===
* [[Freenet]] is a popular darknet ([[friend-to-friend]]) by default; since version 0.7 it can run as a "opennet" (connecting to untrusted users)
* [[GNUnet]] is a popular darknet if the "[[Friend-to-friend|F2F]] [[network topology|(network) topology]]" option is enabled
* [[Retroshare]] run as a darknet ([[friend-to-friend]]) by default to perform anonymous file transfers if [[Distributed hash table|DHT]] and Discovery features are disabled
* [[Syndie]] is software used to publish [[Distributed computing|distributed]] forums over several networks. The network may be an anonymous [[deep web]] network like [[I2P]] or [[Tor (anonymity network)|Tor]].

====Defunct software====
{{columns-list|4|
* [[AllPeers]]
* [[anoNet]]
* [[Turtle F2F]]
* [[WASTE]]
}}

==See also==
{{Portal|Computer science}}
* [[Crypto-anarchism]]
* [[Private P2P]]
* [[Sneakernet]]
* [[Internet privacy]]
* [[Virtual private network]] (VPN)

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Cite news |url=https://www.slate.com/id/2094336/ |title=See You on the Darknet |first=Paul |last=Boutin |date=January 28, 2004 |work=[[Slate (magazine)|Slate]]}} 
* {{Cite news |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4798059.stm |title=File-sharing 'darknet' unveiled |date=August 16, 2006 |work=[[BBC News]]}}
* [https://askthecomputerguy.com/opinions/dark-net-101/ Darknet 101 - introduction for non technical people]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Darknet (File Sharing)}}
[[Category:File sharing]]
[[Category:Virtual private networks]]