back to article UK Gov SciTech advice bureau suggests keeping Tor alive to reduce street crime

The UK Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST) has issued a POSTnote titled “The darknet and online anonymity” in which it assesses the threats posed by anonymity technologies like Tor and concludes there's not much governments or law enforcement agencies can do about them. The bulk of the four-page document …

  1. Paul Crawford Silver badge

    A fairly sensible and balanced report.

    However, it remains to be seen if the politicians have enough brain cells between them to avoid monkeying with things that will generally make matters worse.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      It's what Tor coders/users have been saying all along in the case of Tor and what Silk Road proponents have claimed, but I doubt Parliament will have the attention span to read these 4 pages.

  2. Jimmy2Cows Silver badge

    Funny (but not the 'ha ha' kind) how the sensible reports are always unofficial and have no power, no weight behind them, whereas the reports that shape policy are written either by incompetent morons with zero grasp of the subject at hand, or by people who stand to gain from the recommendations made in said report.

    1. DropBear

      You're sort of conflating cause and effect here. Unofficial reports are reasonable because they have no power. Once one has actual power over something one also tends to quickly, erm, acquire a vested interest one way or the other, skewing the report's angle either outright or clumsily disguised as incompetence. It's not that I'm looking for malice where incompetence is an adequate explanation, it's rather that I find "all public figures are keenly aware of their own (perceived) best interests" one of the most reliable laws of the Universe.

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    access?

    Another option is for UK authorities to work more closely with Tor so that LEAs can get access when necessary, an option the POSTnote says Tor itself is keen to pursue.

    "Access" is a dangerous word to leave undefined.

    Tor Project Inc. has supported a large number of LEAs in the US and Europe by explaining how to use Tor for LEA operations and how criminals may use it, as well as by developing tools and documentation that can assist LEA operations. However, they would not be willing to specifically advise LEAs on ways to exploit limitations in the Tor software. The Executive Director of Tor Project Inc., Andrew Lewman, says he would like to intensify collaborations with LEAs and policy makers in the UK.

    Although this is problematic:

    Tor Project Inc. is currently working to make THS more amenable to statistics gathering as part of a program by DARPA.

  4. Jimmy2Cows Silver badge

    "POSTnotes have no official status, but are intended to “anticipate policy implications for parliamentarians” and “help parliamentarians examine science and technology issues effectively.”

    Anyone think parliamentarians actually read any of these?

    Have to wonder given the crap that floods forth from Westminster about anything science or technology related.

    Perhaps POST should include some pretty pictures or popup models in their report. Or a wad of 50s in each copy.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      @Jimmy2Cows

      a monkey at least

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Anyone think parliamentarians actually read any of these?

      Unlikely. Many don't even read the legislation they vote for.

      Regarding technology legislation, they wouldn't have a clue even if they did read it. They just vote as they're told.

  5. David Pollard

    Decriminalisation

    Perhaps if the government were to decriminalise recreational drug use this might lead to an even larger reduction in crime.

    As to allowing secure and anonymous communications, isn't it the case that, although there are exceptions, generally the more trust you place in people the more trustworthy they become?

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    remember the scientific recommendation on Cannabis?

    The government appeared not to just ignore it, but to directly oppose it. Download TOR now while you still can. It'll be blocked by court orders this time next week.

    1. Sarah Balfour

      Re: remember the scientific recommendation on Cannabis?

      Yeah, that's coz the bosses at CRUK, who are also employed by Big Pharma, handed Gordie a couple of paper bags full of used 50s. David Nutt got kicked out for DARING to voice his own expert opinion. Y'see, the government's drugs advisory panel is misnomered - it does NOT exist to advise the government on drugs, it exists to AGREE with the government on drugs. David Nutt was kicked off because he made the, entirely factual, statement that "More people are killed falling off horses annually than by ecstasy". Gordie didn't like that.

      You MUST remember, folks that cancer research UK DOES NOT want weed legalised and will stop at nothing to ensure it isn't.

  7. Graham Marsden
    Thumb Up

    Finally...

    ... someone in the corridors of power seems to be getting it!

  8. wikkity

    RE: educe the number of drug-related crimes

    "Some say this can reduce the number of drug-related crimes like robbery and shoplifting, and thus lower the social and economic costs of drug misuse."

    If they really wanted to reduce this further they just need to legalise/decriminalise. Ture you'd still have robbery etc... but they'd free up resoruces to tackle those and rehabilitation.

  9. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Where are the votes?

    There are few votes in being sensible and balanced. few votes in taking the long view, and thinking before jumping in with both feet. Votes tend to come from hyperbole, calls to 'ban' the 'darknet', blaming nonce crime and terrorism on Tor, saying Jihadi John was a computer science student therefore was an expert in the 'dark web'. That kind of thing.

  10. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    They certainly know what they're taking about

    "Another option is for UK authorities to work more closely with Tor so that LEAs can get access when necessary, an option the POSTnote says Tor itself is keen to pursue."

    I need some of what they've bought on the 'dark web', an anonymous network that lets Govt agencies de-anonymise when needed!

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: They certainly know what they're taking about

      That's Reg misstating the report. What Tor has done is help LEAs to access Tor, like install and use, and school them on how it works

  11. Mark 85

    The UK side of the pond VS the US side of the pond....

    Let's make an assumption (a big one, I know) that Parliament decides this POSTnote is a good and proper thing to implement and they somehow do it well. Over here, Congress will do the opposite because "damn it.. we gotta' stop the terrorists from hiding in this thing...."

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