The Pirate Party today announced the launch of the “World’s First Commercial Darknet” through a Swedish company called Relakks. From the press release:
Today, the Swedish Pirate Party launched a new Internet service that lets anybody send and receive files and information over the Internet without fear of being monitored or logged. In technical terms, such a network is called a “darknet”. The service allows people to use an untraceable address in the darknet, where they cannot be personally identified.
But before anyone gets too excited it’s not the first and it’s not really that innovative. Read more on Relakks security page (in Swedish).
As the P2P blog points out this announcement has more to do with political spin than with technical or legal innovation. Besides sounding really cool there is nothing new here. This can only be interpreted as a sign that the Pirate Party are learning the political ropes really quickly. First rule of politics: It’s ok if you don’t do anything as long as it sounds like your are doing a lot.
From the movie: Wag the Dog
P2P blog also questions whether the users of the system are actually protected in reality. Or whether this is only an illusion. They support this question by pointing to weaknesses in the legal information at Relakks and also bring into question whether Relakks has the position, determination or will to defend file-sharers.
Yes I am grumpier than normal. My excuse is that I am sitting late into the night working on my thesis…again!