Dark Web Persists: Why Technology Isn’t Enough
The dark web thrives despite AI and tech. Why do child porn, snuff videos, and cyberbullying persist? Explore the role of business, government, and ethics in this fight.
Dark Web
By Elke Porter | WBN News Global | May 12, 2025
Despite advanced technologies like AI, quantum computing, and robotics, the dark side of the internet—child pornography, snuff videos, and cyberbullying sites—remains a festering wound. A 2021 report noted a 400% rise in cybercrimes against children in India alone, highlighting the scale of the problem.
So why, with tools capable of scraping the internet in seconds, do these horrors persist?Technology isn’t the issue; the will to wield it is. AI can detect illicit content with precision—UNICRI has used it to identify child trafficking sites since 2020—but deployment is inconsistent.
Businesses, governments, and law enforcement often prioritize profit or bureaucracy over action. Tech giants like Google have faced attempts to steal their source code, yet their cybersecurity investments dwarf efforts to combat online harm. Meanwhile, platforms like Facebook encourage oversharing, creating vulnerabilities hackers exploit, as noted in a 2024 study on social media privacy risks. Businesses fear reputational damage or legal liability, so they hesitate to act decisively, leaving gaps for criminals to thrive.
Governments and police face similar inertia. The FBI’s CyWatch operates 24/7, yet “warrant-proof” encryption stymies investigations. Jurisdictional limits hinder global cooperation—Interpol’s efforts in Lyons are a start, but legal frameworks lag behind tech advances. A 2022 study on policing cybercrime revealed that even large agencies can’t keep up with case volumes due to resource constraints.
Political will falters when votes or optics are at stake, and cases like P. Diddy’s release—despite allegations of trafficking tied to his 2024 arrest—fuel public outrage. High-profile figures often evade justice through wealth and influence, exposing systemic flaws.
Philosophically, this reflects a deeper failure: we value innovation over morality. Society rages at priests for child abuse, yet ignores complicity in other sectors—entertainment, tech, even education—where predators operate unchecked.
Bounty hunters, hackers, and private detectives could help, but they’re underutilized. A 2023 initiative by NCMEC showed that private tech firms, using hash lists, removed 99.99% of audited child sexual abuse material, proving non-traditional actors can make a dent.
We could stop this with coordinated action—businesses funding AI-driven purges, governments harmonizing laws, and private operatives hunting perpetrators. But until society demands accountability over convenience, the dark web will fester, a mirror of our collective neglect. Technology is ready; are we?
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Connect with Elke at Westcoast German Media or on LinkedIn: Elke Porter or contact her on WhatsApp: +1 604 828 8788
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