Λεπτομέρειες σχετικά με την πλήρη έκταση της πειρατείας που πραγματοποίησε το FBI σε sites παιδικής πορνογραφίας που φιλοξενούνται στο Dark Web αποκαλύφθηκαν από το Motherboard. Η ιστοσελίδα αναφέρει ότι η Ομοσπονδιακή υπηρεσία χρησιμοποίησε ασυνήθιστα μέσα για να συλλέξει αποδεικτικά στοιχεία που για τη δίωξη των χρηστών των sites.
In order to do this, the service has undertaken hosting the site on its servers for 13 whole days.
During the period the site was functioning properly. In a nutshell, the FBI received images of child sexual abuse for distribution (something that is against any legitimate process) to gather IP addresses and share malware that transmit information about site users.
The goal of course was to arrest the members of the site, and as it seems the purpose continues to sanctify the media…
The result of this research? Harvesting IP addresses and other information from more than 1.300 people who either linked or posted something on the site during this period.
The court confirmed that the FBI was in charge of the site, also known as "Playpen", from February 20, 2015 until March 4 of the same year. The site had more than 215.000 registered users at the time.
According to USA Today, 137 people have been charged with crimes so far. In a statement he issued on the service, the former FBI agent Ron Hosko explained the rationale behind this kind of action:
“Είχαμε ένα παράθυρο ευκαιρίας για να μπούμε σε ένα από τα πιο σκοτεινά μέρη του διαδικτύου, και δεν είχαμε πολλές άλλες επιλογές except from doing it. There was no other way.”
In another update on the case (revealed by Motherboard), it appears that the FBI routinely hacks computers in various countries, including Denmark, Greece and Chile, in coordinated operations EUROPOL, such as Operation Pacifier,’ που οδήγησε σε μια σειρά συλλήψεων σε όλο τον κόσμο.
The unusual decision to continue to allow the distribution of illegal material was expected to be used by some advocates who argued that the arrests were done with deception.
