The FBI allegedly forced one team researchers better safetyto hand over the findings of a study on the anonymous TOR network to them, so that they can track the digital footprints of the users they are interested in, reports the BBC.
Researchers from Carnegie Mellon University were used by the FBI to trace the IP address of Brian Farrell, who was arrested in early 2015 on suspicion of running his notorious drug cartel. darknet Silk Road 2. He denies the charge and is still awaiting trial.
Before his arrest, there were other revelations that the NSA could “break” the anonymity of the TOR network by monitoring the traffic of exit nodes.
After all, investigations on the darknet are something that the authorities are used to. But the FBI was forced by a court order last week to hand over the source code of the software it used to hack against other users of the TOR network. This court decision came when it became known to the general public that the federal service ran a website containing images and videos of child sexual exploitation on FBI servers in Virginia.
It is very likely that the FBI has never voluntarily disclosed how it gained access to TOR data without this court decision.
However, the timing of this news could not be worse for the FBI, which has been involved in a public debate with Apple to provide access to user data.
