The “Yelp-Ification” of the Dark Web: An Exploration of the Use of Consumer Feedback in Dark Web Markets

Law enforcement are tasked with confronting a variety of crimes on a daily basis, ranging from traditional offenses, such as burglary or assault, to online crimes, such as identity theft. The expansion of the internet has provided a new realm for investigatory consideration as buyers seek the tools of the crime as well as illegal products online. Since the inception of the Silk Road, the Dark Web’s first darknet marketplace, buyers and sellers have worked together to distribute and obtain products and services that were previously only available offline. For example, drugs, weapons, consumer data such as credit cards numbers, and other illicit products are all available for purchase on the Dark Web. Early on, Ross Ulbricht, founder of the original Silk Road Dark Web marketplace, incorporated consumer “reviews” on illegal websites to protect customers and to ensure that sellers were not taking advantage of potential buyers. The nature of illicit markets, where websites, vendors, or markets themselves can be online one day and gone the next, present challenges to developing a complete understanding as to how these networks operate. This study builds on existing research by providing an exploratory examination of the prevalence of consumer feedback and review indicators on approximately 50 Dark Web marketplaces. Findings indicate that more than half of explored sites displayed consumer reviews on their postings. Policies incorporating feedback indicators may be implemented to both identify and target for investigation and prosecution highly rated and high-profile sellers on Dark Web markets.