Scientists used AI to link darknet markets to drug users on Reddit and Twitter

An international group of researchers presented an AI system to better understand people who abuse psychoactive substances. The algorithm collects fragments of data from darknet marketplaces, Twitter and Reddit, The Next Web reports, citing the study.

The AI system gathered detailed information about what people searched for and bought on three popular marketplaces. It then scanned opioid-themed subreddits for posts related to darknet market terminology.

This information helped researchers build a picture of users’ emotional states. Where researchers faced difficulties obtaining sufficient Reddit data, they filled gaps with Twitter posts containing relevant hashtags.

As a result, the researchers obtained a large dataset that allowed them to conduct mood analyses for various substances.

As the researchers note, the information helps them better understand the feelings of people who abuse drugs, as well as the terms they use online to describe their experiences.

“We are evaluating data from social networks from active opioid users to understand what behaviour is associated with their use and what types of feelings are expressed,” the researchers wrote.

The team plans to gain better access to darknet markets to build more robust mood models. The ultimate aim of the project is to help clinicians understand the link between mental health and psychoactive-substance misuse.

Earlier, Chainalysis analysts estimated that in 2020 the overall volume of cryptocurrency payments on the darknet amounted to $1.7 billion. The top three by turnover were Russia, the United States and Ukraine.

In January 2021, Germany shut down the world’s largest darknet marketplace, DarkMarket.

In early 2021, the dark web saw fake listings for the sale of COVID-19 vaccines. For one dose, criminals asked for between $500 and $1,000, and cryptocurrency was accepted as payment.

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