Ben Collier on Tor: From the Dark Web to the Future of Privacy

About this episode

The episode features a discussion with Ben Collier about his book on Tor and its implications for privacy and digital communication.

Peoples & Things host, Lee Vinsel, and guest host, Paula Bialski, Associate Professor of Digital Sociology at University of St. Gallen, talk to Ben Collier, Senior Lecturer in Digital Methods in the Science, Technology, and Innovation Studies department at the School of Social and Political Science at the University of Edinburgh, about his book, _Tor: From the Dark Web to the Future of Privacy_, as well as some of his other work. The book examines one of the most important and misunderstood technologies of the digital age, Tor, the overlay network that allows for anonymous communication, best known as the infrastructure underpinning the so-called Dark Web. Collier takes a community-centered approach and examines the many different reasons and motivations people become involved in using and maintaining the platform. The trio also talk about various other projects and themes, including Collier’s current project on the visual and aesthetic standardization of public security infrastructure, like barriers and bollards.

People in this episode

Host: Lee Vinsel

Guests: Paula Bialski, Ben Collier

Topics covered

• Tor
• privacy
• digital sociology
• Dark Web
• anonymous communication
• public security infrastructure

Keywords

• Tor
• Dark Web
• privacy
• digital methods
• anonymous communication
• public security
• sociology

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: University of St. Gallen, University of Edinburgh

Books & works: Tor: From the Dark Web to the Future of Privacy

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