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Who needs the dark web? Drug sales flourish on social media | Drug sales on the dark web are trending downward in favor of Snapchat, Telegram, and others.

Drug sales on the dark web are trending downward in favor of Snapchat, Telegram, and others.

The proliferation of open drug dealing on Instagram, Snapchat, and X—as well as on encrypted messaging platforms Telegram and WhatsApp—has transformed the fabric of illegal substance procurement, gradually making it more convenient, and arguably safer, for consumers, who can receive packages in the mail without meeting people on street corners or going through the rigmarole of the dark web. The menus provided by dealers through messaging apps and on social media are often lengthy and diverse, featuring prized varieties advertised for their purity and sold at significantly lower costs than equivalents available on the streets of London and New York. “The problem with dark-net markets is that you need to install Tor, get a PGP, and have cryptocurrencies,” says Francois Lamy, an associate professor at Mahidol University in Thailand who researches the sociology of drug use.

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