An alternative internet could have its benefits but also its disadvantages

Nov 7, 2011 13:36 GMT  ·  By

A hacktivist collective plans to continue the operation began by Anonymous in which they wanted to create an alternative internet that could not be controlled by any authority. Operation Mesh, which many thought was forgotten, now takes the name The Darknet Project (TDP).

Arstechnica came upon some of their conversations on a social networking site. It seems as their main goal is to create a decentralized web of interconnected mesh networks that operate independently of the conventional internet.

Because this mesh would rely on wireless technologies and it wouldn't have a central point of control, it would be unbreakable by authorities.

While TDP is currently only a plan, Operation Mesh, at the time it circulated, already laid out the necessary technologies that could make it possible. The team that revived the project still faces a lot of technical challenges that will not be easy to overcome.

The whole idea may seem too hard to accomplish but the strategy to develop such a network is taken into consideration by governments as well, not just anonymous hackers who want to fight for the freedom of the internet.

Since they are not the only group that launch the idea of such an operation, it wouldn't be hard to imagine that some of them already found someone with the necessary technologies and funding.

Some say that the US is already working on such a network for helping the citizens of countries where access to information is banned by a dictatorial government. Since such a wireless infrastructure would be inaccessible to state authorities, no one could control the free circulation of data and people could have the opportunity to evade digital barricades.

One one hand, such an alternative infrastructure isn't such a bad idea, but on the other hand, a network like this could also be utilized by cyber masterminds who aren't fighting for free speech but who are looking to make a profit.