Where is the man who created Silk Road, the original dark web that enabled anonymous commerce, and what is he doing now?

Ross Ulbricht, founder of the Silk Road website, which sold illegal drugs, was given a harsh sentence of two life sentences plus 40 years without parole. Advocacy groups have launched protests, arguing that the sentence is unprecedented and excessive for a first-time, non-violent offender.

THE OFFICIAL WEBSITE FOR ROSS ULBRICHT | FreeRoss.org

Silk Road was a site accessible through Tor and was popular as a platform for buying and selling books, art, and electronic devices without risking harm to third parties. However, some people who thought it was the best way to sell illegal drugs started using Silk Road, and it was

Ulbricht, who was 26 years old when he launched the site, is a libertarian who is passionate about free markets and privacy, and he said at the time that he had no intention of harming anyone. Ulbricht was actually just running the site, but he was held responsible for the content posted by others and received the harsh sentence mentioned above.

However, in the United States, Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act states that 'in principle, providers are not liable for information transmitted by third parties.' Despite this, support groups are protesting the current situation in which Ulbricht was held liable for the content of others.

It has also been pointed out that when Ulbricht's real name was reported in the media, biased reporting occurred, such as accusing him of 'planning a murder for hire' or 'spying.' The support group Free Ross Ulbricht said, 'Mr. Ulbricht's sentence is grossly excessive and disproportionate compared to others sentenced for similar or even worse acts. As of 2022, Mr. Ulbricht has been in his 10th year of his sentence as a model prisoner, has had a positive influence on those around him, and has never received disciplinary action. He leads a support group and provides support to prisoners and their families through a charitable foundation.' They are calling for a retrial.