A revolutionary new messaging service known as DarkIRC has recently launched in pre-alpha, offering what is being heralded as “the world’s strongest anonymous chat.” This platform was developed in response to the harsh censorship faced by crypto developers under authoritarian regimes, as stated by its creator, Amir Taaki, in a tweet.
DarkIRC’s primary goal is to provide users with a communication channel that does not track their identities. Unlike conventional messaging services that necessitate user registration or create enduring identifiers, DarkIRC allows individuals to change their nicknames at will.
“Free society means free speech,” Taaki emphasized. “That includes all forms of speech, without any restrictions.”
DarkIRC is specifically crafted to offer a mode of communication devoid of identity tracking. This distinct approach sets it apart from traditional messaging platforms that rely on user registration or generate persistent identifiers. DarkIRC empowers users with the ability to alter their nicknames whenever they desire.
Messages transmitted through DarkIRC are completely dissociated from any lasting identity, offering deniability in the case of investigations into individual contributions.
The “war on privacy”
Taaki elucidated that the inception of DarkIRC was a response to the relentless assault on developers involved in creating “freedom tech,” such as the crypto mixer Tornado Cash.
“The ruling regime targets developers contributing to freedom-enhancing technologies,” said the mind behind DarkIRC, highlighting the perilous situation of developers forced into secretive recesses by oppressive measures.
Drawing attention to the plight of Roman Storm and Alexey Pertsev, the creators of Tornado Cash, who faced sanctions from the U.S. Treasury in 2022, Taaki exposed the grim reality of Pertsev being found guilty of money laundering charges by a Dutch court, receiving a lengthy prison sentence while Storm grapples with similar accusations in the U.S.
In a startling revelation, Taaki disclosed, “During the Tornado Cash case, prosecutors gained access to developers’ internal conversations on Signal, leading to their incarceration.” Decrypt has reached out to the messaging app Signal for comments and awaits their response.
Tornado Cash functions as a decentralized and trustless mixer, indicating that developers deployed it without exercising control over its usage or users. The imprisonment of developers due to the misconduct of others utilizing software beyond their reach has stirred privacy advocates, who decry such actions as setting a dangerous precedence and encroaching on freedom of expression.
Rachel Rose O’Leary, a member of the DarkFi team responsible for DarkIRC, clarified that while mechanisms for anonymous collaboration were put in place, certain team members—including herself—opted not to remain incognito. “We acknowledge the associated risks, as this is a conscious decision,” she remarked.
“There is an ongoing battle regarding privacy and privacy developers,” O’Leary emphasized. “We are willing to take this risk as the cause transcends our individual concerns.”
Telegram
In an alarming development, Taaki drew attention to recent alterations in messaging app Telegram’s privacy policies. “The EU has compelled Telegram to furnish all chat data to them. This sets a worrying precedent,” he stated.
Following the arrest of CEO Pavel Durov in France, Telegram revised its privacy settings in September to allow for increased data sharing with governmental bodies. Pavel Durov disclosed that the platform would now disclose IP addresses and phone numbers of suspected criminals upon receiving valid court orders from appropriate judicial entities.
These changes have sparked debates surrounding the balance between user privacy and security, with critics warning that the expanded data-sharing capabilities could potentially pave the way for heightened surveillance and compromised user anonymity.
Is Tor compromised?
DarkIRC’s peer-to-peer IRC design allows for integration with the Tor network to bolster anonymity, making it arduous for third parties to trace communications back to individual users. The platform also incorporates safeguards against spam and flooding, offering each channel the flexibility to establish its posting policies and allowing users to activate optional moderation.
Recent reports hint at potential compromises within the Tor network, with German law enforcement managing to de-anonymize users of a messaging platform operating through Tor. Investigators correlated the timing of data entering and exiting the network with prolonged observation of Tor nodes in data centers.
The technique employed by German authorities proves ineffective when users connect to onion sites, which operate exclusively within the Tor network and eliminate the need for exit nodes.
Upon investigation, the Tor Foundation confirmed that the de-anonymized user had utilized an outdated version of the instant messaging platform Ricochet, which lacked the crucial Vanguards-lite or Vanguards add-ons capable of thwarting such attacks.
Both Tor’s internal probe and an independent report by cybersecurity firm Malwarebytes reiterated that Tor remains a secure tool for anonymity.
Despite this assurance, O’Leary revealed plans by DarkIRC’s development team to incorporate additional network-level anonymity solutions like Nym, a privacy-centric mixnet leveraging zero knowledge (ZK) proofs.
