Abstract:

The ?dark web? is now the starting point of many ideas and movements that aren?t comfortable existing in view of mainstream culture. It?s hidden and detached, challenging and closed, hostile and acutely uncomfortable; it?s not a source of insight that we?d generally think to recommend to clients when responding to a brief. We?ve become so accustomed to the wealth of publicly available digital conversations, interactions, behaviours and data that are readily available to use and analyse through social intelligence tools and platforms. It?s made our lives easier as researchers, but it?s overshadowed the more difficult to access spaces?where people have opted out of public dialogue to engage in conversations with greater candor, anonymity and free from social judgement. 

Our paper seeks to challenge researchers and insights leaders to reconsider the utility, potential and power of leveraging insights from the extreme edges of culture, in order to push understanding further and identify what could happen next, sooner. We?re here to share how we made it possible to bring conversations happening in the darkness into the light, and the powerful benefits it had on advancing our clients? understanding and foresight.