I work in one of the most unforgiving and misunderstood professions in history—and I’m not alone. Thousands of us operate behind the scenes every day, working to stop threat actors who aim to inflict maximum harm while avoiding detection.
In my line of work, I rely on tools that keep me hidden. When you truly understand a tool, you learn to use it with precision. But just as a child wouldn’t know what to do with a socket wrench, most people don’t know how to wield tools that make them invisible online—or why they should consider staying hidden at all.
Make no mistake: You are being watched. Not occasionally, but constantly. You are surveilled 24/7, and most people don’t realize it because they fail to grasp the scope of the threat. When confronted with this reality, many dismiss it as science fiction—something out of 1984, THX 1138, Divergent, or The Matrix.
But it’s not fiction. It’s real.
Even when shown proof, people still shrug and say: “I have nothing to hide.” That mindset is exactly what the enemy wants.
You do have something to hide. Your identity. Your values. Your freedom. When you convince yourself it doesn’t matter, you surrender your agency one excuse at a time.
It does matter. And it matters more now than ever.
The rise of the MAGA era has reshaped the American psyche. It extends far beyond Donald Trump’s reelection in 2024. A long game has been played—a system carefully built to manipulate your thoughts, words, actions, and fears.
Speak out and you become a target.
Those who resist the growing silence will need the very tools I use to combat threat actors across the clearnet—the everyday internet you use without thinking.
The mainstream media says the Dark Net is a haven for criminals. They’re not entirely wrong.
But the clearnet is worse.
Here, in plain sight, corporate giants offer “free” services while selling your data. Cybercriminals scam your family. Your actions are cataloged and sold. Your phone, your apps, your habits—they’re all part of the profit machine.
You don’t see it, because you’ve been taught: “The Dark Net is dangerous. The clearnet is safe.”
The truth? Your greatest threat is already in your pocket.
And under Donald Trump’s leadership, this surveillance state will only expand. His reckless behavior and authoritarian leanings have deepened the divide—fueling resistance among those who still value truth.
But resistance takes more than outrage. It takes knowledge. It takes privacy.
That’s why I created this podcast. Though someone else reads it, these words are mine—honed through battle.
Let’s begin.
The Dark Web: Misunderstood and Misrepresented
The dark web refers to areas of the internet not indexed by traditional search engines like Google or Bing. These hidden spaces include criminal marketplaces but also private forums, encrypted platforms, academic archives, company intranets, and hidden blogs.
Tools like Tor and I2P are required to access these areas. And while some bad actors use these tools, their existence is vital in a world that no longer tolerates privacy.
The dark web isn’t a criminal underworld. It’s the last refuge for journalists, dissidents, whistleblowers—anyone who still values privacy.
Edward Snowden: The Whistle That Shook the World
In 2013, Snowden leaked classified documents revealing:
- PRISM: NSA pulled data directly from Google, Facebook, Apple.
- XKeyscore: Analysts could spy on anyone with no justification.
- Boundless Informant: Global mapping of communications.
- Tempora: Britain’s GCHQ tapped undersea cables directly.
The Five Eyes alliance—NSA, GCHQ, CSEC, ASD, and GCSB—ensured no one was safe.
The goal wasn’t security. It was control.
Snowden paid the price: exile and the label of traitor. But he gave us the truth.
Chelsea Manning: War Crimes and Consequences
In 2010, Manning exposed the horrors of war:
- Civilian deaths.
- War logs.
- Diplomatic cables.
For her truth, she was imprisoned and tortured until public outcry forced commutation.
The Rise of Surveillance Capitalism
Facebook, Google, Twitter—they sell connection while harvesting your data:
- Every photo.
- Every friendship.
- Every belief.
The Cambridge Analytica scandal exposed this manipulation: data used to sway elections and divide societies.
Digital and Physical Surveillance Merge
Cameras. Facial recognition. Risk algorithms. Phones and laptops marketed as “convenient” now feed secret databases.
Even protests and walks can mark you.
Hacker Culture Splits
Groups like Anonymous fight oppression, leak secrets, disrupt propaganda. Others sell out—working for criminals or authoritarian regimes.
AI and Corporate Surveillance
Algorithms now predict:
- Crime before it happens.
- Dissent before it organizes.
- Behavior before you act.
Companies like Palantir and Clearview AI profit by selling surveillance to governments.
The Psychological Cost
Surveillance silences. It makes you cautious. It makes you compliant.
Donald Trump and the New Normal
Trump’s presidency accelerated the decline of liberty:
- Targeting journalists.
- Expanding secret surveillance.
- Discrediting truth.
It’s not chaos. It’s strategy.
The Tools of Resistance
Use encrypted apps: Signal, Session. Browse privately: Brave browser with Tor. Transfer files anonymously: OnionShare. Secure your connection: Proton VPN or a trusted alternative. Use secure email: ProtonMail.
Take action now.
This system—built since the 1970s—is nearly complete.
Resist.
Your phone, your accounts, your habits are tracked. Laws like CALEA and the PATRIOT Act made it legal. SIM registration ties you to every digital action.
You are visible. You are vulnerable.
But you’re not alone.
Learn. Organize. Use the dark net tools of privacy and resistance.
Because once freedom falls… it does not return.
Signed, Debian Reach
