Please share an intervention to the below post which agrees to it but makes use of scholarly references other than those used in the post, and adds to the suggestions or inputs. Please also share a question which could benefit the topic, based on the direction of the discussion which is about VPNs, Tor and their importance to individuals and business, while also being an issue for law enforcement when misused illegally. Please share source of references and URLs where they can be found.

See post below

On the other hand, criminals exploit the same protections to run darknet marketplaces, launder proceeds, or trade malware and stolen credentials. Yet recent multinational operations show law enforcement can still succeed without breaking encryption for everyone: Operation SpecTor (2023) led to hundreds of arrests, and this year authorities dismantled Archetyp Market, one of the longest-running drug markets. These cases illustrate that targeted, intelligence-driven policing rather than blanket bans can disrupt illicit ecosystems.

Should governments restrict technologies like Tor? Broad prohibitions risk chilling legitimate speech and pushing users to less transparent alternatives. The UK's Online Safety Act debate highlights the tension: while regulators are exploring how (or whether) to detect harm in encrypted environments, there are currently no accredited client-side scanning technologies mandated; guidance isn't expected until 2026. Similarly, Apple's highly publicized proposal to scan photos on users' devices was ultimately abandoned over security and privacy concerns illustrating that "exceptional access" often weakens protections for all.

My stance: keep strong encryption and anonymity available, but pair them with (1) targeted investigations and undercover work; (2) robust cross-border cooperation; and (3) due-process safeguards, transparency, and oversight. Privacy by design should be the default for industry, and specialized investigative capabilities not mass surveillance should carry the load against cybercrime. This balance preserves essential rights while sustaining practical paths for lawful investigations.