Robot Gets Arrested for Using Bitcoin to Buy Drugs

NoShoes

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Robot Gets Arrested for Using Bitcoin to Buy Drugs

Even robots can get caught red-handed.



In order to explore the dark web and its many hidden vices, Swiss art group !Mediengruppe Bitnik created a robot with one purpose: Buy all the illegal things!

The "Random Darknet Shopper" was programmed to take its weekly allowance of $100 in Bitcoin and use it to purchase something random from Agora, "an online marketplace on the dark web where shoppers can buy drugs and other illegal items." These items were delivered directly to a Swiss art gallery for the creation of an art exhibit. The robot went on its merry way, purchasing random items from October 2014 until January 2015, when it finally had a run-in with Swiss authorities.

In January, the Swiss police confiscated both Random Darknet Shopper and its stash, which included "a Hungarian passport, Ecstasy pills fake Diesel jeans, a Sprite can with a hole cut out in order to stash cash, Nike trainers, a baseball cap with a hidden camera, cigarettes and The Lord of the Rings e-book collection."

After three months (and the destruction of the drugs), the Swiss police returned the intrepid robot to its owners and decided against charging the art group further. Thomas Hansjakob, a spokesperson for the Swiss St Gallen police, told CNBC,

"We decided the Ecstasy that is in this presentation was safe and nobody could take it away. Bitnik never intended to sell it or consume it so we didn't punish them,"

!Mediengruppe Bitnik stated in a blog post last week, "This is a great day for the bot, for us and for freedom of art," and I have to agree. It's pretty cool of the Swiss police force to let both the bot and its creators off without taking any further action, although I do feel a badly for poor RDS, programmed directly into a life of crime.

Source: !Mediengruppe Bitnik blog [http://www.cnbc.com/id/102604472]

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ArcaneGamer

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I am SO confused. I have a few questions, yet I'm somewhat afraid of the answer. Also, "dark market items"? You can get Crystal Pepsi there?
 

Deathfish15

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ArcaneGamer said:
I am SO confused. I have a few questions, yet I'm somewhat afraid of the answer. Also, "dark market items"? You can get Crystal Pepsi there?
Doubtful, but I'm sure you can buy Jim Henson's coke stash......
 

Parasondox

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Does anyone have a clever pun for this?

Maybe the Robot wanted to REBOOT it's... ahh fuck it I failed.
 

Major_Tom

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Jun 29, 2008
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Well, at least he didn't break any of the Three laws of robotics.
And, apparently, their web page is on the World Wide Wide Wide Wide Wide Wide Wide Wide Wide Wide Wide Wide Wide Wide Wide Wide Wide Wide Wide Wide Web.
 

Shinkicker444

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Dec 6, 2011
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How the hell do you use a sprite can to steal money?

edit: nvm, misread it. Too tired today.


Someone should introduce the bot to GTA, let it get its thug on there.
 

flying_whimsy

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I love everything about this: it just amuses me right down to the core.

I am especially pleased none of the artists were busted for it.
 

Jadak

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Nov 4, 2008
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Rather surprised at the lack of charges....

I mean, it's all good that nobody cares about the 'usage' end of things, given that it was a robot and 'art'. But how about the part where they're carelessly distributing money in support of illegal activities?

Obviously it's not strictly illegal stuff, people can purchase Lord of the Rings as often as they like as far I'm concerned, but throwing money at drug dealers 'for art' should not be a valid excuse.
 

Strazdas

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May 28, 2011
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What is this, a sane response from police authorities. Its almost surreal considering normally one would expect it to be "police officers shot the robot multiple times when i tried to resist by not turning itself off"

Xsjadoblayde said:
When was the Lord of the Rings e-book collection prohibited? I must have missed that absolute gem
my guess was that the robot bought a pirated version.


Shinkicker444 said:
Someone should introduce the bot to GTA, let it get its thug on there.
considering that 99% of purchasable objects in GTA seems to be clothes and car spray colors (seriuosly, theres A LOT of those) i think it would do just fine.

Jadak said:
Obviously it's not strictly illegal stuff, people can purchase Lord of the Rings as often as they like as far I'm concerned, but throwing money at drug dealers 'for art' should not be a valid excuse.
Well its not like these people went out to look for drugs to buy. they basically told the bot to "buy any random item" and drugs were randomly chosen in one of those.
 

Jadak

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Strazdas said:
Jadak said:
Obviously it's not strictly illegal stuff, people can purchase Lord of the Rings as often as they like as far I'm concerned, but throwing money at drug dealers 'for art' should not be a valid excuse.
Well its not like these people went out to look for drugs to buy. they basically told the bot to "buy any random item" and drugs were randomly chosen in one of those.
Honestly that just makes the whole thing sound worse to me.

I mean, if it was an intentional purchase of drugs for personal use, excuses can be made. Maybe one wants to argue drug usage laws, maybe someone has a substance abuse problem and needs rehab more than prison, whatever, at least there was a decision making process behind the purchase.

But this? This is just careless. It's not like drugs/illegal items are just some item with a minor but unfortunate chance of occurring, such things are the entire point, what sort of people need to use such a service to make sales? And you're just going to indiscriminately provide them with business?

Don't get me wrong, I'm not arguing for the death penalty here, but I'd certainly approve of consequences for that sort of recklessness.
 

mad825

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Strazdas said:
Well its not like these people went out to look for drugs to buy. they basically told the bot to "buy any random item" and drugs were randomly chosen in one of those.
How is that even an excuse? It's a crime even to just possess something regardless of its intentions. Hence why there are clauses in law stating "in possession of".

The law does don't add exceptions for something they cannot prove, only a judge or jury can come to some conclusion after examining the situation.
 

Kahani

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May 25, 2011
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How the fuck is buying illegal stuff supposed to be art? It's shit like this that is why no-one takes modern art seriously. Unless perhaps it's a deliberate work of irony - "We spent over $1400 on pointless shit without having any idea what it was, and this is all we ended up with".
 

FPLOON

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Jul 10, 2013
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Glob dammit! That robot was innocent! And, even if not, the robot was nothing more than an accomplice to the art group in question!

The other robots will remember this day... and Judgement will come afterwards...
 

Gorrath

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Feb 22, 2013
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Chappie got blings?

Anywho, I can see why the cops let them off. No one was harmed in the making of this art. I'd hardly call this reckless. Anything less than high explosives or yellow cake uranium seems like a pretty harmless purchase. Hell, even if their 100 bucks worth of bitcoin had somehow snagged them an AK it's not like they were going to use it to shoot something up. Glad the cops decided not to pursue.
 

Armadox

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Aug 31, 2010
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ArcaneGamer said:
I am SO confused. I have a few questions, yet I'm somewhat afraid of the answer. Also, "dark market items"? You can get Crystal Pepsi there?
Kinder eggs?! Can I dark market smuggle a crate of Kinder Eggs in?! I need you to ask questions so as I can.. find out something..