Red room

[[File:Videodrome.jpg|thumb|right|165px|{{wpl|Videodrome||:}} [[George Orwell#"Doublethink"|Reality is television and television is reality]].]]{{Internet}}{{folklore}}
A '''red room''' is a composite [[urban legend]]. It is allegedly a hidden website or service on the "[[dark web]]" where you can see and/or participate in interactive [[torture]] or [[murder]]. It is essentially the [[Snuff film|snuff film]] legend retold for the [[YouTube]] era. It is similar to other [[moral panic]]s involving the so-called dark web in that it was made popular by uncritical reports provided by both traditional and social media. The phenomenon is an example of the {{wpl|Woozle effect||,}} where publications are continuously built upon misleading citations. According to technology writer and researcher Eric Pudalov, red rooms do not exist:
{{quotebox|"It's near-impossible to stream live video over the [[Tor|Tor network]] (or even other anonymity networks like I2P and Freenet). So, that would render a service like a red room (i.e. a site that streams live torture and murder) impossible, and certainly not profitable."<ref name=pudalev>[https://www.quora.com/Do-Red-Rooms-exist-in-the-deep-web Do Red Rooms exist in the deep web?] ''Quora''.</ref>}}

According to Pudalov, websites presenting themselves as red rooms are, in fact, scams aiming at stealing bitcoins. However, videos with illegal and ultra-violent content, such as the infamous ''Daisy's Destruction'', by the notorious child pornographer {{wpl|Peter Scully||,}} can be found on the darknet.<ref name=pudalev/>

==Conceptual predecessors in film and TV==
[[File:Chatroom.png|left|thumb|A blue 'red room' from the film 'Chatroom'.]]
*The 1983 David Cronenberg film ''{{wpl|Videodrome}}'' features a protagonist viewing an apparent live satellite feed of torture taking place in a room with orange clay walls, which sends the protagonist on a journey that leads them to question the difference between reality and television.  In fact, ''Videodrome'' is the likely origin of the entire red room myth.  
*{{wpl|Found footage (pseudo-documentary)|Found footage pseudo-documentaries}} helped continue the trend, starting with the notorious exploitation film ''{{wpl|Cannibal Holocaust}}'' (1980). ''{{wpl|The Last Broadcast (film)|The Last Broadcast}}'' (1998) would mix IRC into real-time murder investigations. The genre was popularized by ''[[The Blair Witch Project]]'' (1999), which spawned meta discussions as to whether the events depicted were actually real.
* The 1998 British TV mini-series {{wpl|Killer Net|''Killer Net''|,}} as well as films like ''{{wpl|FeardotCom}}'' in 2002 and ''{{wpl|Untraceable}}'' in 2008, would feature scenarios to do with logging onto a website and participating in murder. 
* In 1999, {{wpl|Daisuke Yamanouchi}} released {{wpl|Red Room (film)|''Red Room''|,}} followed by a sequel in 2000, ''Red Room 2'', which featured elements visited before in the likes of {{wpl|The Running Man (1987 film)|''The Running Man''|.}} The films were dark satires about a reality TV game show called the ‘King’s Game’, in which contestants complete an increasingly degrading and gruesome set of tasks in an effort to win a sum of money, subjecting their fellow players to suffer whatever cruelty the contestant chooses. The later 2006 Thai horror comedy film ''{{wpl|13 Beloved}}'' covered similar ground.
*The 2010 British film ''{{wpl|Chatroom (film)|Chatroom}}'' dealt with bullying, {{wpl|Internet suicide pact|internet suicide|,}} and chat rooms at around the time when [[cyber-bullying]] and grooming were attracting mainstream attention. 
* Also from 2010, the short-lived science fiction series ''{{wpl|Caprica (TV series)|Caprica}}'' featured a virtual reality-based voyeuristic murder club.<ref>[http://en.battlestarwiki.org/wiki/Virtual_world#V-Club V-Club]</ref> This environment, explored by apparently naive schoolgirls, elicited concern from characters within the series, reflecting contemporary society's anxiety over uncensored internet content and youth.
* Popular 2011 fan fiction and later film adaptation ''{{wpl|Fifty Shades of Grey}}'' features a red room for dubiously consensual but nonetheless romanticized [[BDSM]].
* In 2015's {{wpl|Avengers: Age of Ultron|''Avengers: Age of Ultron''|,}} the red room is the name of the secret location where Black Widow was trained as a child to be a spy for the KGB; graduation consisted of surgical sterilization to remove the distraction of reproduction.
The name "red room" may also be a pun on "redrum", the backward spelling of "murder" (made famous by Stephen King's ''{{wpl|The Shining (film)|The Shining}}'' and its film adaptation).

== On the Internet ==
[[File:Doyoulike.png|thumb|left|Do you like —?]]
In the early 2000s, the red room animation<ref>[http://www.nagasaki-np.co.jp/press/syou6/kiji/2004060902.html|script-title=ja:殺害手口、参考の可能性%20ネットの物語掲載サイト Story] [http://www.geocities.co.jp/SiliconValley/4358/red_room1.html Copy of site] [https://web.archive.org/web/20121024040006/http://www.geocities.co.jp/SiliconValley/4358/red_cm3.swf Killer popup] [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLDGi6A62fg 2012 YouTube analysis]</ref> went live, becoming infamous in Japanese internet communities for a popup it produced asking 'Do you like —?' This was further cemented into the Japanese consciousness by the real-life {{wpl|Sasebo slashing}} perpetrated by a girl who had played the game.

{{wpl|Chain letter|Chain letters|,}} {{wpl|Viral email|chain emails|,}} and viral [[Facebook]] images have often promised deadly consequences for the recipient or another person should they fail to pass on their message within the specified constraints.<ref>[http://newsthump.com/2012/11/19/8-year-old-cancer-survivor-thanks-facebook-users-for-curing-her-with-photo-sharing/ 8 year-old cancer survivor thanks Facebook users for curing her with ‘photo sharing’]</ref> And yes, this has been made {{wpl|Chain Letter (film)|into a film too|.}}

Live-streamed suicides such as on the defunct justin.tv generated media coverage in the mid to late 2000s.<ref>[https://gigaom.com/2008/11/20/19-year-old-commits-suicide-on-justintv/ 19-year-old Commits Suicide on Justin.tv]</ref>

In August 2015, Facebook and [[Twitter]]'s default video player settings led many users to witness a murder uploaded by its perpetrator just minutes after it had occurred due to the platform's autoplay settings.<ref>[http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/aug/27/facebook-twitter-users-complain-virginia-shooting-videos-autoplay Facebook and Twitter users complain over Virginia shooting videos autoplay]</ref>

The role of {{wpl|social media and suicide}} is increasingly in the news, associated with online bullying, [[trolling]], and voyeuristic elements, as well as some interventionist involvement. Directed harassment of this nature may be known as {{wpl|Social media and suicide#Cyberbullicide|cyberbullicide|.}}<ref>[https://broadly.vice.com/en_us/article/live-stream-murder-suicide-periscope-facebook When People Live-Stream Murder and Suicide, Who Watches?]</ref>

Both Periscope<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-36274051 French Periscope death stirs social media safety fears]</ref> and Facebook live streaming have featured such use.<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-36566635 Chicago man shot dead during Facebook live-stream]</ref> In 2016, Facebook live was even used by terrorists for a propaganda broadcast.<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-36524094 French jihadist murders police couple at Magnanville]</ref>

== Why people look for this stuff ==
Oliver & Raney, 2011 discuss several reasons individuals may generally seek out harmful and malicious content, including fulfilling cathartic and purging needs, making downward social comparisons, maintaining bad moods, and learning information that may ultimately help one deal with negative or unhappy circumstances.<ref>[http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1460-2466.2011.01585.x/abstract Entertainment as Pleasurable and Meaningful: Identifying Hedonic and Eudaimonic Motivations for Entertainment Consumption]</ref>

In June 2014, psychologist Bridget Rubenking of the University of Florida released a study into the different forms of disgust, its involvement in memory formation, and the psycho-physiological responses elicited. The study distinguished between 3 types of disgust: 
* socio-moral, such as betrayal, humiliation, or racism (which varies somewhat by culture)<ref>[http://pds.sagepub.com/content/9/1/107 Body, Psyche, and Culture: The Relationship between Disgust and Morality]</ref>
* body product and death
* 'body envelope violation' (gore). 

Undergraduates were shown representative clips of media while having their heart rates, sweat, and facial expressions measured.

It determined socio-moral disgust varied in many different ways, such as eliciting a slower reaction, likely due to the increased neural processing required. Additionally, increased attentiveness and 'defensive' physiological response were detected.<ref name="mail">[http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2657163/Morbid-fascination-really-DOES-exist-Study-finds-physically-compelled-watch-gory-scenes-disgust-us.html Morbid fascination really DOES exist: Study finds we are physically compelled to watch gory scenes - even if they disgust us]</ref><ref name="paper">[http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jcom.12094/abstract Captivated and Grossed Out: An Examination of Processing Core and Sociomoral Disgusts in Entertainment Media]</ref> Lowered memory of the events before the point of disgust elicitation and increased following were also reported as the fight or flight 'freeze' response is initiated.

As such, it's hypothesized that people have various motivations to seek out disturbing content, real or otherwise, and that use of disgust in media increases its engagement potential.<ref name="mail" />

To borrow the words of the Internet axiom: "What has been seen cannot be unseen".<ref name="huff">[http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/the-science-behind-why-we-cant-stop-watching-disgusting-videos_55b15de4e4b0a13f9d17e7f6 Why We Can't Stop Watching Disgusting Videos]</ref>

== Contemporary influences ==
With the rise of social media jihadists, {{wpl|Beheading video|beheadings}} of western journalists by ISIS were increasingly in the news, videos spreading simply via Twitter and basic social media channels, have created a sickening association between the Internet and images of gruesome death. Technology has even reached a point where murder has been live-streamed to [[Facebook]].<ref>[http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/paris-stabbing-larossi-abballa-received-2013-prison-sentence-for-helping-islamist-militants-into-a7081021.html Paris police stabbing: 'Isis-inspired' killer broadcast attack live on Facebook]</ref> From Rotten.com to contemporary sites like {{wpl|Know Your Meme||,}}<ref name="huff" /> people are increasingly obsessed with seeing death on the Internet.<ref>[http://www.wired.com/2015/02/on-watching-gore-and-death-online/ Why I Can’t Stop Watching Horrifying ISIS Decapitation Videos]</ref>

Lurid tales of [[Internet assassination|hitman services]] and human experimentation combined with the reality of {{wpl|Darknet market|darknet markets}} and child porn sites created a new substrate for a meme to be reborn.

== In internet pop culture ==

The earliest driver of the speculation was like a hidden web service called 'The Human Experiment,'<ref>[https://www.datalounge.com/thread/12992255-the-human-experiment The Human Experiment]</ref> accessible from the early days of [[Tor]]. You'll also see speculation about gladiatorial fights to the death,<ref>[https://allthingsvice.com/2013/03/21/are-there-modern-day-gladitorial-fights-on-the-darkweb/ Are there modern-day Gladitorial fights on the Darkweb?]</ref> human-hunting,<ref>[http://pirate.london/2015/11/human-hunting-on-the-internet-also-not-a-real-thing/ Human-hunting on the Internet, also not a real thing]</ref> and [[human trafficking]].<ref>[http://motherboard.vice.com/read/my-brief-encounter-with-a-dark-web-human-trafficking-site My Brief Encounter with a Dark Web 'Human Trafficking' Site]</ref>

Since the popularization of the dark web myth, people have sworn they have 'stumbled' upon red rooms, or that their friend's cousin who [[Bullshit|totally works for the NSA]] saw one. Other users like to 'warn' users that while they personally cannot vouch for their existence, that they should [[Tinfoil hat|be careful]] because they are '[[Delusion|unfortunately real]]'.

The alleged existence of such websites is perpetuated by YouTubers such as [[Takedownman]] and their fraudulent testimonials,<ref>[http://randominterviews.com/the-red-room-human-trafficker-dark-web-horror/ The Red Room Human Trafficker (Dark Web Horror)]</ref> as well as a vast number of intrigued would-be-fans on social media forums.<ref>[http://motherboard.vice.com/read/the-real-dark-web-doesnt-exist|name=The 'Real' Dark Web Doesn't Exist]</ref>

With the rise of {{wpl|Creepypasta|Creepypastas}} like 'The Suicide Show', which provide first-person narratives of purported experiences,<ref>[http://creepypasta.wikia.com/wiki/The_Suicide_Show The Suicide Show]</ref> a whole slew of ‘Deep Web True Stories’ can be found online, all as cookie cutter as each other. These often entail a hapless netizen deciding to check out the dark web because it sounds ‘interesting’, or for some reason or other that usually involves buying [[drugs]] or [[porn]], then they somehow stumble into a Red Room — ignoring the fact that if such a thing did exist, it’s highly unlikely whoever ran it would leave it open to any random explorer — then see murder, and get stuffed into a van by ‘Russians’ or masked men to become the next Red Room star where they either die or have parts of their body hacked off — [[Sarcasm|a true whistle-stop tour of the dark web, apparently!]] Often [[fake top level domain names]] will be required for access.

The 2016 indie horror title ''Welcome to the Game'' features the player going into the dark web in a quest to find a real red room, encountering many other fictional dark web tropes along the way.<ref>[http://store.steampowered.com/app/485380 ''Welcome To The Game''] on Steam</ref>

== Examples ==
=== Bacon Room ===
[[File:Red_Room.png|thumb|right|Red room trolling is now a thing.]]
In August 2015, there was a minor social media buzz when an advertisement for a "Red Room" was spread via [[Reddit]] and other channels with a countdown to the release of a video that would allegedly depict the live execution of [[ISIS]] prisoners. What was delivered instead was a troll video and a fake FBI take-down notice.<ref>[http://allthingsvice.com/2015/08/29/waiting-in-the-red-room/ Waiting in the Red Room]</ref><ref>[http://motherboard.vice.com/read/livestreaming-torture-is-the-dark-webs-favorite-hoax Livestreaming Torture Is the Dark Web's Favorite Hoax]</ref>

===A.L.I.C.I.A===
Site from some time in 2015 with creepy sounds playing and a countdown. ooOOOooo<ref name="clown"/><ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKtmbfAckzI&feature=youtu.be&t=385 ALICIA Dark Web que oculta esta pagina]</ref> Formerly located at 5fpp2orjc2ejd2g7.onion, now closed.

=== Dark web's red rooms ===
Yes, a custom browser is required, such as [[Tor|tor]], [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I2P i2p], or [https://dat.foundation/ dat://] based browsers.

===Shadow web red room===
[[File:Darknet-red-room.png|thumb|300px|right]]

The site features top-end security like disabling mouse clicks and a stock image background.<ref>[http://xz2bhyw5g7tnlx5r.onion/ Shadow Web Red Rooms]</ref> The background image is rotated from time to time.

{{cquote|We've compiled a customised open source Firefox browser specifically configured to securely and anonymously access our streaming servers over I2P.}}
A blogger's interview goes into further details of the scam.<ref name="clown">[https://direclown.wordpress.com/2016/03/20/dark-web-sites-that-claim-to-be-red-rooms/ Dark web websites that 'claim' to be red rooms]</ref>

A ''separate'' shadow web site run by the same people as above references [[fake top level domain names]].<ref name="clown" />

=== Common scam site ===
There is a common copy and pasted scam site that imitates a red room and occasionally says the show will begin in an allotted amount of time, generally around 2 hours to 6 days.
If you click the "Join" button, near the bottom of this page will be the [[bitcoin]] wallet key of the scammer with offers such as "spectator", "commander", and "master", each with different levels of 'control', though as this site is a scam they are fakes. They also offer the ability to download the last stream for 0.2 btc, though that is also fake. Images of the fake red room can be found [https://imgur.com/a/TUYJjYT here].

=== More ===
Blogger ''Secrets of the Dark'' indexed even more such scams.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20170713034813/https://direclown.wordpress.com/category/deep-web/red-rooms/ Red Rooms: Secrets of the Dark Web]. Archived from direclown.wordpress.com, 13 July 2017.</ref>

==External links==
*[https://www.fantagraphics.com/products/red-room-the-antisocial-network Red Room: The Antisocial Network] by Ed Piskor
*[https://www.fantagraphics.com/products/red-room-crypto-killaz Red Room: Crypto Killaz!] by Ed Piskor

==References==
{{reflist|2|80%}}
[[Category:Urban legends]]
[[Category:Internet]]
[[Category:Crime]]
[[Category:Deep web]]
[[Category:Moral panics]]
[[Category:Media hysteria]]
[[Category:Horror]]

Categories: Urban legends, Internet, Crime, Deep web, Moral panics, Media hysteria, Horror