New Episode of Darknet Diaries: EP 163: Ola
In this captivating episode of Darknet Diaries, we follow the story of Ola Bini, a Swedish programmer and privacy activist who found himself caught in a judicial whirlwind in Ecuador. The episode begins with a personal anecdote from Jack Rhysider, the podcast host, about his experiences with weak password policies at university, which leads us to Ola Bini's current situation.
Ola Bini is a programmer passionate about privacy and computer security. He has worked on various projects, including creating programming languages and improving Java security by integrating languages like Ruby on the Java Virtual Machine (JVM). In 2013, inspired by Snowden's revelations and the death of his friend Aaron Swartz, Ola became more involved in privacy and security issues. He moved to Ecuador the same year, where he continued to work on privacy tools and co-founded a non-profit organization called Centro de Autonomia Digital.
The story takes a dramatic turn in April 2019 when Ola is arrested at Quito airport as he was about to travel to Japan for a martial arts trip. Ecuadorian authorities accused him of being a Russian hacker and collaborating with Julian Assange to destabilize the government. However, Ola is Swedish and has no connection to Russia. He was detained for 68 days in chaotic prison conditions before being released, but he remains under constant surveillance and must report to the prosecutor's office every week.
Ola's trial was marked by numerous irregularities. The authorities violated his rights several times, including not allowing him to speak to a lawyer and not explaining why he was arrested. The evidence against him was thin and included programming books and works on WikiLeaks found in his apartment. Ultimately, the prosecutors used a screenshot of an attempted Telnet login to an Ecuadorian internet service provider (CNT) as the main evidence, although the screenshot clearly shows that Ola did not succeed in logging in.
In January 2022, Ola was tried and declared innocent by three judges, who emphasized the importance of protecting cybersecurity researchers. However, the prosecutors appealed the decision, and in 2023, a new panel of judges found him guilty of attempted unauthorized access, a modified charge without concrete evidence. Ola appealed this decision, but the judges have not yet responded.
Ola Bini's story raises important questions about privacy, government surveillance, and abuses of power. His case illustrates how governments can use the judicial system to harass and intimidate those who defend privacy and security. The podcast ends on an uncertain note, with Ola still embroiled in legal battles and under constant surveillance.
To learn more about this fascinating and complex story, listen to the full episode on the Darknet Diaries website.