The Dark Side of Reykjavik’s Bright Image

On a quiet street by Reykjavik's harbor stands one of Iceland's most peculiar—and perhaps most revealing - buildings. Kalkofnsvegur 2 is home to an H&M store, a penis museum in the basement, and, as it turns out, a digital shadow world few locals know about.

According to an in-depth investigation by The New York Times, this unassuming address has become the registered home of tens of millions of internet domains, many of them deeply problematic: scams, conspiracy platforms, phishing schemes, even Russian disinformation outlets. All thanks to a privacy service called "Withheld for Privacy," which allows website owners to hide their identities.

At first glance, this seems distant, technical, almost absurd. But dig a little deeper, and a more troubling pattern emerges - one that should concern Icelanders and Jews alike.

Why Should Icelandic Jews Care?

As Jews living in Iceland, we’ve seen how old myths and modern media can shape perception. Some still view Jews through the lens of ancient antisemitic tropes; others condemn Israel without ever having set foot in the region, fueled by one-sided coverage and deep-seated bias. We’ve even heard theories - half-whispered, half-joked - that all Israelis are Mossad agents, orchestrating Eurovision victories or pulling invisible strings behind global events.

Ironically, Icelanders - long considered open-minded and progressive - are now beginning to face a similar fate: reduced to a new stereotype of conspiracy-minded naivety and digital carelessness. It's a reminder that no society is immune to being misunderstood.

“We had the aim to create what we called the Switzerland of bytes,” said Mordur Ingolfsson, a former Pirate Party member who supported Iceland’s first internet privacy laws. What happened instead, he said, 'is abuse of the work that we did.’”

Iceland, The a country often portrayed as a progressive haven: secular, peaceful, pro-LGBTQ+, egalitarian, been reveals in this article with a darker layer beneath that surface: a nation whose strong privacy laws have made it a hub for digital deception; and where belief in conspiracies - including some with antisemitic undertones, is alarmingly widespread. This tension between the Iceland that Icelanders believe in, and the one that emerges in the global mirror, is uncomfortable. But it’s also a rare opportunity to reflect.

A Shared Challenge

Jews and Icelanders both grapple with how we’re perceived from the outside. Sometimes we hide parts of ourselves for protection. Sometimes others hide behind us, using our good intentions for their bad purposes. And sometimes, we simply don’t know what shadows are cast in our name.

This is a moment to ask: What kind of reputation do we want? What do we allow to happen in our name? And how do we protect privacy, freedom, and openness - without being exploited?

In the heart of Reykjavik, where a penis museum shares an address with global cybercrime, we are reminded that appearances can be deceiving. This story isn’t just about the internet. It’s about identity.

🔎 To read the full original article: “Some of the Web’s Sketchiest Sites Share an Address in Iceland”, by Steven Lee Myers & Tiffany Hsu, The New York Times, Oct 2024.