News
Blockchain can free us from the nightmares of online surveillance
Disclosure: The views and opinions expressed herein are solely those of the author and do not represent the views and opinions of the crypto.news editorial.
Nowadays the Internet has become our second home. It’s where we communicate, work, shop and socialize. But beneath the surface lies a disturbing truth: we are being watched. Online surveillance has become an unprecedented force, violating our privacy and invading every aspect of our lives. I believe blockchain technology is the key to reclaiming our digital freedom.
Online surveillance is nothing new. In the early 2000s, with the advent of social media and the exponential growth of Internet usage, governments and businesses saw the Internet as a gold mine of data. From social media platforms to search engines, virtually every online service has started collecting every piece of information they can get their hands on. No one was asked if they wanted to share their personal lives with Google, and no one told them that Amazon would know everything about them.
For many people, 2013 was probably the first time they considered the concept of online surveillance, when Edward Snowden exposed government surveillance programs that allowed the US government to essentially spy on its own citizens. This was a shocking development for public awareness, but the sad fact is that it did little to slow the degradation of online freedom. Today, the surveillance landscape is more complex and pervasive than ever, with advances in artificial intelligence and big data analytics enabling unprecedented levels of monitoring.
Much of the business model of almost all Internet companies is based on data collection and targeted advertising. By gathering detailed information about user behaviors, preferences and interactions, these companies can create highly personalized advertising experiences, increasing their profits at the expense of user privacy. They don’t even ask, at least unless they are forced to, they just take what they want and use it in whatever way will make them more money.
Governments, on the other hand, justify surveillance under the guise of national security and crime prevention. Obviously protecting citizens is a legitimate concern, there is a delicate balance between security and privacy and this balance has shifted dangerously towards the former. Read like the United States Patriotic act and, more recently, that of the United Kingdom Online Safety Act they have granted governments broad powers to monitor online activity with little regard for oversight or transparency.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t end there either; the technological infrastructure of the Internet itself has inherent design limitations that facilitate surveillance. Centralized servers, which store large amounts of user data, are prime targets for anyone trying to access and exploit personal information. Just think of the huge number of data breaches you hear about in the news. According to the ID Theft Resource Center, there were 3205 records violations last year alone, potentially affecting over 350 million users.
In this context, blockchain technology emerges as a beacon of hope. On the surface this might seem counterintuitive. An immutable public ledger is kind of counter to the idea of privacy, right? But where blockchain shines is in its ability to create permissionless incentive mechanisms. These mechanisms allow decentralized networks of nodes to perform services such as routing, storage, and computation.
This potential for safeguarding privacy is especially evident in the realm of messaging apps. Traditional messaging platforms often rely on centralized servers to store and transmit messages, making them vulnerable to hacking attacks, data breaches and government surveillance.
On the other hand, we have web3 apps like Session that leverage blockchain to combat surveillance with decentralization. Community-run node networks handle all message routing and storage, and for this they are rewarded with the network’s native cryptocurrency.
Trust is a dirty word in privacy. Centralized networks operate under a trust model in which a single entity holds control and authority over the network. This requires network users to place their trust in this entity to act responsibly. And let’s be honest: the companies that run the services we all rely on have done nothing to earn that trust.
Decentralized networks eliminate the need for trust altogether by ensuring that no single entity holds overall power. Security and privacy are improved by ensuring that even if some nodes are compromised, the overall network remains secure and operational. This model removes single points of failure, promoting a trustless environment in which system design and incentives maintain security and reliability without requiring users to trust a single entity.
This promise of the future goes beyond messaging apps. It is a key element of web3, a reimagining of the Internet, which envisions a decentralized, user-centric digital ecosystem. Web3 aims to dismantle centralized power structures that have enabled widespread surveillance and put power back in the hands of the people.
In this new paradigm, closer to the original vision of the Internet, individuals can own and manage their own data, deciding who is allowed to access it and for what purpose. Decentralized applications will replace traditional services, offering greater transparency and security. Smart contracts will automate transactions and enforce agreements without the need for intermediaries, reducing the risk of data breaches and unauthorized access.
I am confident that the Internet can become the bastion of freedom and privacy it was always intended to be, where users can interact without fear of being observed or exploited. Blockchain is not a panacea, but it is a crucial tool in the fight against online surveillance. By embracing decentralization, we can create a digital world that respects our fundamental rights and empowers people.
The fight against online surveillance is one of the crucial challenges of our time. As we navigate the complexities of the digital age, it is imperative that we prioritize privacy and take decisive action to protect our online freedoms. Decentralization offers a path forward, allowing us to build a more secure, private, and equitable Internet.
Kee Jefferys
Kee Jefferys is the CTO of Session, an encrypted messaging application that minimizes the collection of user metadata. Kee has been involved in numerous technology projects, specializing in decentralized networks and blockchain. He co-authored the Oxen whitepaper and the Session whitepaper and has acted as technical lead for both projects since 2018. Oxen is a proof-of-stake privacy coin featuring a unique two-node layer infrastructure capable of supporting private and decentralized applications. Kee is an active and engaged member of the privacy-preserving technology community and regularly attends conferences and meetups focused on protecting privacy, fighting for encryption, and ethical data.