Blockchain can free us from the nightmares of online surveillance

Disclosure: The views and opinions expressed here are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views and opinions of crypto.news editorial.

Nowadays, the internet has become our second home. It’s where we communicate, work, shop and socialize. But a disturbing truth lurks beneath the surface: we are being watched. Online surveillance has become an unprecedented force that invades our privacy and penetrates every aspect of our lives. I believe blockchain technology is the key to restoring our digital freedom.

Online surveillance is nothing new. In the early 2000s, with the emergence of social media and exponential growth in internet usage, governments and companies saw the internet as a data gold mine. Almost every online service, from social media platforms to search engines, has begun collecting whatever information they can get their hands on. No one was asked if they wanted to share their personal lives with Google, and no one said Amazon would know everything about them.

For many people, 2013, when Edward Snowden exposed government surveillance programs that allowed the US Government to essentially spy on its own citizens, was probably the year they first thought about the concept of online surveillance. This was an earth-shattering development in terms of public awareness, but the sad truth is that it did little to slow the degradation of online freedom. Today, the surveillance landscape is more complex and pervasive than ever before, with advances in artificial intelligence and big data analytics enabling unprecedented levels of monitoring.

A large part of almost every internet company’s business model has come to rely on data collection and targeted advertising. By collecting detailed information about users’ behavior, preferences, and interactions, these companies can create highly personalized advertising experiences and increase their profits at the expense of user privacy. At least they don’t ask unless they have to, they just take what they want and use it in the way that makes them the most money.

Governments, on the other hand, justify surveillance under the guise of national security and crime prevention. Clearly, protecting citizens is a legitimate concern; There is a delicate balance between security and privacy, and this balance has tipped dangerously towards the former. Laws such as the United States Patriot Act and, more recently, the United Kingdom’s Online Safety Act have given governments broad powers to monitor online activity with little regard for oversight or transparency.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t end there; The technological infrastructure of the Internet has structural limitations that facilitate surveillance. Central servers that store large amounts of user data are prime targets for anyone looking to access and use personal information. Think about the many data breaches you hear about in the news. According to the Identity Theft Resource Center, there were 3,205 data breaches last year alone, potentially affecting more than 350 million users.

In this context, blockchain technology appears as a ray of hope. On the surface, this may seem counterintuitive. An immutable public ledger kind of goes against the idea of ​​privacy, right? But this is where blockchain shines 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 preserving privacy is particularly evident in the field of messaging apps. Traditional messaging platforms often rely on centralized servers to store and transmit messages, making them vulnerable to hacking, data breaches, and government surveillance.

On the other hand, we have web3 applications like Session, which leverage blockchain to combat decentralized surveillance. Community-run networks of nodes handle all message routing and storage, and are rewarded for this with network-specific cryptocurrency.

Trust is a bit of a dirty word in privacy. Centralized networks operate on a trust model where a single entity has control and authority over the network. This requires network users to trust this entity to act responsibly. And let’s be honest: The companies that run the services we all trust have done nothing to earn that trust.

Decentralized networks completely eliminate the need for trust by ensuring that no single entity has overarching power. Security and privacy are increased by ensuring that the overall network remains secure and operational even if some nodes are compromised. By eliminating single points of failure, this model fosters a trustless environment where system design and incentives ensure security and reliability without users having to trust a single entity.

This promise extends beyond messaging apps. It is a key element of web3, a reimagining of the internet that envisions a decentralized, user-centered digital ecosystem. Web3 aims to dismantle the centralized power structures that enable widespread surveillance and put power back into the hands of the people.

In this new paradigm, closer to the original vision of the Internet, individuals can own and manage their data by deciding who can access it and for what purposes. Decentralized applications will replace traditional services and offer greater transparency and security. Smart contracts will automate transactions and enforce agreements without the need for intermediaries, thus reducing the risk of data breaches and unauthorized access.

I am confident that the internet can become, as it always was, the bastion of freedom and privacy where users can interact without fear of being monitored or exploited. While blockchain is not a panacea, 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 individuals.

The fight against online surveillance is one of the defining challenges of our age. 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 provides a path forward, enabling us to create a more secure, private and equitable internet.

Kee Jefferys

Kee Jefferys is the CTO of Session, an encrypted messaging app that minimizes the collection of user metadata. Kee has been involved in numerous technological projects specializing in decentralized networking and blockchain. She is the co-author of the oxen whitepaper as well as the Session whitepaper and has served as technical lead on both projects since 2018. Oxen is a proof-of-stake privacy coin with a unique layered two-node infrastructure that can support private and private networks. decentralized applications. Kee is an active and engaged member of the privacy-preserving technology community; She regularly attends conferences and meetups centered around privacy protection, the fight against encryption, and ethical data.