While censorship resistance and privacy are not the same thing, they are closely intertwined. When the government or another entity, such as an advertiser, can track everything you do, they can also sanction you for bad behavior.
Instead of working backward to try and cover up seismic cracks in Web2 with duct tape, it may be time to move full speed ahead on ensuring these same mistakes don’t happen in Web3. By being proactive, the purported internet of the future could actually protect our private information and prevent overzealous or oppressive censorship before these issues become unmanageable.
Using crypto to deliver the message
In countries fighting for human rights and civil liberties, suppressing free speech and outward communication complicates the struggle against oppressive regimes. This is where the encryption and transparency of blockchain technology can prove to be useful in protecting sensitive information. Web3-based email extensions (such as ShelterZoom’s Document GPS) and file-sharing services (such as the InterPlanetary File System) have the potential to help activists and citizens in human rights hotbeds circumvent censorship and unwarranted surveillance.
By placing documents on a ledger, the sender can control all aspects of visibility and permissions while simultaneously having access to a time-stamped log of every action taken with the file. Think of it like DocuSign or Google Docs on steroids.
Related: Nodes are going to dethrone tech giants — from Apple to Google
In a regime with stringent practices on surveillance and censorship, it’s easy to see how these blockchain-based tools are invaluable. But these kinds of solutions also use blockchain to address crypto’s censorship blind spots. It’s a common misconception that crypto is inherently private when the opposite is actually true, as transactions are stored on an open and transparent distributed ledger. This is why they are traceable in an even more effective fashion than…
