As the pioneer adopters of blockchain, we have a responsibility to bring the message and fight with tech giants, which are our natural enemies.
For those of you in the blockchain or cryptos, the chances are that you appreciate the pros of decentralization. You are the initial users of the first generation of technology that is poised to define the future of the internet. It is the front row in Web3 use.
The Origin of the Internet and Risks of Centralization
The use of the internet and control has always been centralized. In the early days of the US Department of Defense, the experts believed they had to work with different computers in case a terrorist struck the main node. Then, the Internet Engineering Task Force, which facilitated the creation of internet protocols, worked extra hard to prevent private companies from controlling the internet. So, what is happening today?
Centralized app nodes are under the control of the globe’s richest organizations that gather and store private data. These private companies are in full control over the user experience and can easily manipulate the behavior of clients. When looked at from the reliability point of view, millions of people go without the means of communication when a node is down. Good examples were the recent incidents when Instagram, Facebook, and Messenger went down in October 2021.
Authoritarian administrations, as happened in Ukraine recently, can easily penetrate and start reviewing citizens’ behavior. Systems that are truly horrific can only be possible because of centralization.
The tech giants are also not reliable with data. For example, Beijing, Moscow, and Istanbul are able to easily get information from the tech giants, undermining democracy.
It is time to Take Our Power Back
You should not be surprised that tech giants have become the number one protagonist of decentralization. Simply put, centralization for these tech giants is considered the natural instinct for self-preservation. Before blockchain came knocking, centralization was considered the path of simplicity and convenience.
If you look back at the Middle Ages, a disturbed model of vassal lords implied that monarchy did not have control, and money was getting lost. It is the same scenario replaying with tech behemoths. This is why attention-grabbing algorithms, such as political manipulation based on psychometric analysis, have become very common. It is there for all to see: centralization comes with serious consequences.
Blockchain has a practical solution. From streaming to searching the internet, blockchain is way fairer because of transparency. This does not imply that data has to be less private.
In 2008, Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. crashed at the onset of the recession of 2008-2009. This incident marked the death sentence for financial institutions, irrespective of the pain it came with. In 2009, Satoshi Nakamoto released the white paper for Bitcoin, ushering in the blueprint for the modern peer-to-peer currency.
Bitcoin, blockchain, and cryptocurrencies bring out fear and pain to those who cherish centralization. But it is up to us, developers, privacy lovers, cryptographers, activists, and converts, to march ahead with decentralization and democracy.
