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@ bartek
2024-08-26 14:03:02In the era of digitization and increasing control over digital communication, the need to create social applications and messengers based on a decentralized database and infrastructure is becoming ever more pressing. A key aspect of a decentralized structure is the absence of a single owner or leader who could become a target for repression. In traditional, centralized systems, it is precisely this central entity – a person, company, or server – that is most vulnerable to pressure, attacks, or legal actions. In a decentralized network, control is exercised by the entire community, making it virtually unstoppable because it's impossible to shut down thousands of nodes scattered around the world. Even if one link is eliminated, the rest of the network continues to function, and attempts at repression become ineffective.
An example that clearly illustrates the need for decentralization is the arrest of Pavel Durov, the creator of Telegram, in France. #Durov, by refusing to cooperate with governments through his refusal to create a backdoor for his application, became a target for the authorities, which ultimately led to his arrest. If Telegram operated fully on a decentralized structure, actions against one person would not affect the entire network.
Why Decentralization?
- Resistance to Censorship and Blockades: Applications based on decentralized protocols cannot be easily blocked by app stores. In the traditional model, when a central company managing an app becomes a target of legal or political attack, the entire service can be shut down. In a decentralized system, responsibility and control are distributed, significantly complicating such actions.
- Security and Privacy for Users: Decentralized applications can offer end-to-end encryption without the need to trust a single central entity, which could be forced to cooperate with authorities. Users have greater control over their data.
- Inability to Stop the Entire Network: If Telegram had a completely decentralized structure, the arrest of one person, even as key as Durov, would not significantly impact the app's operation. In a decentralized system, there is no single "head" or central server that can be shut down or taken over. The network operates through the cooperation of many nodes, meaning that arresting one person does not affect the whole community.
- Protocol Over Application: It's crucial for the communication protocol to be open and available for various applications. This approach fosters competition and innovation while preventing monopolization and control by single entities. If one app is blocked, users can switch to another using the same protocol without losing their network of contacts.
Summary: The arrest of Pavel Durov (@durov) serves as an alarm signal, indicating the urgent need for change in how communication apps are designed and managed. Decentralized systems can provide greater freedom of speech, privacy, and security, resisting censorship and government controls. We need an architecture that not only allows but encourages the existence of multiple interoperable applications, where the fall or blockade of one does not affect the entire ecosystem.
In subsequent posts, I will inform about current possibilities, protocols, and applications based on blockchain that already offer decentralized solutions and can serve as alternatives to traditional, centralized services.
Decentralization #Blockchain #DigitalFreedom #Privacy #Security #Censorship #Communication #NewTechnologies #FreedomOfSpeech #Web3 #OpenSource #FreeDurov #Libertarianism #FREESPEECH