Centralized social media platforms have proven to be an easily identifiable weakness in activist movements.
The Russian government has banned “extremist activists” from using international social media sites such as Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. These activities have created a considerable barrier to communication with the outside world for protestors, activists, and local people.
Furthermore, they have raised the question of how easy it is for state agencies to target these apps. Citizens who are unable to access these platforms have no choice except to seek refuge on the next best, still operational platforms.
Alternatives have been adopted by activists from all around the world. Consider Telegram, a cloud-based instant messaging application that has swiftly grown in popularity as a venue to share battle footage and other content that would otherwise be blocked on platforms like Instagram or Twitter.
Not to mention the fact that even these platforms, which are now available to citizens, are not guaranteed to be free of government restrictions. Users will have no choice but to turn to “homemade” solutions developed locally in this situation.
The fight between freedom and control isn’t new, and current international events are just one example of when these opposing viewpoints collide.
Previously, this conversation started with the internet’s provision of digital freedom, but it has since been replaced with concerns about big tech utilizing metadata for profit-making opportunities and governments using the same data to monitor their people. As a result, under today’s Web 2 foundation, privacy and freedom of speech will never be guaranteed.
Taking a community-driven approach
As the world develops new techniques to enhance individual sovereignty, the conflict between freedom and control continues. As a result, as long as movements rely on centralized social media platforms that may be taken down at any time, they will always have a targetable weakness, and protest operations will continue to face obstacles.
Naturally, this brings to mind the situation in Nigeria, where the government blocked Twitter in order to protect its citizens from anti-government political activity. This measure effectively suppressed activity and limited residents’ ability to freely speak and organize.
As a result, social movements are moving away from having a single leader, distributing power among the movement’s members rather than a single person. Movements like the Extinction Rebellion and Occupy Wall Street are examples of this decentralized method.
The concept of returning power to the people is not new. With the arrival of the internet and mobile devices, users have more power than ever before.
After all, anyone may instantly record, create, and disseminate knowledge to millions of others. Power is effectively spread over the world, allowing even the smallest citizen to have the greatest impact. As a result, rather of being “leaderless,” movements toward a decentralized structure are empowering new leaders in a way that allows anyone to pull people together and take action on their community’s most important issues.
Making privacy possible
While the internet has proven to be the most effective means of disseminating information, its technological architecture isn’t without flaws. While technology will always be at the heart of how activists work and interact with the rest of the world, adequate standards and infrastructure are essential to guarantee that efforts are not hampered.
As a result, decentralized communication systems have proven to be the best option for activists and protestors to get together without worry of system failure. Unfortunately, private messengers require a strong decentralized environment as their foundation to make these services possible.
Blockchain technology is seen as having a crucial role in the decentralization of communication as a starting point for messaging services. These technologies effectively go beyond encryption to provide an additional layer of privacy. When properly configured, this technology can safeguard the innocent and stimulate actions that benefit the larger good.
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