Internet future: Decentralize now!
The Internet is still defined as the network of networks, without a single nerve center, linking millions of computers using the TCP-IP protocol. While this definition still holds true, as the Internet has become more and more commercialized, the tools it offers have become increasingly centralized, creating technological giants that increasingly merge with the Internet itself, with inordinate powers and gargantuan appetites. The most eloquent example to date is that of Elon Mush, who bought Twitter for 44 billion US dollars, the first brick in his dream of creating The One Application that does essentially everything, all by itself and without any interaction with the rest of the applications. Controlled by one person!
As power equals money, governments – led by Australia and Canada – are now looking to acquire a slice of the pie, while other governments are increasingly resorting to this new form of digital authoritarianism: nationwide partial or total service cuts, or the creation of walls – the Splinternet – isolating their populations from the global Internet.
But when it comes to managing services or sharing revenues with GAFAMs, governments are no match for them. In Canada, the odds are increasingly in favor of Google and Meta winning the conflict created by the adoption of C18, which the two giants could well win, sitting pretty, by not initiating any negotiations. In the end, Canadian media risk losing the $200 million in revenues from the pre-C18 agreements to potential sums barely higher (we’re talking about $230 million), which will no doubt be centralized around a few major media groups. In the end, it’s the thousands of community, specialized, independent and alternative media that will lose the visibility essential to their very survival. I’m among those who have already predicted that the Canadian government will have no choice but to back down on C18.
The growing decentralized web
In parallel, bolstered by the advent of crypto-currencies, the now decentralized WEB3 based on blockchain technology is growing steadily. Built to eliminate the influence of individuals, web3 is not based on the collection of personal data. With decentralization, these remain the property of users.
With this approach, we’re seeing a number of communities developing and maintaining technologies and spaces managed on more human scales (for example, Mastodon, one of the best-known decentralized social networks). We’ve also recently seen how decentralized and federated technologies can maintain service to the greatest number, even in crisis situations such as the Ukraine. New instances and technologies are now making it possible to bypass Internet blockages fuelled by political or financial decisions.
Responding to major Internet challenges…
Decentralized technologies are playing an increasingly important role in the development of the Internet. They seek to solve some of the challenges and problems facing the traditional Internet architecture. :
Decentralized technologies, such as blockchain and peer-to-peer networks, offer solutions to give users back greater control over their personal data, by enabling them to store, share and manage their information without having to go through centralized trusted third parties.
Decentralized technologies enable the creation of platforms and networks where censorship is more difficult to implement, as there is no central authority for governments to turn to for control. This promotes freedom of expression and enables users to share information without fear of repression.
Decentralized architecture can improve Internet security and resilience. Rather than relying on central servers vulnerable to attack, decentralized networks distribute data and processing across many nodes, making it more difficult for attackers to disrupt the entire network.
Decentralized technologies enable new companies and open source projects to compete on an equal footing with large technology companies with monopolistic powers, eliminating barriers to entry and fostering innovation.
… and to the development of decentralized tools themselves.
But we’re not yet at the end of the decentralization road, and there are still major challenges ahead. Interoperability – the harmonious interconnection – between different decentralized technologies is essential to create a coherent and efficient ecosystem, but this compatibility is still a long way off.
And finally, mainstream adoption is the main challenge. For decentralized technologies to have a significant impact, they need to be accessible and user-friendly for the general public. User experience, ease of use and education are key factors in encouraging widespread adoption, not to mention the fact that success at scale can in turn lead to scalability issues when new technology is required to manage a large number of transactions or participants.
For a more open, transparent and equitable Internet
The current challenges of the decentralized Internet are real, but surmountable. As a bonus, decentralized technologies offer potential solutions to the problems of data control, censorship, security, innovation and competition on the Internet. They protect users’ personal data. They can, for example, protect a media outlet from external financial or political decisions that would undermine its right to exist on the Internet. It’s high time, rather than getting involved in endless battles with GAFAM, that real incentives were put forward to encourage the development of decentralized technologies, particularly for the benefit of Canadian media and Internet users.
