Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter have all been blocked in Russia as the government bans extremist activists from using foreign social media platforms. For protestors, activists, and local civilians, these actions have created a significant barrier to communication with the outside world. They have also raised the question of how easy it would be for governments to target these apps. Citizens are forced to use the next-best still-active channels since they are unable to access these platforms.
However, Russian activists aren’t the only ones looking for alternatives. Think about Telegram. It is a cloud-based instant messaging application that has quickly become a platform to share war footage and other content that would otherwise be blocked on platforms such as Instagram or Twitter. Not to mention, even though these platforms are available to people now, there is no guarantee that the government won’t shut them down. In this case, users will be forced to rely on “homemade” alternatives developed locally.
Freedom or Control? This debate has been going on for a long time, and current world events are only one example of when these dichotomies exist head to head. Previously, this debate began with the internet’s provision of digital freedom, which has since been eroded by big tech’s use of metadata for profit-making opportunities and concerns about governments using the same data to spy on their citizens. Under today’s Web 2 foundation, privacy and freedom of speech will never be guaranteed.
The battle between freedom and control continues as the world discovers new ways to empower individual sovereignty. Movements will always have an easily targetable weakness, and protest activities will continue to face challenges as long as they rely on centralised social media platforms that can be shut down at any time. Naturally, this brings to mind the situation in Nigeria, where the government banned Twitter in order to protect its citizens from anti-government political activity. This action only stifled activities and limited citizens’ ability to communicate and organise freely.
A community-driven approach
Social movements are moving away from having a single leader, shifting power away from one person and distributing it among the people who make up the movement. Movements such as the Extinction Rebellion and Occupy Wall Street are examples of this decentralised approach.
Giving power back to the people is not a novel idea. With the advent of the internet and mobile devices, power has been transferred directly into the hands of the user. After all, anyone can instantly record, create, or disseminate information to millions of people. Power is effectively disseminated throughout the world, allowing even the smallest voice to make the greatest impact. As a result, rather than being “leaderless,” movements towards a decentralised structure empower new leaders in such a way that anyone can rally people together and take action on the most pressing issues in their community.
While the internet has proven to be the most effective means of disseminating information, its technological design is not without flaws. As a result, while technology will continue to be central to how activists operate and interact with the rest of the world, proper protocols and infrastructure are required to ensure that efforts are not stifled. Platforms for decentralised communication have proven to be the best option for activists and protestors to gather without fear of system shutdowns. Unfortunately, private messengers will need a strong decentralised ecosystem as their foundation for these services to be available.
Making privacy possible
Blockchain technology is seen to be playing a critical role in the decentralisation of communication. These solutions go beyond encryption to provide an additional layer of privacy. This technology, when properly implemented, can serve as a shield to protect the innocent and encourage efforts that benefit the greater good.
Oxen is an example of a platform that aims to build a private future for the internet by providing tools and services that allow users to leverage blockchain networks to achieve privacy in all aspects of their daily lives.
To realise this goal, Oxen released Session, a messaging app designed specifically for activists, protestors, and others in dangerous situations. Because these platforms are decentralised, malicious governments or authorities find it more difficult to block, censor, or spy on the content being exchanged.
In response to these efforts, Oxen’s chief technology officer, Kee Jefferys, says: “Session is purpose-built for activists. It’s a great messenger option for protestors and activities because it is secure, private, anonymous and decentralised. When you use Session, you can be sure that you can speak freely.”
Activists will be able to do their work peacefully and without interruption, thanks to Session. Session has already surpassed the one million download mark on Google Play, with over 300,000 monthly active users.
