Opinion by: Chris Jenkins, adviser to Pocket Network
Tim Berners-Lee’s vision of the World Wide Web is dead. Instead of an open and accessible global information system, the web is controlled by centralized global data conglomerates, which not only restrict free speech but also monetize your data as the price of entry. Web2 firms have built walled gardens characterized by significant information asymmetry between companies and users.
Blockchain-based decentralized technology challenges this status quo, offering a viable alternative to Web2’s closed-source infrastructure.
Such technology enables developers and engineers to create a censorship-resistant and accessible open-data web that champions free speech. Open-source technology heralds a paradigmatic shift towards a fair and inclusive internet where centralized web companies do not dictate the terms.
A Vision Deferred
In 1989, Berners-Lee’s invention forged a virtual space for collaboration, sharing, and learning from one another. The web’s initial iteration was built on openness, where anyone could contribute, access information, collaborate, and enjoy equal opportunities.
However, by 2025, the internet no longer embodies this freedom. Capital’s brute force has emboldened centralized companies to exert authoritarian control over data and information flows.
These companies have amassed their power and resources from unsuspecting users who unknowingly contributed to their capital accumulation strategies. Web2 companies surreptitiously harvest data from users without fair compensation, using it as a tool to control user behavior.
Corporations exploit user data to train opaque algorithms, curating information “discoverability” that ultimately shapes users’ beliefs and emotions. This is especially evident on centralized social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and X, where multiple scandals and pending litigations have eroded user trust.
For instance, in June 2024, Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, received 11 complaints from European Union members regarding the unauthorized use of personal data to train its AI models, violating EU privacy laws.
The Cambridge Analytica scandal further highlighted how companies manipulate data to influence political perspectives and election outcomes, constructing pre-determined narratives while subverting public engagement.
Under its Digital Markets Act, the European Commission initiated a noncompliance investigation into the practices of major players like Apple, Meta, Amazon, and Alphabet. Meta has also faced a $1.3 billion fine for failing to comply with privacy regulations.
In such an environment, “free speech” remains an elusive dream because the entire tech stack is becoming increasingly hostile towards accessibility and openness. To realize Berners-Lee’s original vision, applications must utilize a decentralized tech stack and be built on an open architecture.
Making the Internet Free Again
An application’s tech stack comprises its front and back ends, data storage, and Content Delivery Network (CDN). Traditional Web2 platforms rely on centralized tech stacks that jeopardize free speech, while many blockchain-powered applications utilize a censorship-resistant decentralized tech stack that offers enhanced uptime.
Some decentralized applications (DApps) construct their front end on a decentralized interface; however, most still operate on centralized data infrastructures, which can expose them to vulnerabilities.
Despite their censorship vulnerabilities and susceptibility to single points of failure, several decentralized applications often employ centralized cloud providers. Such weaknesses make these projects susceptible to the caprices of state actors.
Transitioning to open-source protocols for distributed data storage, such as InterPlanetary File System (IPFS) and Filecoin, upholds the principle of free speech in DApps. These protocols provide censorship-resistant, tamper-proof storage that remains accessible without arbitrary outages.
DApps frequently utilize centralized remote procedure call (RPC) providers to deliver data from back-end to front-end interfaces across various networks. Any outage or attack, such as the severe cyberattack on X, can result in downtime, inaccuracies, data gaps, and disconnections. The ramifications of inaccuracies in decentralized finance could translate to losses in the billions.
Decentralized protocols metamorphose data accessibility and transfer channels with independent node operators, distributing data queries across the network and eliminating single points of failure. This model not only ensures uninterrupted data availability but also upholds free speech rights, as no singular node can obstruct or hinder data flow, maintaining network accessibility even if multiple nodes go offline.
Content Delivery Networks, another critical component for servicing user requests, become susceptible to market pressures or political influences. Opaque decisions made behind closed doors dictate data flows in these networks, undermining information reliability.
Starting with the Basics
Decentralized protocols eliminate the necessity for centralized decision-making, allowing applications to directly access data without intermediaries. These permissionless protocols connect open-source data and service providers with users and applications, circumventing the issues associated with human interaction.
Blockchain-powered platforms lay the groundwork for a decentralized tech stack that promotes free speech and is not controlled by centralized Web2 companies. By utilizing permissionless protocols, we can create an open-source world that returns the internet to Berners-Lee’s vision of a globally accessible network.
Opinion by: Chris Jenkins, adviser to Pocket Network.
This article is for general information purposes and is not intended to be and should not be taken as legal or investment advice. The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed here are the author’s alone and do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Cointelegraph.
