Three Technologies That Are Immune to Censorship

In today’s world, where the internet and tech play big roles in the social, political, and economic spheres, censorship resistance is assuming critical importance.

This concept encompasses the ability of individuals or entities to communicate and access information freely, shielded from external interference by entities such as governments, corporations, or third-party intermediaries. In this article, you will discover 3 technologies that help you avoid censorship. Let’s begin with understanding how censorship was created.

Censorship Timeline

Censorship has deep historical roots, evident in the strict laws of the Roman Empire against “treacherous” or “immoral” books, Nazi Germany’s control of media to stifle dissent, and the Soviet Union’s rigorous censorship during the Stalinist era. China’s “Great Firewall” exemplifies its ongoing history of censorship. Currently, a subtle arms race between censors and those seeking to evade them is unfolding.

While many are familiar with China’s Great Firewall and North Korea’s digital isolation, recent developments in censorship in Russia, particularly related to the war on Ukraine and in Iran during the pro-democracy protests last fall, have added complexity to the landscape.

Besides, authoritarian regimes are sharing and replicating censorship tactics at an unprecedented pace, exacerbating the use of internet censorship as a political weapon globally, even within democracies. As society increasingly relies on digital tools and platforms, the consequences of online censorship become more severe.

Despite these problems, there’s a growing agreement worldwide that protecting internet access is tied to freedom of expression and is crucial for global democracy and human rights. As a wise, locked Twitter account put it: “If I cover my ears because I don’t want to hear from you, it’s not censorship. If I cover your mouth or someone else’s ears because people want to hear you, it’s censorship.”

So, what can regular people do to avoid censorship by authoritarian governments? The simple answer is there are many tools available to fight back. Developers are creating technologies like VPNs, traffic disguisers, and anonymity tools to outsmart censors. During internet crackdowns, it becomes a game of cat and mouse—censors block access, and others find ways around it. This game keeps going and sometimes gets more intense.

Top 3 Technologies that Avoid Censorship

Now, let’s examine three technologies that stand out for their significant scale in providing censorship resistance today.

1. Tor Project

The Tor Project, a US-based non-profit organization, is driven by a lofty mission: to advance human rights globally. Their core objective is to provide open-source, privacy-preserving software that enables individuals worldwide to browse the internet privately, safeguard themselves against surveillance, and circumvent online censorship.

The Tor Project caters to diverse users, ranging from activists and journalists to human rights defenders and marginalized communities. Notably, at-risk groups such as LGBTQIA+ individuals, those seeking access to reproductive and healthcare services, and other privacy advocates benefit from the privacy and security offered by Tor’s software.

Tor’s Tools: Tor Browser and .onion Sites

Tor’s most recognizable tool is the Tor Browser, a fortified version of Firefox designed for anti-fingerprinting protection. It ensures privacy by not retaining browsing history, isolating cookies, and connecting to the Tor network—a decentralized global network run by volunteers.

Additionally, Tor introduces .onion sites, which offer an extra layer of privacy by never leaving the Tor network, making them valuable for global news outlets, social media platforms, email services, and human rights organizations.

Contrary to common misconceptions, the Tor Browser is user-friendly and entirely legal. Tor Browser is free and open-source and available for download on multiple platforms, including Windows, MacOS, Linux, and Android. By promoting its usage, Tor aims to protect individuals within at-risk communities more effectively.

Tor’s Impacts in Restrictive Environments

The Tor Project has recently played a pivotal role in facilitating unrestricted internet access, notably in countries like Iran and Russia.

Russia, with the second-largest number of Tor users, faced attempts to block access during the onset of the Ukraine war. Tor’s community response involved the creation of new bridges—tools enabling users to bypass censorship. The Tor community established approximately 1,200 new bridges, doubling the network’s capacity.

Meanwhile, during the fall protests in Iran, Tor leveraged its experiences, offering rapid response support with localized user guides and customer support in Farsi and Arabic to facilitate Tor network access.

2. Bitcoin

Bitcoin’s significance extends beyond being a trendy investment; it plays a central role in the future of currency itself. Money, an entity that has evolved over millennia from cowrie shells to precious metals, bank notes, and digital balances, is taking a significant leap forward—it’s becoming digital.

Born in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, Bitcoin emerged in response to bank bailouts and a cycle of austerity. Over its decade-long existence, the technology has consistently upheld its foundational principles of censorship resistance and permissionless usage. Today, Bitcoin’s enduring value proposition is more evident than ever.

In an era where governments display increasing authoritarian tendencies, those who challenge authority face harsh consequences.

As a technology of dissent, Bitcoin offers alternative forms of resistance that are notably peaceful. It provides a global avenue for individuals to express opposition to their governments without directly confronting power. Instead, it fosters the creation of a new world, rendering the old system obsolete.

Governments are actively reducing cash in circulation, even in major developing economies like China and India. China aims to replace transactions with a central bank digital alternative, while India took high-denomination notes out of circulation. The global trend toward Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) reflects the changing landscape of traditional monetary systems.

Necessity Amidst the Demise of Cash

As the era of cash diminishes, a digital alternative becomes imperative for private, secure transactions between individuals. In the absence of cash in China, government disagreement could result in the disabling of access to credit, payments, and savings—a form of financial deplatforming.

Unsurprisingly, China has cracked down on Bitcoin to assert control over the financial landscape. However, several factors are poised to favor Bitcoin over time.

Firstly, it offers censorship resistance and freedom from financial repression. Secondly, it’s gaining prominence as the successor to gold in storing value. Surprisingly, many traditional financial players like PayPal and Visa are integrating Bitcoin into their systems. Large public companies are also adopting Bitcoin as an alternative asset. Moreover, the devoted Bitcoin community enhances its resilience.

Debates on Censorship Resistance

While there are mixed views on Bitcoin’s censorship resistance, proponents argue it is one of the network’s strongest advantages. This attribute, rooted in high decentralization, is deemed critical to the network’s overall health.

On the other hand, those advocating for stronger regulations in the crypto industry contend that some level of censorship might be necessary to combat illicit activities such as money laundering and the funding of illegal enterprises through blockchain channels.

The Essence of Censorship Resistance in Bitcoin

However, the cornerstone of any operational crypto project lies in its censorship resistance. Since its inception, this principle has been intrinsic to the crypto movement and is a primary catalyst.

Simply put, if a participant in Bitcoin or any other network adheres to the predetermined technical criteria for constructing a valid transaction, no external entity- whether law enforcement or nosy neighbors- should have the power to prevent it.

Web3’s essence revolves around the idea of banking the unbanked, providing open access to financial tools, and empowering individuals who might otherwise be marginalized. The objective is not to replicate the existing financial system, which has contributed to issues in the first place, with a new and sophisticated crypto layer that willingly embraces censorship due to its novelty.

Interestingly, censorship resistance has a historical precedence that predates blockchains, evolving as an inherent characteristic of computer networks. In 1993, John Gilmore, a co-founder of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, noted, “The Net interprets censorship as damage and routes around it.”

Despite skeptics dismissing cryptocurrency as a massive Ponzi scheme, ample anecdotal and empirical evidence supports the idea that Bitcoin, in particular, holds genuine value and utility. However, the primary reason Bitcoin is valuable and useful is because it maintains censorship resistance.

Privacy as a Complement to Censorship Resistance

Yet, censorship resistance alone is not sufficient without privacy considerations. While it is true that someone can send Bitcoin even when the government opposes the transaction, the essence of the Bitcoin network’s censorship resistance, if traceable, could lead to consequences. If the government can track the transaction’s origin and destination, it could take action against funds being received outside the Bitcoin network. Censorship resistance and privacy are imperative to safeguard individual freedom and privacy.

3. Nostr

Crypto enthusiasts thrive in the online realm, where Bitcoin maximalists convene, sometimes sparking disputes among themselves. However, the recent shift to a private Twitter has prompted advocates of digital currencies to recognize the significance of censorship-resistant social media platforms.

The issue of censorship, or the lack thereof, has long plagued social media users and providers alike. A notable example is the controversial series of account cancellations and reversals on Twitter, a once-favored platform for cryptocurrency enthusiasts and former President Donald Trump.

In January 2021, during Twitter’s tenure as a public company under Jack Dorsey’s leadership, Trump faced a permanent ban for tweets preceding the Capitol attack on January 6th. However, under Elon Musk’s ownership in November 2022, the ban was reversed, eliciting polarized reactions.

Beyond personal opinions about Trump, the inconsistent handling of his account status on Twitter became a rallying point for those advocating for a censorship-resistant alternative.

Moreover, Twitter’s controversial decision in December to ban accounts solely dedicated to promoting other social platforms and content containing links or usernames for specific platforms triggered additional concerns. Though Twitter later reversed this policy, the incident fueled a demand for a next-generation platform immune to cancellations.

Nostr: Pioneering Decentralized Social Media

Amidst the clamor for censorship-resistant alternatives, Nostr emerged as a decentralized, open-source relay network. Positioned as a facilitator for decentralized social media projects, Nostr embodies the aspirations of users seeking a platform where cancellations are non-existent, responding to the immediate need for a robust and unfettered social media space.

Since November 2020, the pseudonymous developer fiatjaf has been developing Nostr, an acronym representing “Notes and Other Stuff Transmitted by Relays.” In December of the following year, fiatjaf released Branle, the initial Nostr-powered Twitter attempt.

Today, the Nostr protocol’s visibility and popularity stem from the efforts of passionate developers crafting clients like Damus, Primal, Snort, and dozens of others. These developers are instrumental in exploring and expanding the capabilities of the Nostr protocol.

Nostr’s Unique Approach to Free Speech

Amidst frustrations with platforms like Twitter and its apparent selective control over “free speech,” various alternatives labeled as “Free Speech In Name Only” (FSINO) have emerged, including Donald Trump’s Truth Social and Rumble. However, these platforms remain centralized, raising concerns about true freedom.

Nostr stands out by promoting genuine free speech and user control. This distinction doesn’t arise from a specific political ideology or the label of a “free speech maximalist.”

Instead, it emanates from the protocol’s inherent openness, decentralization, and the ability for diverse communities, ideologies, and movements to thrive independently, just as the Cypherpunk movement intended.

But why not Mastodon? While Mastodon experienced a surge in user growth following Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter, the momentum was short-lived. Nostr, on the other hand, managed to gain substantial traction. So, what factors contributed to Nostr’s success when Mastodon faced challenges?

Mastodon’s federated model places data control in the hands of individual instance owners, potentially leading to arbitrary user bans. On the other hand, Nostr, with its simplicity rooted in “just JSON and WebSockets,” aims to solve censorship issues by making adoption as seamless as email or texting.

Growing Pains

Nostr, despite its promising trajectory, has encountered its fair share of growing pains. One notable challenge is the protocol’s public-key cryptography, leading to inadvertent user errors. When a user mistakenly shares their private key instead of the public key, the Nostr account intended for individual use can suddenly become a collective account.

The use of public-key cryptography in the Nostr protocol introduces complexities. Users possess a private key for exclusive use and a public key for interactions with others. However, missteps, such as sharing the private key, highlight the nuances of the technology.

Considering Nostr is still in its infancy, encountering such hiccups is within the realm of expectations. The protocol’s evolution and maturation processes can address and resolve these early challenges. Beyond user errors, one primary concern looms over Nostr: scaling.

Scaling poses a prominent concern for Nostr, as the network aims to onboard a global user base. The recent introduction of the Damus client to the Apple App Store, albeit with initial setbacks, signals the platform’s progression.

However, the swift ban of the Damus client in China, despite its short-lived presence, underscores the disruptive potential of Nostr in the realm of rampant censorship-hungry authoritarian entities.

Conclusion

In our digital age, the resilience and potency of censorship-resistance techs stand as harbingers of a liberated, interconnected future. Reflecting on the transformative impact of technologies like Tor, Bitcoin, and the emerging Nostr, a common thread weaves through—a commitment to emancipate information flow and preserve individual autonomy.

Besides, models like the “decentralized autonomous organization” (DAO) aim to hinder censorship significantly. Governed by code rather than individuals, a DAO’s design reflects the community’s collective will, making it challenging for any single entity to censor content without community consent. The DAO stands out as one of the most promising, signaling a potential shift towards decentralized structures that could render censorship increasingly difficult, if not impossible.

The rise in censorship by authoritarian entities threatens online free speech, but Web3’s empowerment of internet decentralization offers a means to counter this trend. While not a cure-all, decentralization provides a crucial avenue to push back against growing censorship by social media platforms, making Web3 a pivotal catalyst for censorship resistance.

Disclaimer

The information discussed by Altcoin Buzz is not financial advice. This is for educational, entertainment, and informational purposes only. Any information or strategies are thoughts and opinions relevant to the accepted risk tolerance levels of the writer/reviewers, and their risk tolerance may differ from yours.

We are not responsible for any losses that you may incur as a result of any investments directly or indirectly related to the information provided. Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are high-risk investments, so please do your due diligence.

Copyright Altcoin Buzz Pte Ltd.

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