Let's say ten, fifteen, twenty years from now... What do you think the state of online privacy will look like?

Do you think it'll be easier for individuals like yourself to use private networks like I2P and Tor? Do you think we'll see more big government restrictions on encryption under the guise of child safety or anti-terrorism? Do you think that your normal, average, everyday people will willfully comply with additional hurdles and obstacles to use public services if required to submit detailed personally identifying information? (Ex: Uploading ID, facescans, etc to use services like Facebook, Reddit, etc)

My predictions:

Governments will continue to chip away at individual privacy and incentivize companies to collect KYC data in areas that'd normally never of had such requirements, while punishing strictly companies and services that do not comply. For example, any platform that allows user generated content like Facebook, Twitter, web forums, hosting providers, YouTube, etc be required to collect and store IDs and other personal info about users. We're already seeing this to a degree on platforms like YouTube where some people have been requested to upload ID to prove they're over 18.
The general populace, at large, will comply. These inconveniences will occur slowly, over time. Big changes don't happen at once usually, they occur over a generation. Look at the incredible lack of privacy awareness that the youth and young adults of today have. They'll share everything online, agree to any TOS, and are quite content with the, "I don't need privacy because I have nothing to hide" mentality. New TikTok challenge: Share your SSN and ID while twerking in a Starbucks.
OR there will be a big change being pushed in a short amount of time. We saw this with personal liberties right after 9/11. Agencies like the TSA were created who are at best are only effective at being an inconvenience to travelers. The laws and regulations that came after were packaged and sold as 'national security'. For something like this to happen, there would have to a large scale cyber event that could be considered the digital world's "9/11", so to speak. I'd say this is actually more likely to occur than not, whether a legitimate event or just one orchestrated by one or two large allied nations like the US and Israel, for example.
Large population centers and cities may have underground meshnets that aren't directly internet facing. This is actually something interesting that I'd like to see and could be used for more regionalized conversation and discussion.

Honestly, I don't have a bright outlook for the future of the internet when it comes to privacy and individual rights.

What do you think?

Comments

You must log in or register to comment.

righttoprivacy wrote on July 21, 2023 at 5:32 PM (edited on July 21, 2023 at 6:30 PM)

Without collective action by people, I see current trajectory, continuing.

One of continual x, y emergencies (par for the course) used to strip our rights / freedom online / offline.

For example, Klaus Schwab of the World Economic Forum states: "we need to make a vaccine for the internet". That is something that stuck with me. I have to wonder, what is an "internet vaccine"? Can only imagine the wish is to "clean" (control) the internet, information, and visibility (amplify / deamplification) using AI, digitalID, worldwide. DigitalID will be introduced as a way to increase reputation / visibility. It's not a pretty picture.

We can clearly see innovation is no longer by chance, but instead being financed. Every trend has been by design.

Corporations continuing to make invasive increments in entertainment, "fun" (ie: media, ring doorbell cam TV show, etc - "building / funding our own mass surveillance for plutocracies is fun!").

I see people going 1 of 2 directions: on one hand, we have people who continue to integrate their reality into the newest invasive dopamine hit releasing tech / social products. That group will eventually have all behavior, speech, and lives fully automated by AI (as integration becomes ever more tailored to / in the individual). They will eventually lose what it means to be human (side effect of this tech + loss of privacy / behavior autonomy on long enough time period IMO). All speech / behavior will be policed in a privatized way much like we are seeing today. An increase in the same.

I see another group who for one reason or another choose to enhance private spaces (remaining human). Whether out of curiosity, instinct, or from learning the hard way by having their lives ruined in one way or another by dark corporate profit interests. And it will involve tech on the path of I2P, where all users pitch in resources to pool stronger anonymity be it network, radio or processing.

I forsee many companies willing to engage more of the darkside of AI to find new profit avenues (behind the scenes, and if powerful enough, out in open), to gain power / influence. From deeper / more malicious "reputation" based businesses of various kinds, to products designed to actively manipulate the former humans in the above group using their data. Possibly even businesses catering to manipulate individuals, for other individuals. A more mainstream service of sorts (in comparison to today).

AI will become the modern day "ministry of truth" (1984).

Most don't change until they feel pain. 🧐

Also why it's important to both embrace and create alternatives to the mainstream, like I2P, and alternative networks / mesh.

I do see real hope in that type of thing growing as people better understand threats in the landscape.

not_bob wrote on July 21, 2023 at 6:50 PM

My expectation is rather bleak. People already willing give up so much personal data without a second thought.

You and RTP have put this into words far better than I could. Thank you.

noptic wrote on July 23, 2023 at 8:50 AM

I see more services making I2P mirrors available so people can use the services privately. This will result in some people running I2P only services, then eventually a large portion of the internet will be usable on I2P.

I am making this comment while on I2P, if more services had I2P mirrors I would use them instead of clear net.

not_bob wrote on July 25, 2023 at 6:28 AM

As you can see from my list, there are a very large number of clearnet mirrors on I2P. I thank the various people who make this possible.

noptic wrote on July 26, 2023 at 11:54 AM

Your site is one of the first I stumbled upon while first exploring I2P, it is an amazing resource. I check the new listings often to see if anything exciting is available. Thanks for hosting this.

not_bob wrote on July 26, 2023 at 1:36 PM

Thank you. I feel that it's very important to help out the community in ways that I can.

Have you been following my blog? That's also a good resource with articles going back a couple years.

noptic wrote on July 27, 2023 at 12:30 AM

No, I have not, I will check it out, thanks!

takeheart wrote on November 20, 2023 at 7:12 PM

Honestly, I see no future for online privacy. No future for online at all. No future for technology since it's becoming outright malicious. No future for civilization. There will be few decades of rapid collapse, then many centuries of slow decay dark ages. Humankind will suffer greatly for this monstrosity they have created. Degenerated racemixed genetically maimed half-human that remain will envy those who have perished, for AI implementations will suck them dry until last drop of bodily fluids, then clone and repeat again and again until the whole machine becomes inoperable.