Centralization Strikes Again - August 2021 Edition
“Software is just an idea that can do work outside of the human brain. Ideas are impossible to ban or effectively regulate.”—Naval Ravikant
Timeline
Aug 5 - Apple announces it will scan photos stored on iPhones and iCloud for child sexual abuse material (CSAM) using a system called neuralMatch, which in addition to relying on a database of ‘problematic media hashes’ that consumers cannot review, also allows central access to local storage. Source Source 2
Aug 6 - A ransomware attack on a Singapore eye clinic exposes the personal data of over 73,000 patients. Source
Aug 17 - The US government freezes ~$9.5 billion in assets in Afghanistan as it attempts to block the Taliban from seizing the country’s wealth. Source
Aug 17 - The Taliban seizes US military biometric devices, called HIIDE, containing sensitive biometric data in a large centralized database on cooperating Afghan peoples. Source
Aug 17 - T-Mobile reveals more than 100 million records on 50 million people, from names to DOBs to social security numbers, have been leaked in a cyberattack on its systems. Source Source 2
Aug 19 - In an opinion piece on WaPo, two academics blasted back at Apple’s CSAM tracking technology. They had previously wrote the only peer-reviewed publication on how to design a system like Apple’s CSAM tracking technology, which they then warned against implementing. They cite the system as too easily repurposed for surveillance and censorship, creates many false-positives, and can be gamed by malicious users. Source
Aug 19 - In a “KFC prohibits chicken” moment, OnlyFans announces it will bar sexually explicit content from its platform starting in October due to mounting pressure from banks and payment providers. Source
Aug 20 - Binance announces mandatory KYC for all services, citing compliance with KYC/AML regulations. Source
Aug 23 - In order to gather evidence on a criminal that stole over 620,000 private photos and videos, the FBI built a clear picture of the aforementioned by obtaining a vast trove of records from Dropbox, Google, Apple, Facebook, and Charter Communications. Source
Aug 23 - Reddit users begin reporting that Twitter now requires credentials in order to view some tweets, which was previously not a requirement. Source
Aug 24 - Cybersecurity firm UpGuard reveals over 38 million private records from corporations and government agencies building on Microsoft software have been exposed publicly for months due to a misconfigured setting. Microsoft had originally dismissed a warning from UpGuard in June as “behaviour by design”. Source Source 2
Aug 27 - One of China’s most popular movie stars, Zhao Wei, becomes the latest target of internet censorship by the Beijing government. Zhao Wei’s name, movies, and other associated works have been scrubbed from Chinese video streaming services and social media platforms. Source
Aug 30 - The SEC brings penalties and sanctions on several US brokerage firms over data breaches that failed to protect the personal information of customers. Source
Op-Ed
The Pitfalls of Centralized Search Engines
In the crypto industry, we spend a lot of time thinking about problems with central banking and how we can build a future outside of traditional finance. But what about the problems with everything else we rely on that’s fully centralized?
It’s a broad topic, but I want to zero in on something we use every day. Something that’s so common, you probably don’t even think about it: Search.
As the undisputed search engine leader, Google accounts for 92% of global market share. It processes an estimated 63,000 search queries every second, translating to 5.6 billion searches per day and about 2 trillion searches every year. The average person Googles something 3-4 times per day, yet we rarely stop to think about the implications of centralized search.
There are two main issues here: centralized search mishandles your privacy, and it manipulates results. Let’s dive into these concerns, and examine the emergence of a better alternative in the form of private, decentralized, community-driven search.
Google’s Privacy Problem
Several lawsuits point to problems with how Google handles consumer privacy. Last year, Google faced a multi-billion dollar lawsuit for “invading the privacy of millions of users by pervasively tracking their internet use through browsers set in ‘private’ mode.” It’s also been accused of illegally recording and disseminating people’s private conversations after they accidentally trigger its Voice Assistant on their phones.
In an attempt to salvage its reputation, Google recently introduced initiatives including its Privacy Sandbox and FLoC, which uses an algorithm to replace third-party cookies. But instead of being met with applause, experts say FLoC could lead to predatory and discriminatory advertising based on the way it groups people with similar browsing habits. Many tech companies have gone as far as pledging to block the FLoC API.
Try as Google may to portray itself as caring about privacy, that’s not the case. The fact is that any centralized service making money off user data can’t really protect your privacy.
Search Results: What You See is What You Get
A second major pitfall of centralized search is that companies can control the results you see. Google’s been accused of manipulating search results to boost big businesses and hide controversial subjects. An investigation in 2019 found that Google removed autocomplete for sensitive topics like immigration and abortion, and fully blocked some websites.
While this may not seem too harmful initially, Google’s market share is so big that it’s challenging to think about how one company can control the flow of information. Google’s algorithms are kept under lock and key, and this lack of transparency should be cause for concern.
It’s Time to Decentralize Search
Several companies like DuckDuckGo, Brave, and Neeva have come along hoping to threaten Google’s dominance by offering a private alternative. While this is admirable, they’re all still centralized, meaning for the most part we have to blindly trust that they have our best interests at heart.
Decentralized search offers a better way forward. With advances in blockchain technology, a search engine can be powered by node operators all over the world instead of one company. It can also provide results aggregated from multiple sources, so you don’t have to rely on Google as a single beacon of truth.
If you’re interested in decentralizing your search, I invite you to check out Presearch. Built on the ethos of community and transparency, we’ve developed a search engine with 2.2+ million registered users and more node operators than the entire Ethereum network. Our daily searches have increased by 80% since January 2021, and we’re now one of the top 10 most-trafficked blockchain sites on the web.
It’s time to take a closer look at the implications of centralized search engines like Google, and realize there’s a better alternative. It’s not just finance that should be decentralized - it’s everything.
Thank you to Alex Carrabre (Presearch) for their contribution to this month’s edition of our newsletter.
If you would like to contribute to the Op-Ed in next month's edition of Centralization Strikes Again, then please email tim.ho@chainsafe.io, DM twitter.com/haochizzle, or leave a comment 👇. We would love to hear your thoughts on how we can leverage decentralized technologies as a solution to the many problems centralized systems present for humanity!
Shill time
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