Blockchain as tech is a big story and offers a big picture that is often overlooked by most media. But now, facing an unprecedented wave of Big Tech censorship, it might be time to seriously consider not only the future of social media, but also the application of blockchain as more than the “little” protocol churning away in the background of digital currencies like Bitcoin.
After all, where does the free (speech) world go from here? And what do cryptocurrencies and free speech have in common? Protected decentralization, and protected individual liberties is a good place to start, many argue.
Following the shocking level of Big Tech censorship – seen as a purge- in the wake of the Capitol Hill incidents, the likes of Twitter, Google, Apple, Amazon and Facebook, working hand in hand with mainstream media to diminish the corruption of Big Tech.
In reality, the censorship is a complicated osmosis – it's Big Tech, corrupt media, and political power centers' ultimate weapon.
Either way, the quest now for those who disagree with this state of affairs must be to find a truly viable alternative – one that cannot be “killed” thanks to its centralized host or payment service.
Enter blockchain as the backend that would give people a familiar user interface, while ensuring “censorship-resistant and immutable” action under the hood.
There are a variety of these even as we speak, built on blockchains like Ethereum and Bitcoin Cash. In addition, Lbry's use of blockchain technology allows it to provide not only a platform for users to publish material but to monetize it.
Among these apps are Voice, Memo.cash, Peepeth, Member.cash, Socialx, Sapien, Lbry, Dtube, All.me, Minds, etc. and user-interaction wise, they look to provide alternatives to different types of old-time social networks: some are closer to the way Twitter works, while others are more Reddit or YouTube-like.
The tech, and the apps, in other words, are there; now they need to see wide adoption in order to save people's freedoms, and our democracies.
