From Cointelegraph

May 2, 2025 11:00 am:

The World Wide Web has shifted from Tim Berners-Lee’s vision of openness to centralized control by global data conglomerates, restricting free speech and monetizing user data. Blockchain technology challenges this status quo, offering a decentralized alternative for a fair and inclusive internet. Web2 companies exploit user data without fair compensation, shaping beliefs and behavior.

Centralized tech giants like Meta manipulate user data and control information flows to shape political perspectives and market behavior. European Union complaints against Meta for AI model training without consent highlight privacy violations. The Digital Markets Act investigates Apple, Meta, Amazon, and Alphabet for noncompliance, with Meta facing a $1.3 billion fine.

Decentralized applications (DApps) using a decentralized tech stack offer a censorship-resistant alternative to Web2 platforms. Despite some vulnerabilities, DApps leveraging open-source protocols for data storage like IPFS and Filecoin ensure tamper-proof and accessible storage. Independent node operators in decentralized protocols prevent single points of failure, safeguarding free speech rights.

Decentralized protocols eliminate the need for centralized decision-making, connecting users directly with open-source data providers. Blockchain-powered platforms create a decentralized tech stack that upholds free speech and challenges the control of centralized Web2 companies. These permissionless protocols align with Berners-Lee’s vision of a global and accessible internet, returning power to users.

Read more at CoinTelegraph: Free speech is at risk without decentralized, open-source technology