When tech aids free speech

The battle for Freedom of Expression (FoE) on the Net is like an arms race. FoE advocates develop harder-to-censor technology, and pro-censorship lobbies develop new ways to censor and pro-FoE advocates then respond with newer ways to sidestep censorship again.

FoE is now a precious commodity, given the large number of authoritarian governments using all their resources to block content they dislike. “Web 3.0” will be partly driven by the battle for FoE. One way to create a censor-resistant Web 3.0 could be via blockchain adaptations. This may radically alter internet architecture.

Using blockchains as anti-censorship tools may seem odd but consider