Online censorship and surveillance will persist as long as local fiat currencies are the only way to pay for telecommunication services. The issue is an over-reliance on concentrated internet service providers (ISPs), which decide what communities receive internet access, how much to charge, and whether to hand over personal information to authorities upon request.

To be truly censorship resistant, internet publishers must be able to accept anonymous payments from their subscribers and advertisers. Global internet providers like Blockstream or Starlink will be subject to similar censorship from payment providers in every one of the jurisdictions they serve. They will also undoubtedly receive requests to reveal the identity of their customers from some jurisdictions, many without strong human rights protections. Having this information puts them at risk of being legally compelled to reveal it, accidentally leaking it or having it taken covertly.

Read the full article at Coin Desk

Related Post