At the last Surfin’ Bitcoin event, Julien Guitton, CEO of Condensat Technologies, spoke to promote the ideology behind the Cypherpunks movement. In his speech, he stressed the importance of respecting privacy and the need to have good digital hygiene.
Cypherpunks, a fight for freedom
According to Julien Guitton, the Internet has certainly revolutionized the way the world interacts, but it has also created many flaws. Especially in matters of privacy. In concrete terms, giants such as Google and Amazon have taken control of Internet users’ data and have been exploiting it for a long time at will and in their own interests. Moreover, the centralization that surrounds this network has opened the door to censorship by the public authorities. Which constitutes an obstacle to freedom of expression.
Fortunately, the Cypherpunks, a group of crypto-anarchists, have been able to formalize this reflection and offer resources to guard against this intrusion. This led to the creation of Bitcoin and, more generally, blockchain networks. Which were born precisely to prevent the abuses generated by the emergence of the Internet.
Crypto and respect for privacy
The expert is convinced that the protection of privacy should be at the heart of political debates at least as much as other social issues (retirement age, etc.). For him, confidentiality is a path of reconquest towards freedom. That said, it requires to exercise discernment and maintain a certain hygiene in the digital world.
To better understand this, Mr. Guitton recommends 3 readings that, according to him, frame the intellectual dynamics of the Cypherpunk movement :
- “The Crypto Anarchist Manifesto” from Timothy May (1992): Overall, this document is a preface to crypto-anarchy. It announces the creation of a decentralized system allowing anonymous transactions. The author also predicts that the state will oppose this and try to monitor the exchanges under the pretext of national security and crime suppression.
- “A Cypherpunk’s Manifesto” by Eric Hughes (1993): This text deals with the place of privacy at a time when the Internet hosts all of our personal data. For the author, the right to privacy also translates into control over what we reveal about ourselves to others. That being the case, it is up to us to act intelligently so that governments and companies do not violate it.
- “A Cyberspace Independence Declaration” by John Perry Barlow (1996): This manifest calls into question the legitimacy of any intervention by the state in online communications. This is a demand for freedom of expression in cyberspace.
Pay attention to your digital hygiene
Julien Guitton believes that it is essential to generalize the practice of digital hygiene. In this case, we must encourage people to clean up their activities on the Internet. For the expert, stopping using the products promoted by GAFAM is 3/4 of the way to go.
In addition, it is necessary to consider turning to solutions designed with anonymization in mind. In this vein, let’s mention, for example, the NYM infrastructure network or the TOR browser. Moreover, we must be aware that contrary to what we want to believe, the cryptosphere is a safe space. Its sole objective is to contribute to a healthier living environment.
To conclude, the speaker invited us to be ” toxic« . The idea is to be able to claim your freedom and to be able to take a critical look at what exists. The objective is to be heard.
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I came to blockchain out of curiosity and I stayed there out of passion. I was amazed by the possibilities it offers through its various use cases. With my pen, I hope to help democratize this technology and show how it can help make the world a better place.
