For many of us, abuse of our personal online data is similar to living with faulty pipes but choosing not to replace them. We know they need replacing but until they burst and flood the basement, it’s easy to ignore. Likewise, discourse around data protection and digital privacy is often ignored as it can be an uncomfortable topic – even as data breaches continue to pose serious threats to organizations and individuals.
Despite data privacy discussions missing from many mainstream forums, research from Pew and Enzuzo shows that concerns over government use of personal data and data privacy in general have increased in recent years.
Big Tech has been able to negate these concerns, encouraging us to undermine our personal privacy and safety by developing algorithms that make us hyper-dependent on their platforms and services. However, disconnecting from social media and all other digital spaces is, of course, simply not realistic for most people.
There should be a way to balance having an online presence with proper safeguards, but too often those who advocate for privacy protections are considered paranoid or accused of having something to hide. But the reality is that everyday internet users are at the mercy of Big Tech and governments, who often seem to be collaborating.
Sure, the EU took steps to protect users’ data with the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation), legally demanding businesses to handle personal data with respect for privacy rights. This significant legislation, however, isn’t without its flaws.
The most consequential result of the EU’s attempt to regulate personal data is that it impacts small- and medium-sized businesses more than large corporations. Consequently, this emboldens Big Tech by weakening the smaller competition which lacks the same resources to ensure compliance or pay fines for violations.
Italy just recently ordered OpenAI, the parent company of ChatGPT, to pay €15 million over failing to provide a legal basis for processing users’ personal information. OpenAI also failed to notify Italian regulators of a March 2023 data breach.
In October, Bytedance, the parent company of TikTok, put aside over $1 billion to cover any future GDPR fines as it currently faces a flurry of investigations and lawsuits in the EU and U.S. over data abuses, including against children.
With powerful tech brands able to fight, pay off, or ignore GDPR violations with little to no impact on their operations, it’s clear that regulatory bodies will need to rethink how to address data privacy going forward.
Fortunately for the silent majority who care about privacy, the crypto industry, with its decentralized ethos, is developing multiple solutions that prioritize privacy and data controls.
For example, tomi, a crypto project providing an array of privacy-oriented solutions, is building a decentralized alternative internet. tomi’s ecosystem has already launched a wide range of products and tools to serve as its decentralized web’s ecosystem, out of reach of Big Tech’s control.
Highlighting its lineup of products are tomi Browser, a gateway to the decentralized web that allows users to easily toggle between Web3 and Web 2.0 pages, and tomi Domains, which addresses the vulnerabilities of the centralized domain name system. tomi’s ecosystem also includes a non-custodial crypto wallet and a decentralized storage solution that enables users to control their data.
With numerous products in the pipeline, tomi decided to launch a Super App to serve as a one-stop-shop for its entire alternative internet. The app will be made available during Q1 of 2025 and will feature a decentralized chat platform along with an integrated peer-to-peer payment system for crypto transactions. Over the course of 2025 and into 2026, the app will integrate the rest of tomi’s ecosystem while introducing new features and products such as private chat groups, customizable user profiles, a VPN, voice and video calls, and tools for developers to help expand the ecosystem.
While regulations may not be able to deter Big Tech’s abuse of personal data, the maturation and evolution of blockchain-based projects promise to produce impactful solutions. While not everyone will be willing to cut ties with the current web environment, it’s good to know alternatives exist.