I always thought that the early promise of the internet was built on a lie: decentralized and anonymous. The architecture never really was, it's just that the technology at the time and costs involved made it seem believable. Now data storage is dirt cheap, AI is good enough to connect the dots, identities are consolidated within major social networks, search history tracked, and smart phones owned by most. I think it's just a matter of time before 1984 becomes prophetic.