I think it’s the only way forward. I wrote a blog post about this recently.
I think abandoning anonymity is the only way forward and I think it’ll be glorious.
I think abandoning anonymity is the only way forward and I think it’ll be glorious.
I remember in my 2005 high school political science class proposing fake legislation to require ID to go on the internet.
For the past 20 years I’ve shuttered at how awful an idea that would be and how naive I was as a kid.
But now I am curious how all of the externalities would play out.
I also don’t feel like this changes the privacy debate. I’m not naive enough to think Google and 1000 other data brokers don’t know exactly who I am.
Having a verifiably unique digital identity wouldn’t change that fact. I’d still want to control when and how data associated with my identity is monetized.
Maybe regulators can force Google et al to digitally watermark data before they sell it, so if I find it elsewhere without my permission I can trace it back to Google and seek remuneration.
I think the only way we get the internet back is to hold everyone accountable that wants to participate.