Destroy Online Privacy

Bokhari: Microsoft and Friends Want to Destroy Online Privacy

According to Microsoft’s press release, it has partnered with several other organizations to form the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity (C2PA).

Put simply, the purpose of this organization is to devise a system whereby all content on the internet can be traced back to its author.

The press release states that it will develop these specifications for “common asset types and formats,” meaning videos, documents, audio, and images.

Whether it’s a meme, an audio remix, or a written article, the goal is to ensure that when content reaches the internet, it will come attached with a set of signals allowing its provenance — meaning authorship — can be detected.

I understand why the immediate reaction to this is fear. The government, media outlets and online mobs combine into a terror organization that hunts for regime enemies. One can easily see how USG would use this power to arrest and imprison, or at least terrify and destroy the economic life, of anyone who posts the Truth. However, once a system like this exists, it works both ways. Analysts could trace back nonsense such as systemic racism to its source. We know who publicly advocates for lies, but we don't really see who is behind it. Destruction of anonymitiy reveals everyone. It would be far easier to trace the connections between media and government. They produce a steady stream of lies, for example the FISA warrants were obtained using mainstream media article that were based off the FBI's own fake dossier. It would be immediately obvious the FBI was committing a high crime in sourcing a warrant frmo a story that was planted in teh media by the FBI.

Lies are the enemy of Truth. It's true that the source of Truth doesn't matter. I understand the fear given the current authoritarian zeitgeist, but the reality is if the ruling class was competent, they would immediately arrest anyone devising this system. It will turn into yet another "all-time backfire."

More to the point, all technology has dual use for good and evil. The blockchain itself has already achieved Microsoft's goal. The hot new item online is NFTs, non-fungible tokens that are sometimes attached to physical goods. It shows the chain of ownership going back to the creator. Microsoft wants to build a system that already exists! In future, there will be decentralized and public blockchains you can trust such as Bitcoin and fake-chains run by governments and corporations that try to hide the truth. Choose wisely.