Decentralized Internet Being Built to Thwart Censorship

J.P. Hicks

Bloggers represent one of the last bastions of independent journalism. Since the Internet presents a level playing field for information, it's possible for talented bloggers to reach millions of people which only used to be available to large media conglomerates.

But the free Internet appears to be under attack on multiple fronts. It seems that these conglomerates don't like losing their audience to lowly bloggers. And, apparently, they have the government on their side not just because they fund politicians to do their bidding, governments themselves also don't like it when pesky bloggers expose their dirty deeds.

The result of this corporate-government merger against the free Internet has resulted in endless calls for Internet legislation from Net Neutrality, blogging taxes, cyber security trolling, to various draconian laws to enforce copyrights like SOPA, PIPA, and international attempts like ACTA. 

Bloggers are now even being prosecuted for offering advice about nutrition and dieting. This story is explained in the video below:



So is it any wonder why many bloggers are concerned with Internet freedom and censorship?

Although protests have stalled many of these bills from becoming law, authorities persist in getting their way.  In fact, they are trying to jam the wording of such bills into international trade treaties like the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). The TPP is so secretive that a crowd-funding platform is offering an award just to read the treaty. Imagine how awful it must be for freedom if the people who it will govern aren't even allowed to know what's in it.

Since the writing is on the wall that these censorship forces will stop at nothing until they get their way, free speech activists and tech geeks are seeking to build a new decentralized Internet called MeshNet, which is essentially a peer-to-peer network that "makes the oppression of free speech impractical bordering on impossible."

 
Introduction to the MeshNet from Nicholas Ferrar on Vimeo.

Anyone who believes in their right to blog about anything they please should support these projects and others like it. Visit Project MeshNet today to learn more.

J.P. Hicks is an info-activist, pro blogger, editor of Blog Tips and author of a book about blogging. Follow @ Twitter, or like on Facebook and get the FREE ebook SEO For Bloggers.

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