Internet Control / Effectiveness / Implementation
From New Media Business Blog
Introduction
This article highlights the many aspects of the internet beginning with its early history, development, and commercialization as well as the by-products arising from its creation such as filter bubbles, echo chambers, censorship, and internet surveillance. This article touches on these broad topics with greater detail while analyzing the future outlook of the internet by discussing new applications such as Web 3.0 and decentralized digital currencies.
Internet History
Before the internet, computers were large, immobile, and expensive. To make use of information stored on the hardware, one had to either travel to the site of the computer or have magnetic computer tapes sent through the conventional postal system. [1] These time consuming methods of information exchange were sufficient until post-World War II.
Creation
At the height of the Cold War, the US worried about Soviet attacks and the impacts it would have on the nation's communication systems. Scientists and researchers needed to share ideas, access information, and communicate timely to respond to threats. As such, the US Defense Department formed ARPANET (Advanced Research Projects Agency) which was an early iteration of the internet. [2] This allowed academic and research institutes that has contracts with the military to use a connected, distributed network. The first message was sent via ARPANET on October 29, 1969 from UCLA to Stanford and it contained one word, "LOGIN". The system ended up crashing and Stanford only received the first two letters, but this marked the beginning of information sharing through the internet. [3]
Development
ARPANET was a great success, however, membership was limited. [4] This led to more network creations and as such there was no standardization for communication between networks. In the 1970s, internet communications protocols were developed and adopted as the standard, later to be known as TCP/IP. [5] This allowed computers on different networks to be connected through a universal language. The US government adopted TCP/IP standards on January 1, 1983 which is attributed as the internet's official birthday.
Popularization
By the 1990s, the internet entered a stage of mass popularity which started with the introduction of the World Wide Web in 1991. [6] At this point, the internet was not only used to send and receive files from one place to another but became a web of information that anyone could retrieve.
Browsers were developed to access the web and some notably popular examples include:
Commercialization
While the internet has served its initial purpose it has evolved beyond an information hub that connects people from around the world. In today's landscape, the internet has become commercialized. With nearly 50% of online traffic passing through tech giants, [10] governance and control rise to the surface. While internet users get access to a realm of knowledge, the convenience has become influenced by various entities and their motivations. This has led to discussion about whether the information available is a realistic representation or has been distorted and taken advantage of such as the The Cambridge Analytica and Facebook Scandal deceiving consumers about the collection of Facebook data for voter profiling and targeting. [11]
The internet is a vast stage extending beyond the tip of the iceberg known as web-surfing. The network, while open to everyone, has become too big and complex for any single person or agency to manage. [12] It is important to understand the levers influencing everyday internet usage to effectively realize the perceptions formed through digital consumption.
Filter Bubbles and Echo Chambers
What are Filter Bubbles?
A filter bubble is an algorithmic bias that skews or restricts the online information that a particular person sees.[13]
The algorithms employed by search engines, social media platforms, and advertisers to customize user experience lead to bias in the information that a user observes as it is tailor-made to their search history and habits.
The filter bubble is useful for personalization as the algorithm can present a user with the most relevant information that is applicable to that specific user.
However, because it gives information that the person has already indicated an interest in, it might also result in a mistaken perception of reality. The user's search history, browsing preferences, and prior interactions with web pages are only a few of the data sources utilized to customize user experience and build an insulating bubble.[14]
Filter bubbles, which influence a person's online advertisements, social media newsfeeds, and web searches, ultimately shield a person from outside influences and confirm what they already believe.
What are Echo Chambers?
An echo chamber is an environment where someone only hears information or viewpoints that mirror and support their own.[15]
Echo chambers can hinder critical thinking and distort a person's perspective, making it difficult for them to consider alternative points of view when engaging in complex discussions. In addition, echo chambers are fueled by confirmation bias which is the tendency to favor information that reinforces existing beliefs.
Filter bubbles are seen as a unique form of echo chamber where the algorithm will consistently show you information that it knows you will favor and agree with.
Below are some characteristics users can identify to help verify whether or not they are in an echo chamber. While these characteristics are not always applicable to all cases, they do form a general baseline for users to identify the possibility of being in an echo chamber. This process of identification falls largely upon the shoulders of the user and there is not much else that can be done except for using discretion and caution when searching for information.
How Do Filter Bubbles & Echo Chambers Work?
Most personalized filters are based on a three-step model that focuses on who people are/what they like, providing them content and services that best fit what they like, and then fine-tuning the search algorithms to continuously update to accommodate changes in searches and interests.[16]
The upside to this model is that everyone receives information that is relevant and useful to their specific needs. However, the drawbacks occur by having the user experience too focused on what they already like and know as it prevents users from obtaining information outside their existing beliefs and knowledge. This is how echo chambers and filter bubbles take shape which can prove to be deadly in the context of politics for instance, as you can have many online groups becoming radicalized as members are exclusively shown information that aligns with their beliefs without any constructive discourse related to other issues or ideas.
As author and activist, Eli Pariser said "There’s just one flaw in this logic: Your identity shapes your media, but media also shapes your identity." Filter bubbles can cause cognitive biases amplifying their negative impact on our ability to think in a logical and critical manner and it is something we can only opt out of, not something we consent to.
How to Avoid Filter Bubbles & Echo Chambers
There is not a set tried and true method of avoiding filter bubbles and echo chambers. As mentioned previously it is at the sole discretion of the user to be aware of the biases that are being parroted to them through their searches and actively breaking the cycle of being stuck in a filter bubble or echo chamber. Below are some measures users can take to help limit the biases they see through their searches and have a web surfing experience that allows them to view all sorts of information outside their normal search behaviors.
Censorship
What is Censorship?
Controlling or stifling what can be accessed, published, or viewed online is known as internet censorship. It occurs when authorities, groups, or people restrict or block access to web content [17].
Reasons: Some nations restrict online content to prevent their citizens from seeing information that might shock them or cause them to think differently. They might even carry out this action to prevent citizens from raising objections to the government or planning protests. Their aim is typically to obstruct people from freely expressing their thoughts or to make it harder to obtain correct information about what is happening in the globe [18].
However, there are also additional reasons why the government might censor the internet, such as limiting media freedom or having political, religious, or moral justifications [19].
An organization may restrict access to particular websites for example entertainment websites to either boost productivity by preventing access to sites with objectionable or inappropriate content or to protect its members from such websites or social media in general [20].
How Does Internet Censorship Happen?
Internet censorship can take one of two forms:
• Top-down censorship When a government or other body directs service providers to censor certain types of content, this is known as top-down censorship. The censorship of some content may occasionally be mandated by law. Users have no control over this and cannot select which resources to access [21]. .
• Self-imposed censorship is related to people or groups who choose to shun certain types of content. For instance, a person can opt not to visit specific websites because they are aware that their government will censor the content, rendering it unreliable [22]. .
Types of Censorship
Certain images, words, entire websites, and internet protocols can all be banned, among other things. There are several methods of censorship as well, like restricting searches for prohibited phrases or completely prohibiting access to the item [23].
Government-level Censorship: When a government makes it unlawful to express certain things, that is one form of censorship. As an illustration, the Chinese government has declared it unlawful to discuss some subjects online, such as democracy or human rights. In order to accomplish this, they censor websites that cover these subjects and penalize violators.
Governments collaborate with ISPs to implement these limitations, either by completely denying access to certain websites or by rerouting traffic to similar, regulated websites [24].
Platform Restrictions: Social media firms removing particular content from their sites is another form of censorship. For instance, Facebook has come under fire for removing content about sex education and body positivity. YouTube has also been charged with obstructing videos that advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, mental health, and COVID-19 awareness. In this situation, platforms issue take-down notices, and then the offending content is deleted [25]. .
Governments frequently pressure tech companies to enforce content restrictions that are based on their own propaganda. In such a scenario, the government would threaten complete platform bans as a means of coercing content hosts into acquiescence [26].
Twitter has started plainly identifying government-related profiles as a response, allowing users to quickly determine whether the profile might be a component of a propaganda operation. It's not much, but at least it works to counteract online restrictions [27]. .
Local Restrictions: Last but not least, censorship can occur on a more limited scale within a single organization. For instance, a school might impose restrictions on access to specific websites or even keyword phrases. In this method, the students are prevented from using the school's computers to access objectionable websites like social networks or adult websites [28].
Similarly, companies may place restrictions on particular apps, services, and websites so that employees can only access the applications and websites that they permit them to.
Impact of Censorship
People have fought for online freedom ever since the internet's infancy. The internet has grown so central to our lives that, in 2016, a UN Resolution deemed internet access to be a fundamental human right. We lose that fundamental right when the internet is censored [29].
Increasing censorship may have a variety of detrimental outcomes. It restricts people's access to knowledge and ideas. Loss of information, as well as missed opportunities for learning and development, might result from this [30].
In addition, digital censorship can also impede critical thinking and creativity. People's freedom of expression may be constrained if they lack access to the internet. It might be difficult to form a well-rounded opinion when people are only exposed to one side of a topic. Having merely a partial understanding of the situation might also result in false information [31].
Also, fear and distrust can be fostered by censorship. It's possible for people to develop a fear of speaking their minds or sharing their ideas, which can cause them to feel alone and disconnected [32].
Censorship in Countries
Some nations have strict censorship regulations, while others have none.
• China: The Chinese government limits access to numerous websites and social media platforms, including Facebook and Twitter, and is well recognized for its internet restrictions, which some refer to as the "great firewall of China." The Google search engine and all other Google goods are prohibited in China. The government prevents some words from being used online and censors search results [33].
Since China banned the use of personal VPNs in 2017, some users have managed to circumvent the restrictions using one of the VPNs that are still effective. Some users even had to deal with visiting law enforcement who demanded they delete their social media posts [34].
The government also ruled in 2017 that news content on websites or social media accounts cannot be published without the approval of the relevant government agency. The Great Firewall is a set of laws and technological advancements that are used to lock down foreign social media sites, search engines, news outlets, and other content and applications during the sweep. Both the media and the internet are subject to government censorship [35].
China is well-known for imprisoning journalists, along with Iran and Eritrea [36].
• Iran: Countries with internet censorship, such as Iran, allow only VPNs approved by the authorities, rendering them nearly useless. While foreign VPNs are prohibited, torrenting is not completely prohibited. Social media is strictly regulated, and this trend is on the rise, while pornography is strictly prohibited [37].
YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook are also restricted. A restriction on other social media websites is expected to be implemented in the near future [38].
• Eritrea: In 2015 alone, twenty-four journalists were imprisoned in Eritrea without a fair trial. Internet access is mostly available in internet cafes, making it easier for the government to monitor online activity.
Eritrea has one of the lowest internet penetration rates in the world, with only 8% of the population having access [39].
Most African governments restrict social media apps, particularly during elections. Eritrea, on the other hand, has completely blocked all access to apps like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
• Saudi Arabia: The Saudi Arabian government censors content in accordance with its moral and religious principles. Websites with pornographic or otherwise potentially offensive content are typically blocked. Websites that criticize the government or that have content that could be used to spark unrest are blocked in Iran [40].
Saudi Arabia has a long history of limiting the freedoms of its citizens. Any attempt to criticize the government is harshly punished, and people are even arrested for spreading atheism [41].
To become a blogger, people must obtain a government license, and any deviation from the strict guidelines results in the license being revoked and the website being taken down. Because many websites are blocked, using a VPN makes sense. The connection, however, frequently fails, and if the government discovers that a user used a VPN to access prohibited content, they will be arrested [42].
• Russia: A new rule in Russia mandates that internet service providers restrict websites that the government deems to be "extremist," including international websites that express disapproval of the relevant government or that report on demonstrations or other acts of noncompliance [43].
• North Korea: Almost everyone immediately thinks of North Korea when talking about political persecution and internet restriction. North Korea completely censors its internet [44].
Internet pornography is prohibited, no foreign media is permitted, and VPNs are shut down [45].
Users can only use messaging apps created in North Korea, which are almost certainly strictly regulated, as there are no messaging apps available from other countries.
Censored news is the only kind of news that is available [46].
Internet Surveillance
Internet surveillance is the monitoring of computers and network activity. The purpose of internet surveillance is largely to obtain data on users and track their activities.
Conducting of Internet Surveillance
Internet surveillance has one common goal of tracking user and network activity. However, the uses of the data obtained and how it is used varies based on who is conducting the surveillance. The three biggest users of this data are governments, corporations, and criminal organizations.
Governments and Internet Surveillance
Governments can use internet surveillance for public health monitoring, criminal investigations, and monitoring of terrorist threats.
In terms of public health monitoring, governments have been able to track activities such as Google searches, social media posts, and geolocation information. The data obtained from this surveillance can be used to monitor the public’s responses to illness and infectious disease, the size of outbreaks, and which locations are experiencing more outbreaks. [47]
Criminal investigations can also be aided through internet surveillance. This is done mainly through tapping broadband internet to monitor activity of suspects of crimes. The types of crimes that may be monitored include, but are not limited to, drug trafficking, money laundering, smuggling, child pornography, and terrorism. [48]
Legal Boundaries
Corporations, Internet Surveillance, and Big Data
Corporations gather data on a variety of consumer activities, including GPS monitoring, purchases, link clicks, and search engine data. The data obtained through this monitoring is commonly referred to as “Big Data”.
Case Example
In some cases, tracking consumer data can be problematic and targeted ads can be harmful. University of Iowa Law Professor, Anya Prince, was a victim of targeted ads. Having specialized partially in privacy in health care, she wanted to make an effort to keep her pregnancy a secret from the internet once she found out she was expecting. She took precautions such as using cash only for purchases related to her pregnancy, she turned off her GPS or left her phone at home when attending doctor’s appointments, and she refrained from using prenatal applications on her phone. Despite her efforts, she ended up receiving a targeted ad for baby diapers in the same week that she lost the pregnancy. This experience was mentally distressing in an already traumatic time. [53]
Criminal Organizations and Internet Surveillance
Criminals are able to access data through hacking platforms where data is stored. As more items in our daily lives become powered by internet, there is now an increased opportunity for criminals to access and benefit from information about others. Just one example of this is Killjacking. Killjacking is the hacking of a smart car with the intent to cause a malfunction and kill the driver. [54]
Canadian Laws on Data Protection
There are two main pieces of legislation to protect citizens’ data in Canada. These are the “Privacy Act” and “PIPEDA”.
Privacy Act
The Privacy Act covers data pertaining to the public sector. It outlines the rights of an individual to access the information the government holds about them. Common data held by the government can include age, race, religion, education level, employment history, and workplace behaviour. [55]
Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA)
PIPEDA covers data held in the private sector. It outlines how private organizations are allowed to collect, use, and disclose consumer information. Examples of these types of organizations include Financial Institutions and retailers. [56]
Does PIPEDA Actually Protect Data?
Data obtained about Canadian consumers may not always be regulated in accordance with PIPEDA. This is largely due to boomerang routing, which is the process of Canadian to Canadian internet transmissions being routed through the US and US carriers. At this point, the data is no longer under Canadian legislation and is subject the US laws and surveillance activities. This is creating protest for more Canadian networks in order to promote network sovereignty and better regulation of Canadians’ data. [57]
More data privacy concerns come into question when considering data residency. ‘’’Data residency’’’ is the geographical location in which data is stored by an organization. Consumers are frequently using services, such as applications, which are not Canadian, and data is almost always stored outside of the country. The use of these services automatically provides consent to terms and conditions that let companies know they can share your data. In turn, Canadian laws do not apply. [58] For example, the commonly used social media platform “TikTok” shares user data with “ByteDance”, a Shanghai based company. [59]
Case Study: CSIS Privacy Breach
Although Canada has established comprehensive privacy laws, they have shown to not always be followed accordingly. An example of data violations within the Canadian Government involves the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, or CSIS.
American Laws on Data Protection
As of the time of writing, there is not one single blanket legislation for data protection in the United States. Legislation is dealt with at a state level and varies significantly. Only five states have signed comprehensive privacy bills. “Comprehensive” refers to legislation that covers a broad scope of privacy areas and concerns. Most states have privacy laws in place that are narrowly defined and only cover small areas of citizen data. [61]
Data protections for American citizens are expected to change soon, as California Governor Gavin Newsom has recently signed a new privacy bill. The laws are set to take effect on January 1, 2023. The legislation is more broad and allows consumers the right to prevent businesses from sharing their personal information. While this legislation is only being implemented in California, it will naturally benefit many Americans outside of the state due to the amount of businesses that have operations all throughout America. [62]
Benefits of Internet Surveillance
As previously outlined, internet surveillance has the potential to protect society as a whole when used properly in the course of law enforcement. Governments work to use data with the goal of tracking down or preventing illegal and harmful activities such as trafficking, child pornography, and terrorist threats.
Surveillance for marketing purposes are also accepted by some, due to data being used to send consumers coupons for frequently bought items, or product design and performance improvements. [63]
Concerns Surrounding Internet Surveillance
With internet surveillance comes concerns surrounding where the line should be drawn with what is being monitored. With the Internet of Things becoming more prevalent, more types of data in people’s everyday lives can be monitored. Examples of this include data from smart fridges, smart televisions, and even smart toilets. All of these things are hackable, thus, the risk of data being exposed or compromised is heightened. [64] In contrast to the previously mentioned benefits, government surveillance has shown in some cases to be illegitimate. For example, a study showed that the United States National Security Agency (US NSA) program did not prevent any terrorist attacks from taking place. [65]
Our Future With Internet Surveillance
With internet surveillance comes concerns of government control. People are shown to alter their behaviour when they know the government is watching. For example, a survey found that 1 in 6 writers avoid writing about topics they believe may subject them to government surveillance. [66] This can also lead to the prevention of free and open discourse. Regular citizens in society who have not accepted the idea of surveillance are more likely to self censor and avoid engaging in conversations in certain topics. [67]
International Differences
Freedom of the Net is an annual survey and analysis of internet freedom around the world by the Freedom House [68]. Freedom of Net report is considered a credible, reliable, and unbiased source of information based on facts, research, and analysis. It ranks the countries by Net Freedom. To evaluate surveillance and censorship and the extent to which they exist in countries around the world, Freedom of the Net report breaks the evaluation criteria into three categories:
Overview of Censorship Around the World
The green countries represent low to mid-low censorship, orange represents mid-low to mid-high and red represents extreme censorship control [72] .
Overview of Surveillance Around the World
The scale in the lower-right corner shows the scale from least watched to most watch countries [73].
Exploring Countries Around the World in More Detail
Below we explore few countries that fall in different categories of level of surveillance and censorship in the world.
China: High Surveillance and Censorship
China remains the world’s worst abuser of internet freedom as condition remain profoundly oppressive [74]. The People’s republic of China is run a single party known as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The CCP is tightening it hold on over the citizens by monitoring and controlling online speech, universities, businesses, and state bureaucracy more than ever. It scores 10/100 on the Freedom of Net report.
North Korea: High Surveillance and Censorship
North Korea is a one-party state which is also known as under dictatorship rule [81]. It remains one of the most extreme in the world in terms of imposing internet censorship and surveillance [82]. Information available on internet freedom is limited and most of it extrapolated from other political conditions. In 2006, Julien Pain, head of the Internet Desk at Reporters Without Borders, described North Korea as the world's worst Internet black hole. It scores 3/100 on the Freedom of Net report.
Unites States of America: High Surveillance and Moderate Censorship
United States of America is the second biggest democracy (after India) in the world [87] and is considered the leader of the free world. Internet in the United States remains largely free from censorship [88]. However, the level of surveillance has been on the rise which is leading to an overall decline in Internet Freedom over the years [89]. In 2014, United States was added to the “Enemies of the Internet", a group of countries with the highest level of Internet censorship and surveillance by the Reporters Without Borders Group [90]. However, it currently scores 75/100 on the Freedom of Net report.
Canada: Moderate Surveillance and Censorship
Canada is the second-largest country by total area [95] with over 97 % of the total population having access to Internet [96]. Canada has a parliamentary democracy and is world most ethnically diverse and multicultural nations. It scores 87/100 on the Freedom of Net report.
However, recently there have been changes to the Censorship Bill C-11 that are supposedly for the purpose of promoting Canadian content and artists [101]. But people believe that if this bill is passes, it can invade Canadian’s privacy [102]. It will allow the government to influence what we see and say online. Currently, platforms like YouTube do not track where viewers are from. This bill would force platforms to track where viewers are from and what they like to watch. In a way it would create a filter bubble for viewers as they would only be able to access some force fed to them.
Croatia: Low Surveillance and Censorship
Croatia or the Republic of Croatia is unitary, constitutional state using a parliamentary system [105]. It scores 85/100 on the Freedom of Net report.
Web 3.0
Web 1.0 was a static read only internet whereas Web 2.0 is read and write. Within Web 2.0 a few platforms are owning and controlling data. Web 3.0 promises to hand some of that ownership back to users and become a read, write and own system building on blockchain technology. This would be an internet that would be decentralized, democratic and peer to peer. NFT or DAOs or tokens or crypto would be currency exchanged and generating within Web 3.0. This would allow users to have more ownership. In theory Web 3.0 is community owned and self governing with little to no control from big organization. However this technology still has many limitations [112].
Why Web 3.0
Web 3.30 doesn't solve all our problems but it hopes to resolve a lot of them. There is a change in data structure which brings control over private data by using peer-to-peer technology without middlemen. Web 3.0 changes money and value creation within the internet. It also increases the security, transparency and traceability of data shared [113].
Decentralized Block Chain
Instead of running on servers, Web 3.0 runs on many users' computers. Blockchain platforms allow users and developers to create uses on top of the existing peer-to-peer infrastructure. Developers will use platforms with the highest amount of users [114].
This makes it difficult or impossible to change, hack or cheat the system. If you wanted to hack you would have to change every block in the chain across all distributed versions of that chain. With a decentralized blockchain, you have increased privacy security [115].
Each block in the chain has a number of transactions. There is a decentralized database that multiple participants manage. There is no one person in charge but is run by its users [116].
Ethereum
Etherium manages and tracks currency without relying on financial institutions. There is no need for a central intermediary such as a bank. Currency is anonymous and transactions are anonymous [117].
Ethereum runs on smart contracts. You can play games, invest, send money, track an investment portfolio, follow social media and more. There is no centralized (government) control over the movement of money or other assets. Coins are created as payment for validators, participants who oversee and verify transactions in the cryptocurrency. You earn rewards for verifying and lose investment if validate transactions that don’t conform to Ethereum rules [118].
Data Democracy
Both Web 1.0 and 2.0: Server-based data where users dont have control of data. This also makes back-end processing tedious, costly and inefficient [119].
Web 3.0 builds on peer-to-peer technology that currently exists. All data is transferred to computers on the network and all have same info. In theory privacy is guaranteed due to an economic incentive to perform correctly with network tokens or cryptocurrency [120].
With this change comes a change of top-down management traditional organization to a decentralized autonomous organization. There is no centralized legal entity, and no employment contracts (replaced with smart contracts)[121].
Smart contracts work since all users behave because they value their tokens and assumption they value tokens and value resources. Smart contracts are not legally binding. It’s a digital handshake. Users sign through private keys aka encrypted passwords. Users execute actions once contract conditions have been met. Rules are defined and enforced through code [122].
Steemit
We see the start of social media Web 3.0 with companies like Meta and Steemit. Steemit is a blockchain-based blogging and social media website. Users can gain a cryptocurrency, STEEM, for publishing and curating content [123].
Limitations of Web 3.0
There are many limitations of Web 3.0. If something goes wrong who helps you? Smart Contracts or code or a Digital handshake is not upheld in court and are not well developed just yet [124].
Many limitations that exist in Web 2.0 still exist in Web 3.0. If designed incorrectly, the design of these platforms or machines against us can be used against us. We need to ask who designs what rules to be enforced and what limitations exist. Once outlined solution is to involve governance, ethical and organizational experts in design stages to avoid running into some issues that exist in Web 2.0. Continuing to only have software developers create our platforms is not working. Currently Web 3.0 consists of platforms that are mostly based on money and capitalism. We need to ask are there alternatives that will be more successful [125]?
Like Web 2.0, Web 3.0 also has limits in maintaining privacy and not being fully anonymous. Blockchain technology needs data trails. If you buy something there’s a peer-to-peer exchange and evidence, making it not fully anonymous. This continues the issue of a citizen scorecard and a nations ability to control people. Current government legislation condemns cryptographic methods that allow you to be more anonymous [126].
This is not inherently a bad thing. Should Web 3.0 be a full fledged freedom machine or control machine? With cryptoscams continuing to occur, some of the only method of preventing these scams is the lack of ability to be fully anonymous [127].
Bitconnect
Bitconnect was the 13th biggest cryptocurrency in 2017. A big reason why it was so large was that it went viral during its own conference [128].
The conference really gained media interest, but Bitconnect also incentivized customers with large unrealistic bonuses [129].
Bitconnect was a fully anonymous company. No one knew who owned it and it turned out to be a large Ponzi scheme where people lost millions of dollars. Something that seemed like a good investment turned out the be devastating. In 2018 Bitconnect was issued a cease and desist. Government officials were now convinced this was a Ponzi scheme and it was finally stopped. Eventually, one of the owners Divyesh Darji was arrested. Darji also had another crypto scam called Regal Coin [130].
Crypto scams continue to happen and it's important to do research before purchasing tokens/currency.
Authors
| Fendi Huynh | Navraj Powar | Sydney Levington | Navraj Randhawa | Mehakdeep Atwal | Saeda Galmo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beedie School of Business Simon Fraser University Burnaby, BC, Canada | Beedie School of Business Simon Fraser University Burnaby, BC, Canada | Beedie School of Business Simon Fraser University Burnaby, BC, Canada | Beedie School of Business Simon Fraser University Burnaby, BC, Canada | Beedie School of Business Simon Fraser University Burnaby, BC, Canada | Beedie School of Business Simon Fraser University Burnaby, BC, Canada |
References
- ↑ https://youtu.be/h8K49dD52WA?t=18
- ↑ https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/jul/15/how-the-internet-was-invented-1976-arpa-kahn-cerf
- ↑ https://www.history.com/topics/inventions/invention-of-the-internet
- ↑ https://www.usg.edu/galileo/skills/unit07/internet07_02.phtml
- ↑ https://www.britannica.com/technology/TCP-IP
- ↑ https://www.history.com/topics/inventions/invention-of-the-internet
- ↑ https://www.ncsa.illinois.edu/research/project-highlights/ncsa-mosaic/
- ↑ https://www.webdevelopersnotes.com/erwise-worlds-first-graphical-web-browser
- ↑ https://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/09/browser-wars-netscape-internet-explorer.asp
- ↑ https://truthonthemarket.com/2019/09/27/debunking-elizabeth-warrens-claim-that-more-than-70-of-all-internet-traffic-goes-through-google-or-facebook/
- ↑ https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-britain-cambridge-analytica-idUSKCN26F2U4
- ↑ https://hbr.org/2016/06/who-controls-the-internet
- ↑ https://edu.gcfglobal.org/en/digital-media-literacy/what-is-an-echo-chamber/1/
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pT-k1kDIRnw&t=1s
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Se20RoB331w
- ↑ https://fs.blog/filter-bubbles/
- ↑ https://dataprot.net/articles/what-is-internet-censorship/
- ↑ https://dataprot.net/articles/what-is-internet-censorship/
- ↑ https://dataprot.net/articles/what-is-internet-censorship/
- ↑ https://dataprot.net/articles/what-is-internet-censorship/
- ↑ https://dataprot.net/articles/what-is-internet-censorship/
- ↑ https://dataprot.net/articles/what-is-internet-censorship/
- ↑ https://dataprot.net/articles/what-is-internet-censorship/
- ↑ https://dataprot.net/articles/what-is-internet-censorship/
- ↑ https://dataprot.net/articles/what-is-internet-censorship/
- ↑ https://dataprot.net/articles/what-is-internet-censorship/
- ↑ https://dataprot.net/articles/what-is-internet-censorship/
- ↑ https://dataprot.net/articles/what-is-internet-censorship/
- ↑ https://dataprot.net/articles/what-is-internet-censorship/
- ↑ https://dataprot.net/articles/what-is-internet-censorship/
- ↑ https://dataprot.net/articles/what-is-internet-censorship/
- ↑ https://dataprot.net/articles/what-is-internet-censorship/
- ↑ https://dataprot.net/articles/internet-censorship-by-country/
- ↑ https://dataprot.net/articles/internet-censorship-by-country/
- ↑ https://dataprot.net/articles/internet-censorship-by-country/
- ↑ https://dataprot.net/articles/internet-censorship-by-country/
- ↑ https://dataprot.net/articles/internet-censorship-by-country/
- ↑ https://dataprot.net/articles/internet-censorship-by-country/
- ↑ https://dataprot.net/articles/internet-censorship-by-country/
- ↑ https://dataprot.net/articles/internet-censorship-by-country/
- ↑ https://dataprot.net/articles/internet-censorship-by-country/
- ↑ https://dataprot.net/articles/internet-censorship-by-country/
- ↑ https://dataprot.net/articles/internet-censorship-by-country/
- ↑ https://dataprot.net/articles/internet-censorship-by-country/
- ↑ https://dataprot.net/articles/internet-censorship-by-country/
- ↑ https://dataprot.net/articles/internet-censorship-by-country/
- ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7959655/
- ↑ https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/cons/la-al/sum-res/faq.html
- ↑ https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/cons/la-al/sum-res/faq.html
- ↑ https://www.fcc.gov/public-safety-and-homeland-security/policy-and-licensing-division/general/communications-assistance#:~:text=CALEA%20is%20intended%20to%20preserve,the%20scope%20of%20the%20investigation
- ↑ https://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/data-shared-sold-whats-done/
- ↑ https://www.oracle.com/ca-en/big-data/what-is-big-data/
- ↑ https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/10/can-you-hide-your-pregnancy-era-big-data/671692/
- ↑ https://lens.monash.edu/@politics-society/2021/12/01/1384092/criminal-intent-how-the-internet-of-things-can-also-be-a-threat
- ↑ https://www.priv.gc.ca/en/privacy-topics/privacy-laws-in-canada/the-privacy-act/
- ↑ https://www.priv.gc.ca/en/privacy-topics/privacy-laws-in-canada/the-personal-information-protection-and-electronic-documents-act-pipeda/
- ↑ https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2311792
- ↑ https://theiteam.ca/news/email-encryption-systems-for-canadian-data-residency-requirements/
- ↑ https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/nov/07/tiktoks-china-bytedance-data-concerns
- ↑ https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2016/11/03/csis-illegally-kept-sensitive-data-about-people-for-a-decade-federal-court.html
- ↑ https://iapp.org/resources/article/us-state-privacy-legislation-tracker/
- ↑ https://www.osano.com/articles/california-privacy-laws-ccpa-cpra
- ↑ https://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/data-shared-sold-whats-done/
- ↑ https://lens.monash.edu/@politics-society/2021/12/01/1384092/criminal-intent-how-the-internet-of-things-can-also-be-a-threat
- ↑ https://www.nbcnews.com/news/other/nsa-program-stopped-no-terror-attacks-says-white-house-panel-f2D11783588
- ↑ https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2016/03/28/mass-surveillance-silences-minority-opinions-according-to-study/
- ↑ https://www.cjfe.org/how_mass_surveillance_harms_societies_and_individuals_and_what_you_can_do_about_it
- ↑ https://freedomhouse.org/reports/freedom-net/freedom-net-research-methodology
- ↑ https://freedomhouse.org/reports/freedom-net/freedom-net-research-methodology
- ↑ https://freedomhouse.org/reports/freedom-net/freedom-net-research-methodology
- ↑ https://freedomhouse.org/reports/freedom-net/freedom-net-research-methodology
- ↑ https://www.comparitech.com/blog/vpn-privacy/internet-censorship-map/
- ↑ https://www.tooltester.com/en/blog/the-worlds-most-surveilled-countries/#Which_countries_are_keeping_the_closest_eye_on_their_citizens
- ↑ https://freedomhouse.org/country/china/freedom-net/2021
- ↑ https://freedomhouse.org/country/china/freedom-net/2021
- ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Firewall
- ↑ https://www.travelchinacheaper.com/index-blocked-websites-in-china
- ↑ https://freedomhouse.org/country/china/freedom-net/2021
- ↑ https://freedomhouse.org/country/china/freedom-net/2021
- ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Firewall
- ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Korea
- ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Censorship_in_North_Korea#:~:text=As%20of%202022%2C%20ordinary%20citizens
- ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kwangmyong_(network)
- ↑ https://freedomhouse.org/country/north-korea/freedom-world/2021
- ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Censorship_in_North_Korea#:~:text=As%20of%202022%2C%20ordinary%20citizens
- ↑ https://freedomhouse.org/country/north-korea/freedom-world/2021
- ↑ https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2017/10/22/the-worlds-7-largest-democracies-where-do-america-and-india-fit/
- ↑ https://freedomhouse.org/country/united-states/freedom-net/2021
- ↑ https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2021/sep/21/internet-freedom-decline-free-speech-study
- ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_censorship_in_the_United_States
- ↑ https://freedomhouse.org/country/united-states/freedom-net/2021
- ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_censorship_in_the_United_States
- ↑ https://www.tooltester.com/en/blog/the-worlds-most-surveilled-countries/#Which_countries_are_keeping_the_closest_eye_on_their_citizens
- ↑ https://www.tooltester.com/en/blog/the-worlds-most-surveilled-countries/#Which_countries_are_keeping_the_closest_eye_on_their_citizens
- ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canada
- ↑ https://www.statista.com/statistics/243808/number-of-internet-users-in-canada/
- ↑ https://freedomhouse.org/country/canada/freedom-net/2021
- ↑ https://freedomhouse.org/country/canada/freedom-net/2021
- ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Censorship_in_Canada
- ↑ https://freedomhouse.org/country/canada/freedom-net/2021
- ↑ https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/bill-c-11-would-be-a-blow-to-canadian-content-creators
- ↑ https://financialpost.com/opinion/opinion-how-ottawas-internet-censorship-law-will-affect-you
- ↑ https://freedomhouse.org/country/canada/freedom-net/2021
- ↑ https://ccla.org/get-informed/talk-rights/understanding-bill-c-51-in-canada-the-anti-terrorism-act-2015/
- ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Croatia
- ↑ https://freedomhouse.org/country/croatia/freedom-world/2021
- ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Croatia
- ↑ https://www.rcmediafreedom.eu/Wiki-for-mediafreedom/Censorship-and-self-censorship-in-Croatia#:~:text=The%20Constitution%20of%20Croatia%20protects
- ↑ https://freedomhouse.org/country/croatia/freedom-world/2021
- ↑ https://freedomhouse.org/country/croatia/freedom-world/2021
- ↑ https://www.rcmediafreedom.eu/Wiki-for-mediafreedom/Censorship-and-self-censorship-in-Croatia#:~:text=The%20Constitution%20of%20Croatia%20protects
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FExp9YuTzbY
- ↑ https://www.zeeve.io/blog/what-web2-business-problem-does-web3-solve/
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPGNvKy6DTA
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPGNvKy6DTA
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPGNvKy6DTA
- ↑ https://www.bankrate.com/investing/what-is-ethereum/#:~:text=Ethereum%20operates%20on%20a%20decentralized,taken%20place%20in%20the%20cryptocurrency
- ↑ https://www.bankrate.com/investing/what-is-ethereum/#:~:text=Ethereum%20operates%20on%20a%20decentralized,taken%20place%20in%20the%20cryptocurrency
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPGNvKy6DTA
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPGNvKy6DTA
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPGNvKy6DTA
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPGNvKy6DTA
- ↑ https://steemit.com/guide/@steemitblog/steemit-a-guide-for-newcomers
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-t4gBE1tyDQ&t=594s
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPGNvKy6DTA
- ↑ https://www.zeeve.io/blog/what-web2-business-problem-does-web3-solve/
- ↑ https://www.zeeve.io/blog/what-web2-business-problem-does-web3-solve/
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fw_xe3xnzGc
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fw_xe3xnzGc
- ↑ https://www.coindesk.com/markets/2019/06/04/bitconnect-promoter-wanted-over-another-alleged-crypto-scam/
