We have been living in the Internet era for almost three decades. And since the majority of the world’s population is under thirty years old, this means that many billions of people do not know what a world without internet is like.
But for those of us who remember life before the global network, it is evident how much has changed in these thirty short years. Even in this time, our way of thinking about the Internet has changed.
If the early days of the Internet were characterized by boundless, almost dizzying optimism, today’s Internet is much more likely to be seen, at best, with weary cynicism.
In the worst case scenario, many of us talk about the Internet with a tone of absolute distrust.
The level of freedom that exists on the internet under examination
Every year, the charity organization Freedom House studies the state of freedom on the Internet worldwide. And last month’s Freedom On The Net 2023 report revealed that internet freedoms worldwide declined in 2023, for the thirteenth consecutive year.
After all these years of decline, today it seems strange to think of the Internet as a force for good, for liberation. However, that was the original vision of the founders of the Internet. What has happened to the forgotten dream of a free Internet?
Despite the atmosphere of pessimism surrounding the Internet, it is important to remember that not all is lost.
Many activists, founders, and citizens still believe in the liberating power of the Internet. And there are still ways to fuel the fragile flame of freedom on the web and encourage it to burn as brightly as the Internet’s founders intended.
Fortunately, there are tools that citizens can use to bypass state censorship. And among us there are those who want to use these tools to reverse the trend of decreasing freedom on the Internet.
VPN providers are at the forefront of the battle to redirect the Internet. Their products allow Internet users to regain their power and reclaim the original idea of a free and open web.
In most territories, VPNs are completely legal and allow internet users to safeguard their privacy while browsing and accessing online content with geographic restrictions.
But this goes far beyond VPNs, it’s about regaining control. To stop being statistics and being spied on every step we take on the internet. And this will be impossible without the support of governments and communities. And right now, only the European Union is bothering to clean up the internet.
