Certain digital financial services lead citizens to renounce their right to privacy. Gladstein notes that Bitcoin could be a substitute for cash to protect financial independence.
In the late 1940s, George Orwell’s novel 1984 was published, turning the “Big Brother” character into a collective nightmare. People came to fear that a state would achieve such a level of control that it could monitor the private lives, and even the smallest thoughts, of its citizens. Alex Gladstein, chief strategy officer of the Human Rights Foundation, believes that this terrifying character has become a modern reality.
In recent days, Gladstein said that there is a worrying trend among corporations and governments wanting to control all kinds of information. From his perspective as a human rights worker, he considers that this has shaped a new kind of authoritarianism. He calls it “digital dictatorships” since they use the personal data of citizens to control society. In short: “Big Brother is watching you.”
According to the expert, there is increasingly less privacy in modern society as it has become a value exchangeable for services and goods. Citizens now share information about their gender, identity, political preference, religion, and even financial decisions to access a digital world more easily. However, people seem to ignore that the consequences could become a big problem for minorities or citizens under dictatorial regimes.
Gladstein notes that around 4 billion people currently live under authoritarianism. Large countries like China plan to implement social engineering based on surveillance and obtaining personal information: digital yuan. The elimination of cash, one of the most anonymous payment methods, also increases the chances that citizens will not be able to lead a private life without the risk of censorship, blockades, or persecution.
The chief strategy officer of the Human Rights Foundation considers that citizens should concentrate their efforts on supporting and developing tools to decentralize information. Concerning the financial world, Bitcoin is the strongest and most independent option available to individuals who are seeking greater privacy, Gladstein states.
For Gladstein, the pioneering cryptocurrency is “people’s money”, and so no one can “censor it, monopolize it, devalue it, use it for surveillance, or block it at borders.” Besides, the fact that anyone can use it is what characterizes the cryptocurrency. In other words, it is an ideal model for those who protest in Hong Kong, those who live in Venezuela, those who seek greater privacy in China, or those who struggle in Cuba.
Bitcoin Fight “Big Brother” in Venezuela and Cuba
The expert recognized that Bitcoin can be a great ally for Latin Americans. Given the political instability that has taken place in Latin America and the formation of totalitarian governments, the chief strategy officer believes that Bitcoin can be an invisible force that protects people.
Gladstein mentioned a blockade that the Venezuelan government conducted on the bridges that connect this country with Colombia. This happened in 2019 when a group of people tried to take humanitarian aid products to the Venezuelan territory. According to the expert, physical force is an effective way to centralize power and block the rights of citizens. However, he believes that cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin can bypass censorship without anyone noticing.
Bitcoin opens many opportunities that society can take advantage of on a financial level, believes Gladstein. He said that there are more than 2 billion unbanked people. “Large companies can buy a lot of Bitcoin, but they will never be able to alter its protocol,” he added.
The member of the Human Rights Foundation suggested that Bitcoin will not eliminate either the money of the State or the payment methods of large corporations. However, it will remain an option and will excel as an alternative to resist the new era of digital dictatorships and “big brothers.”
By Alexander Salazar
