Cyber-Libertarianism + Crypto: Another Claim for Internet Freedom

Since its massive inception, multiple people have claimed that the Internet and cyber-space should be free of state intervention and regulation and not without reason. One of those ideologies is Cyber-Libertarianism or Technolibertarianism, whose roots go back to the cypherpunk culture of the 90s –from which cryptocurrencies would also be born. In 2009, the tech activists Adam Thierer and Berin Szoka summarized the characteristics of this ideological movement.

As a starting point, we can think of the mottos of this set of beliefs: “Live & Let Live” and “Hands Off the Internet!” —which give us good clues about this ideology. According to Thierer and Szoka, cyber-libertarianism was created as a claim to let all users be free inside the digital world. And by “free,” they, of course, refer to freedom from governmental and corporate controls.

“Cyber-libertarianism refers to the belief that individuals—acting in whatever capacity they choose (as citizens, consumers, companies, or collectives)—should be at liberty to pursue their own tastes and interests online (...) Cyber-libertarians believe true «Internet freedom» is freedom from state action; not freedom for the State to reorder our affairs to supposedly make certain people or groups better off or to improve some amorphous «public interest».”

\Like many others before and after, they believe there are “unaccountable elites” trying to impose their own rules on the rest of the people, and we can’t let that happen in cyberspace. This may be true or not true, but the reasons to protect our freedom in the digital realm are quite justified so far.

Countries like China, Iran, Pakistan, and Russia apply heavy censorship and surveillance of the Internet to their citizens. Meanwhile, even the land of “freedom,” the United States, has restrictions for certain online content, and their intelligence services are conducting global surveillance programs. The need to protect our online privacy and freedom is there, undoubtedly.

Rights and Views in Cyber-Libertarianism

For cyber-libertarians, the distinction between social and economic freedom dissolves. Advocating liberty in both spheres, they contend that curtailing freedom in one domain inevitably impacts the other. The philosophy rejects government intervention in addressing "code failures" (market failures), emphasizing voluntary market responses over coercive bureaucratic solutions.

When addressing policy issues, the philosophy favors parental empowerment and self-regulation over censorship in free speech and child safety. Privacy policy and online advertising should rely on user empowerment and industry self-regulation, avoiding unintended consequences on freedom of speech and commerce. Regarding net neutrality, they oppose "open access" regulation, advocating for market-driven solutions and innovation.

On Internet taxation, the stance is against special taxes, aiming for equal treatment of all businesses, online or on-ground. Online gambling is seen as a personal freedom, difficult to entirely suppress on the Internet, anyway. On the other hand, cyber-libertarians are divided on intellectual property (IP) matters, with some in favor and some others against it.

In considering the prospects for their proposals, pessimists cyber-libertarians fear government encroachment and expanding regulations. Optimists, however, envision the triumph of "Technologies of Freedom," tools and methods that outpace government regulatory capabilities, asserting that technology's rapid evolution will outstrip governmental attempts at control. That’s where Obyte stands.

Cryptocurrencies as a cyber-libertarian tool

Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum, or Obyte were created to protect our online freedom and beyond —our financial freedom. These assets, with their decentralized nature, cryptographic security, and autonomy from traditional banking systems, have become pivotal tools in realizing the cyber-libertarian vision. They can empower individuals to transact and interact everywhere, anytime, without the need for intermediaries, challenging the established financial order.

Crypto coins enhance confidentiality by allowing users to conduct transactions pseudonymously, reducing the risk of personal information exposure associated with traditional banking systems. This increased privacy empowers individuals to have greater control over their financial data, mitigating the vulnerabilities associated with centralized databases.

Moreover, cryptocurrencies operate on distributed ledger systems, ensuring transparency and immutability of transactions. This reduces the risk of fraud and corruption, while their decentralized nature also guards against censorship. Transactions cannot be arbitrarily blocked or controlled by any single authority (in Obyte, even by multiple powerful players), and funds can’t be frozen or seized.

Likewise, they offer a level of financial inclusion that traditional systems may struggle to provide. Individuals without access to traditional banking services can participate in the global economy, fostering economic empowerment and bridging gaps in financial access. This inclusivity aligns with the principles of financial freedom, allowing people to transact and engage in cyber-economic activities without barriers.

Additionally, the adoption of cryptocurrencies challenges the traditional financial system's monopoly, providing an alternative that is less susceptible to inflationary pressures and government interventions. The finite supply of certain cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin and Obyte, offers a hedge against currency devaluation and centralized control, thereby preserving the value of individuals' assets and providing a form of financial autonomy.

Crypto Self-regulation vs. Government Regulation

The Cyber-Libertarian stance on self-regulation versus government regulation is a critical facet of its ideology. They think potential issues are better addressed by voluntary, spontaneous, bottom-up community responses rather than coerced, top-down, governmental solutions.

In the crypto world, whose roots run deep into cyber-libertarianism, proponents of self-regulation argue that the inherent design of cryptocurrencies, often governed by consensus mechanisms and open-source protocols, can effectively address issues like fraud and market manipulation without external oversight. This approach champions the principles of autonomy and trust within the crypto community.

On the contrary, government regulation seeks to bring digital assets into the existing legal framework, addressing concerns related to illicit activities and investor protection. Striking a balance between fostering innovation and mitigating risks, governments worldwide are exploring regulatory frameworks for the cryptocurrency space. To date, according to the US Library of Congress Report, at least 103 countries (53% of 195) have applied some kind of regulation to cryptocurrencies.

However, it’s important to consider that cryptocurrency's open-source nature plays a pivotal role in bypassing state regulations. Decentralized projects, driven by community collaboration, can evolve and adapt swiftly, creating tools and platforms resistant to government interference. Open-source software tools, such as DAG based distributed ledgers, decentralized exchanges, privacy-focused coins, and also Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) enable users to engage in transactions beyond the purview of traditional regulatory mechanisms.

Therefore, we can say that, so far, the optimistic view of cyber-libertarianism is already here: technologies of freedom are winning, even if state lawmakers keep fighting.

Obyte as a tool for freedom in cyberspace

As we delve into practical applications of cyber-libertarianism, Obyte emerges as a noteworthy case study. This is a distributed ledger platform designed for secure and private transactions. It aligns with cyber-libertarian principles by offering a decentralized environment that enables users to transact freely without intermediaries.

Obyte's approach to consensus mechanisms reflects the cyber-libertarian preference for voluntary, spontaneous arrangements and rules. Its Directed Acyclic Graph (DAG) structure ensures higher decentralization, compared with other crypto ecosystems dominated by miners or so-called “validators”. Obyte doesn’t have any of it, relying instead on users directly adding their transactions to the distributed ledger, while the order of those transactions is established with the help of Order Providers (OPs): reputable players that don’t have a lot of power over the network.

This way, Obyte is fostering a system where individuals can engage in economic activities without the burden of excessive regulations. It also provides a framework within which various models of organizing commerce and community can flourish alongside and in competition with each other —as cyber-libertarianism proposes. The platform doesn’t impose a single utopian vision but instead seeks to enable diverse approaches to digital interactions. Everyone is welcome to try its functions and also to build new apps in this ecosystem.

At its core, Obyte champions privacy, autonomy, and censorship resistance, fully aligning with the principles cherished by cyber-libertarians. In this ecosystem, users have the autonomy to control their digital identities and assets, promoting a vision where the ideals of individual rights and privacy can flourish in the digital realm.

Featured Vector Image by pch.vector / Freepik