Will Online Erasure Be a 21st Century Form Of Damnatio Memoriae?
Introduction
In line with my desire to try to increase engagement and discussion I would like to occasionally post on more hypothetical subjects with a view to fostering debate.
The topics may be more controversial and far fetched compared to my normal posts but with the aim of creating a more colourful conversation.
I will be posting these with the primary #debate tag and would invite others to do the same.
Today I'm looking at 21st Century Damnatio Memoriae:
What is Damnatio Memoriae?
In ancient Rome there existed a punishment that was considered to be worse than death.
Members of society who committed treasonous acts or dishonoured the state would suffer "damnatio memoriae".
The literal meaning of this is damnation/condemnation of memory. These transgressors would literally be erased from history.
Their names would be removed from all records, their property would be seized and any artwork that featured their image would be destroyed or altered.
If carried out to its full extent, it would seem like the transgressor never existed.
A similar practice existed in ancient Egypt where it was believed that removal of a person's name would actually affect them beyond the grave.
In more recent times the USSR would "remove" people who fell out of favour with the regime from photographs and records in addition to imprisonment (or execution).
To the outside world and even within the Soviet Union itself, these people simply ceased to exist.
As more and more of our lives move online we may be creating the circumstances for a new kind of electronic - "damnatio memoriae".
The Information Meta-State (IMS)
Today an ever increasing amount of our information is stored online.
This information is controlled, manipulated and regulated by giant corporations like Google, Facebook and Microsoft.
These corporations have vast wealth that is equivalent to some nation states.
Their true power in my opinion comes from the control they have over our information as well as the ability to access it.
This reaches across national boundaries and will likely continue to grow as more and more things are moving online.
Now, more than ever, information is power.
Organisations like Google are not merely wealthy they have the kind of powers that previously only countries and governments would have.
In a sense one could say that they comprise a kind of Information Meta-State (yes it is a terrible name but I couldn't think of anything better).
In some respects they are even more powerful than certain conventional nation states because their power reaches far beyond regular geographic boundaries.
According to ComScore Google still holds over 60% of the desktop search market.
Their mobile search dominance is even greater due to Android being the major mobile OS.
It is very easy for an organisation with such a vast amount of power to abuse it - their interests do not necessarily align with those of their users.
This possibility increases even more if they collude with other powerful organisations, particularly governments.
This is what may ultimately make the IMS even more powerful than any single state government.
Omission by Decree
Recently Google and Bing agreed to "voluntarily" remove or demote links (in the UK) that media industry lobbying groups consider to be infringing copyright.
According to a Telegraph Article
"US tech giants Google and Microsoft have reached a truce with the Government and the creative industries in a bitter and long-running battle over links to pirated films and music online."
"The agreement follows years of campaigning by record labels and film studios, which have accused Google and Microsoft of turning a blind eye to piracy and dragging their feet over measures to protect copyright online."
This sets a troubling precedent.
It is a worrying example of how supposedly independent organisations can collude to serve particular interests and government pressure.
It makes sense from a business perspective. As a corporation Google wants to make money and so wants to maintain good relationships with governments.
The problem is that doing what the government wants is not always what is right or in the best interests of their customers.
Governments have a tendency to change their minds over time about what is right and wrong, who they like and who they don't as well as what can and can't be said.
The Soviet Union may have been an extreme example but they all engage in this to some degree as administrations change and their perceptions change too.
Over-Reach Seems to be the Norm
If there is one thing governments and agencies like doing it is over-reaching and misusing their power.
I believe it is a fundamental issue that stems from the human tendency for corruption and the general motivation that we have to make our lives as easy as possible.
Certain laws and actions start off with one intention but they often get used to do other things and I think it is for this very reason.
Today government pressure might be fighting piracy but could it go further in the future?
Could governments start taking such actions against individuals they don't "like" or find problematic.
For example, imagine you were a whistle-blower or a political critic which the government considered a threat.
Could they put pressure on a company like Google to remove you from search results?
If they can get Google to do it for piracy why not this?
Maybe they would just accuse you of piracy - seems like in modern times it is one of the worst crimes you can commit.
What if LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter agreed to remove or freeze your accounts?
It is already easy for states to freeze your bank accounts and stop you from financially transacting.
Will the future involve freezing your online social transactions - a kind of erasure of your online "name"?
I am not sure that I would trust them to exercise restraint:
A Functional Damnatio Memoriae?
This could be a more insidious form of punishment than imprisonment.
Although it is unlikely you could be completely erased from the web, the distinction may become entirely academic if you rely on companies like Google, Facebook and the like for your business:
We hear all the time how important social media marketing is, how it is your brand.
People now spend many hours if not years cultivating their networks and online social connections.
This may not apply to all occupations yet but as time passes those that are immune to it will become a smaller and smaller subset.
As more and more jobs move online and more people become self employed, destroying your personal brand could literally leave you financially destitute and potentially living on the streets.
Additionally when much of conversation, media and information sharing occurs online you could find yourself losing your voice and your ability to network with others too.
As time passes this kind of action will have more and more drastic consequences.
In some ways this online marginalisation could be just as effective as physically removing you from society.
What could previously be accomplished by banishment, exile or execution may be done more quickly and efficiently by just erasing you or blocking you from vital parts of the web.
What is the Solution?
One solution that I can think of is greater use of decentralised systems.
Without the ability of a central authority to control something there is less scope for governments and other organisations to interfere and over-reach.
Blockchains are one example. On a truly decentralised blockchain no central authority can erase or block your information.
Taking the example of bitcoin you would need to control or surpass the majority of the hash-rate (a 51% attack) in order to do this.
This is not impossible but it does at least create a protective barrier of sorts.
Blockchains are not just a means of storing your assets without government intrusion, they could also protect you from this form of marginalisation and isolation.
The more blockchain platforms like Steemit that we have, the greater the protective safety net will be.
It is one of the best ways to counter the over-centralisation and concentration of power that we see all around us.
The big problem I think is convincing the masses of the need for this.
Most of them seem to be blissfully unaware of such issues.
Conclusion
As more and more of our lives are transferred online and we put our trust in large corporations to manage our online personas, we also put ourselves at the mercy of their judgement and actions.
It is all too easy for them to act against our interests and collude with organisations which may not have our best interests at heart.
Making us disappear online or denying us our online personas may eventually be just as disabling to our lives as actual imprisonment and other more ancient forms of punishment.
It may seem far fetched but that does not mean it can't or won't happen.
Decentralised platforms which duplicate the functions of these organisations may offer us some degree of protection against such eventualities.
This will require educating people to potential threats that they may currently be ignorant of.
What do you think? Please have your say in the comments.
Thank you for reading
References
- Wikipedia contributors. 2017. “Damnatio Memoriae.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. February 26. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Damnatio_memoriae&oldid=767515350.
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I think this is a super important topic that warrants discussion. I know that @corbettreport is helping to spread Steemit awareness.
There is also a decentralized p2p youtube in beta called bitchute https://www.bitchute.com/
I was going to do a write-up on it for steemit.
I think the best way to combat the technocracy is to participate in agorism like steemit, but it is really important that we get steemit right. While steemit is decentralized in regards to flagging and content moderation, there are still some problems that I think can be solved with a decentralized steemit legal system that I have proposed here: (not to self promote) https://steemit.com/steemit/@libertyweekly/a-proposal-for-decentralized-justice-regarding-flagging-fraudulent-behavior-and-user-disputes-on-steemit
Thanks yes I agree and I know them too :)
Please do so and message me when you do if you have time.
No problem thanks for the link. I will check it out when I have a moment. Thanks for talking the time to respond:)
will do! I've been into anarchy and stuff for a while, but never gotten into crypto-sphere. It's super exciting.
Thx for the response, take care!
Yes it is definitely exciting. Thanks for getting involved in the discussion:)
ok
Very though provoking post.
It seems we are getting ever closer to living in an episode of BlackMirror.
For sure blockchain tech is the way forward and for now it seems the Govt do not see it as such a threat. But they do have their eye on it ready to clamp down if needed. However, the longer they wait the stronger the blockchain movement and the crytpo.currency movement will become until it becomes unstoppable.
Networks such MAIDESAFE will be big in the future and possibly the BURST coin network, which is already being called "the working mans Bitcoin", and is probably the first truly decentralised altcoin at the moment.
Anyone can mine BURST on their laptop as it uses hardly any power unlike Bitcoin that uses huge amounts, and that makes it a true peer-to.-peer economy.
People are gradually waking up due to feeling the hammer of censorship banging on their door.
For the ordinary Joe or Jane who have never heard of the blockchain revolution, Steemit is showing to be their first door of entry and they are finding it liberating.
Only yesterday a newbie was desperately trying to find a way to by more steem, but she had no bank account to be able to buy Bitcoin.
I saw her question and directed her to some websites that sell Bitcoin without the use of a bank card or bank account.
People are waking up little by little.
We must keep strong and keep going and perhaps one day it will the collective "us" who wipe away the controlling forces from history.
Excellent thought provoking post - as usual.
Thanks. I think you are right people are gradually coming to the realisation I just hope it happens before we go too far.
Looks like we are engaging one another quite well here. I prefer to take things slowly. Please excuse me if I come off arrogant or selfish. It's just Frank being off the cuff. A trust factor has to be earned on both sides. With that being said. Please excuse me from this enlightened and elegant conversation. Look forward to more of this as time permits.
Good day gentlemen.
Scary thought. I am not a fan of the concept. I prefer knowing actual history in all its positives and negatives. Omission can totally change the context of reality and makes the thing potentially a lie. Thus, I am not in favor.
Yet, sadly it does happen. This makes me think of Ben Swann. This more or less happened to him very recently.
I think as time moves on it will become easier and easier to do.
I for one will be one who attempts to fight such a thing occurring.
Yes me too!
Those born into 1984 cannot see what is wrong, as they know nothing different.
Yes, this is a concern.
Pardon me...gentlemen. I don't like to give out my real age, but I do recognize signs. The very fact that we were able to come together on this platform and can actually engage with one another, in deep thought. I don't just think it was by chance or by luck. Matter of fact, I really don't know what to call it. So excuse me for just being Frank. I just feel that I am doing what I was destined to do while enjoying the time with my family and friends.
I had to move it back here as the level you replied to is at the maximum nesting level.
We are making generalizations. There will be exceptions to every generation as we are all individuals. This being oblivious to what was done is not unique to any one generation, it can happen to any. Yet that doesn't mean everyone in a generation is that way.
My current method of fighting is just to write about and talk about critical thinking. I don't tell people what they should believe (or I try not to) but I do encourage them to do their own thinking, and try to help them start to see and avoid common logical fallacies that seem to rule across many generations at the moment.
The big problems, I think the most likely way we will ever solve them is if we all have our own minds, understand how to speak with others who also use critical thinking, and tread our own paths rather than trying to indicate our path is the one everyone should follow.
Yet, I do know and have witnessed how the world can be totally alien when changes occur an a person is born after those changes. You can imagine the world before those changes if they are described and you read them, but they are not as internal.
A good example today is all of the people blindly and gleefully shouting to end free speech. Unless, you say what they want to hear. The obsession with triggering words, and safe spaces.
This is NOT you necessarily, but there a lot of people that this describes, and I believe that is an example of the group of people @thecryptofiend and I am referring to as being born into 1984 and not being able to see it.
Very well put.
This idea that everyone should think the same way and believe exactly the same things is straight out of the work of Orwell or the Soviet Union for that matter.
A healthy society is one that allows discussion and debate.
I apologize dwinblood if I sounded to off the cuff, no need for any negativity or violence. We have been called to higher level to interact in a civilized manner. I truly admire your mental inspiration and GREAT knowledge that I did not have enough time...yet to fully acknowledge. This is truly an honor to be around liked minded individuals which are not easy to find these days. Please carry on gents, I look forward to read more of anything I missed.
In fact, if it came to it that is something I'd put my life on the line to fight if that was the only way to fight.
My concern is that these things happen so gradually that we may not even realise they are happening.
If we look at the surveillance state, a decade ago I think it would have been shocking but when I discuss it with the younger generation like my little brother - it seems like they don't even see it as a problem!
By the time something like this really starts become severe we may be too old too stop it and the younger generation may be so cultural programmed so as to not even see it as a problem.
That is one of the things that really worries me. Perceptions change so fast.
quietly clears throat...
This is an attracting debate with politics, life, discussion, & most importantly BLOCKCHAIN.
I like it!
Please carry on gents...
Pleased you like it but what do you think?
Could it happen? Is it happening now?
It's certainly plausible. I can envision something along the way that you wrote. I don't necessarily like it. But I have the confidence that the many will eventually prevail. And yes, it could happen and possibly slowly showing signs of it now. The few that are conscious to it, will do their do diligence when the time comes.
What do you have to say to that, if I may ask?
I think I would agree with you - I think it isn't hear yet for most people. In some respects we have seen examples of this sort of thing but they have been well publicised - e.g. KimDotcom etc. so only really partial examples.
When it happens silently and is not publicised is when it will be particularly dangerous because those people and their voices will just disappear.
Imagine one day you go to log into your business Facebook page or you business gmail and find it is just closed or cut off and you have no recourse to get it back.
Further if it is tied up to your online identity and that gets blocked you may find yourself completely shut out of society.
Imagine if some future government made it so that your online identity was needed to buy food, water or pay your bills.
Being locked out this way could potentially leave you homeless, starving and even dead.
Ok, all that I agree. Just to be Frank, I'm not scared. I could see most people in fear of all those things, but I'm not most people. Not to brag, Just being Frank.
Wow I never thought of this as a form of punishment. Although it seems to work with teenager so why not with adults? If you take away a teens phone or internet access they lose their minds.
Exactly :)
Chinese Google is doing political censorship on chinese history, so its's a real problem (I think chinese people could solve this by using TOR). If you believe Snowden, Google is cooperating with CIA also.
As you wrote, it's natural for corporation to collude with governments instead of fighting them.
So blockchains and cryptography are part of the solution (for both privacy and censorship problems). Governments could make laws to protect privacy, but this is beyond our will.
I am more scared about violation of privacy than virtual damnatio memoriae. Personally I try not to give my real name to FB or Google, but it would be easy for them to link my accounts to my real identity with little effort.
The optimist in me says awareness and technology will save us.
I think Steemit is a step in the right direction.
Thanks great points. I think China is a brilliant example.
Yes and I think governments aren't interested in privacy because it could make things harder for them particularly FBI and investigative agencies.
Yes that is my hope.
Exactly.
Great article 😄 And a great perspective on this area.
An interesting counterpoint to the idea of Damnatio Memoriae is where people want to do this voluntarily. This is actually something that is quite difficult to do. I recently attempted to erase as much of my online presence as possible and discovered, predictably, that it depended entirely on the cooperation of the data stores' operators.
Essentially it is the Right to be Forgotten. For ordinary Joes and Janes this perhaps more important than being remembered, because there's so much information that we leave "lying around", plus the more voluminous stores of information collected about us by first and third parties.
Perhaps the real analogy then is that one can lose the ability to affect what exists about themselves online. For example, hackers often seem to get punishments restricting, perhaps completely forbidding, their use of the Internet. This is more or less in line with the vast oversight of which you refer I think.
This is certainly even more of a problem with permanent blockchain technology. There is a kind of hypothetical story that goes around of posting drunken photos on Facebook and wanting them removed because of professional embarrassment at some later date when one is older and wiser. That's why for really personal information, I'm more in favor of a yet to be developed system where one is explicitly asked for permission to use identifying information, and this permission can be revoked at any time.
So the compromise solution then becomes the right to alias or anonymity, which is the fundamental driver of the Right to Be Forgotten. Case in point, @personz on Steemit!
Yes and think that is a good point. It is a matter of control and having the ability to govern or control your information yourself or another party doing it which may or may not do it in a way that benefits you.
I think I have heard people discuss such systems using a blockchain.
Yes I think in certain situations though e.g. running an online business using an alias is more problematic and may get you into regulatory issues depending on exactly what you are doing and where you are located.
As blockchain systems evolve and people get more used to the nature to how they function (not necessarily needing trust) this might change.
Thanks for such a great answer :)
Indeed, Know Your Customer regulation is one of the fundamentals of the banking industry for example, among others.
I know it's pie in the sky, but perhaps it's the regulations that need to be changed, or another way to do it, like an "identity escrow". That way both parties can be protected, and if the transaction goes off without a hitch, no one needs to permanently store identity information.
If I just invented that concept, the record is here! 😁
Lol I think the ethereum guys have been discussing something similar before unless I'm mistaken.
I think it's quite impossible to delete yourself from the internet. With your stuff on cloud and your records with the government and various companies you have relationship with, e.g., telcos, utilities and all. Probably, something we just have to live with and be safe when accessing.
You mentioned FB, Google and Microsoft but forgot twitter. :-)
Did you hear about TGIF?
Twitter
Google
Internet
Facebook
Maybe Internet has now become Instagram for all I know.
Yes what I was talking about was having your important accounts frozen or rendered unusable - whether some of your information still exists or not is irrelevant if you are ruined from a financial standpoint and excluded from certain services.
Yes, but i know there is always someone with administrator's whom i have to worry about.
Information Nation?
Yes that sounds better - although it sounds like a documentary name :)