Shows
The DecentralistsThe Decentralists: Hot Topix – Russia’s ZuckerbergPavel Durov is a Russian business executive and entrepreneur serving as the chief executive officer (CEO) of the secure messaging service, Telegram since 2013. Telegram is basically the WhatsApp if Eastern Europe.Along with his brother Nikolai Durov, he founded the social network VKontakt, a Russian version of Facebook, in 2006, which quickly became the most popular social network in Russia before founding Telegram in 2013 and leaving Russia for Dubai.As of 25 August 2024, Durov was the 120th richest person in the world, with a net worth of $15.5 billion, according to Forbes largely driven by his...2025-01-1440 minThe DecentralistsHot Topix: MEGA - Make Elon Great AgainIt’s time for yet another Hot Topix involving everyone’s favourite Billionaire nemesis, Elon Musk.For those of you who have been living under a rock, Elon Musk is a South Africa-born, American tech entrepreneur who made his initial fortune co-founding and then selling the online payment platform PayPal. With his millions from PayPal, Musk embarked on a Howard Hughes like adventure, taking whacky ideas from the fringes, electric cars and colonising Mars and made them mainstream with Tesla and SpaceX. Like Hughes, Musk has amassed a ridiculous fortune from his crazy ideas...2024-10-3035 min
The DecentralistsHot Topix: The Balance of PowerThe war in Ukraine is at a stalemate and a ‘new’ conflict has exploded in Gaza occupying the world’s attention. Partisan politics has tied up American funding in Washington, and Ukrainians are freezing in the dead of winter. To make matters worse, Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin are threatening the world more than ever before. There’s a palpable sense that we’re on the brink of something terrible, especially considering the spectre of a second Trump Presidency.To quote Malcolm Gladwell, the war in Ukraine is a tipping point. What’s really at s...2024-02-2037 min
The DecentralistsHot Topix: Microblogging - Holding on by a ThreadIt has now been a little over six months since Meta rolled out "Threads" - Their supposed X (Formerly known as Twitter) killer. Like Twitter, Threads is available as both an app and a desktop client, and it offers users the ability to post and share short text posts, images, and videos, as well as interact with other users' posts through replies, "reposts," and likes. Current estimates put total Threads users at around 160 Million accounts.The path that Threads is following is littered with has-beens, wannabes and hand-wringing venture capitalists - Gab, Truth Social, Parler, GETTR, Bluesky... A...2024-01-2537 min
The DecentralistsHot Topix: Was Russia involved?On October 7th, full scale war broke out in Gaza between Hamas, a terrorist group and Israel. Thousands of rockets from Gaza pounded Israeli settlements killing 1200 people, Israeli retaliatory strikes have killed tens of thousands. The Israel / Hamas war has taken public attention away from the frozen conflict in Ukraine just as Winter sets in. Is the Israel / Hamas war a coincidence or is there someone in the background pulling the strings? Tune in to this episode of The Decentralists as Henry, Mike and Geoff discuss some interesting coincidences that point to the Kremlin.2024-01-0825 min
The DecentralistsHot Topix: X Marks the MessIn October 2022, Elon Musk spent $44 billion buying Twitter which he subsequently renamed "X". Musk's purchase of Twitter took almost a year as the drama played out in front of our eyes. Elon first went public in early 2022, ironically on Twitter with a public spat with founder Jack Dorsey over what her perceived as a lack of free speech on the platform. When Jack didn't take the bait, Musk upped the ante by declaring that if he couldn't get satisfaction, he would buy Twitter and do it himself. This is our third podcast on the Twitter drama and g...2023-12-2735 minThe DecentralistsEpisode 13: Seizing Russian state assets to rebuild Ukraine: Will it end the war, or prolong it?International momentum is growing to seize Russian state assets, including central bank reserves to pay for the rebuilding of Ukraine. Otherwise, western taxpayers will end up footing the bill.Canada leads the world with Senator Ratna Omidvar's recent amendment to the Special Economic Measures Act (SEMA) allowing the seizure of Russian state assets and private assets to rebuild Ukraine. Other countries are poised to follow suit, but there’s concern that seizing assets could lead to a loss of leverage with Russia in terms of pressuring Putin to end the war.On this episode of Th...2023-12-1846 min
The DecentralistsThe Peace Coalition goes to Ottawa - Part 2After being summoned by the Government of Canada, Mike’s about to walk into several meetings with some of the highest-ranking officials and Ministers in Ottawa. Learn all the details including ‘what it’s really like’ within the hallowed halls of the House of Commons on Parliament Hill. Mike was rather surprised!Please join us to learn who’s involved, what was discussed, and the next steps to move forward on this episode of The Decentralists.2023-07-1825 min
The DecentralistsThe Peace Coalition goes to Ottawa - Part 1After more than nine months, Mike is back in Canada. Why? Well, he was summoned by the Government of Canada. An influential Member of Parliament and a well-respected Senator have heard about the unique plan to rebuild Ukraine that The Peace Coalition has developed, and they want to talk.Please join us to learn who’s involved, what was discussed, and the next steps to move forward on this episode of The Decentralists.2023-06-2832 min
The DecentralistsDecentralists in Ukraine - War in CyberspaceThe war in Ukraine is not just a physical war of tanks, trenches, artillery and attrition. It’s also being fought across the Internet on the social media front line and deep within the darkweb where armies of hackers from both sides fight a brutal cyberwar. Sometimes these electronic battles erupt into the daylight with both horrendous and hilarious results. Are there legitimate reasons to train national cyber-soldiers - a professional army of hacktivists? Find out what we’ve discovered in Ukraine on this episode of The Decentralists.2023-06-0634 min
The DecentralistsDecentralists in Ukraine - TechraineUkrainian people are very technically sophisticated, especially in the big cities like Kyiv and Lviv. Evenryone has the latest iPhone compete with air buds. You can order, pay and tip at every restaurant by scanning a QR code at your table. Banking is virtual and people pay and transfer money by sharing credit card numbers and tapping Apple Pay. Hungry? Glovo will deliver in the middle of an air raid and Uber, Uklon or Bolt will pick you up and drive you anywhere in Kyiv anytime.How did Ukraine become such a technically sophisticated nation? Tune...2023-05-0427 min
The DecentralistsDecentralists in Ukraine - The Corruption ConundrumUkrainians routinely complain about paying extra fees for expedited processing of documents, or to have a plumber repair their toilet. Kyiv is littered with unfinished apartment buildings because developers skim so much from the construction funds that the structure cannot be finished. Doing business in Ukraine is challenging and it’s not just because of the illegal Russian invasion. For decades corruption has been a reality. Is corruption inevitable in post-soviet countries? What effect could corruption have on Ukraine's recovery and rebuilding after the war? And how can it be eradicated?2023-04-0634 min
The DecentralistsDecentralists in Ukraine - Telegram from the KremlinWIRED recently published an explosive article The Kremlin has Entered your Telegram Chat, regarding the experience of Russian rights activist Marina Matsapulina. Matsapulina, like most Russians and indeed most Ukrainians, was using the globally-popular Russian-developed Telegram. Equivalent to the American WhatsApp, communicating through Telegram is touted as totally private and secure. So how did the Russian secret service know her every move?Is Telegram, the supposedly anti-authoritarian app co-founded by the mercurial Saint Petersburg native Pavel Durov, now doing the Kremlin’s bidding? Or it is compromised because its servers are located in Dubai, a kno...2023-03-1322 min
The DecentralistsDecentralists in Ukraine - An Application to Rebuild a NationWe came to Ukraine because we felt our mobile app could be incredibly helpful to refugees. Many agreed, so we redesigned it to enable displaced people to securely & privately report details of damage or destruction of their home, land and property (HLP). Ukraine must find an efficient way to document and process the expected millions of rebuilding claims, even from those who may not have a property deed or other formal proof of occupancy. Furthermore, political agreement and precedent must be established to seize Russian assets, leading to a legal mechanism to forfeit th...2023-02-2331 min
The DecentralistsDecentralists in Ukraine - Life in War TimeIt’s not easy traveling to Ukraine during wartime with multiple flights and a 24-hour train ride from Warsaw, but it’s certainly an adventure. You’ll find that Kyiv has every modern conveniece like ride-sharing, food delivery and digital government services. However, it also has daily air raid sirens, and deadly missile & drone attacks courtesy the Russian Federation. Most people speak English, restaurants are full and the bars make awesome cocktails, but a little anxiety is always palpable.Season 5 is all about Ukraine and its brave people so if you want to stay informed, listen to The...2023-01-0430 min
The DecentralistsReturn of The Decentralists: A Decentralist in UkraineIt’s been three months since we last released an episode of The Decentralists and for that we apologise. However, we have a pretty good excuse. Mike went to Kyiv for two weeks in early August on a mission for our non-profit, The Peer Social Foundation. He’s still there - deeply involved in planning the country’s recovery with the brave people of Ukraine. What the heck are the Decentralists doing in Ukraine? How do you even get there? What’s life really like in a war zone?Please...2022-12-1624 min
The DecentralistsHot Topix: Private SpiesPalantir, Clearview A.I., NSO Group, maker of the infamous Pegasus spyware, Anomaly 6 and Zignal are a few examples of private companies that offer to spy on anyone for a price. Anomaly 6, a mobile phone spyware solution set up by 2 former NSA military intelligence officers, can track roughly 3 billion devices in real time, equivalent to a fifth of the world’s population. Zignal Labs, a social media monitoring firm that leverages its access to Twitter’s rarely granted “firehose” data stream to sift through hundreds of millions of tweets per day without restriction.With their powers combined, A6 propos...2022-09-0826 min
The DecentralistsHot Topix: As American as Apple PayAs reported by the BBC, Affinity Credit Union in Iowa has filed a class action lawsuit against Apple regarding its ‘closed’ payment system, Apple Pay.The complaint alleges that Apple prevents consumers from using competing mobile wallets capable of offering competing tap and pay solutions. Affinity claims Apple charges banks and credit unions at least $1 billion in excess fees annually for the privilege of using Apple Pay. Is this surprising behaviour from Apple? Will Apple ever open its iOS ecosystem? Join The Decentralists as we discuss recipes for good ol’ American Apple Pay.2022-08-1116 min
The DecentralistsHot Topix: The Great Breach of ChinaThe largest data breach in history just occurred in China. According to Reuters the "Databases contain information on one billion Chinese national residents and several billion case records, including: name, address, birthplace, national ID number, mobile number, all crime/case details.”Apparently, the hacker “China Dan” is willing to sell the database for the relatively low sum of $200,000. At that price, many people and numerous governments could very soon own information on nearly every person in China.State censorship is working overtime to remove all mentions of the hack from the Chinese Internet, and the govern...2022-07-2825 min
The DecentralistsHot Topix: Elon being ElonAs we mused back in April on The Musk Stops Here, Elon Musk has not followed through on his promise to buy Twitter. Three months later, Musk has rescinded his purchase offer for the agreed upon $44 billion. Musk and Twitter are gearing up for a colossal legal battle in the Chancery Court of Delaware.What happened? Can Elon just change his mind like a pair of socks? What about the fallout for shareholders of Twitter and Tesla? We have lots to unpack regarding the latest Musk drama on this week's episode of T...2022-07-1416 minThe DecentralistsEpisode 12: Housing, Land and Property rights - A discussion with Yuliya Panfil from New Americaresearch institute, technology lab, solutions network, media hub and public forum. Our special guest is Yuliya Panfil, a senior fellow and director of New America’s Future of Land and Housing program.Two billion people—over a quarter of the world’s population—lack a fundamental human right: the right to property. This isn’t solely a problem in the developing world; nearly five million Americans lose their homes through eviction and mortgage foreclosure every year.How can decentralized technology help document HLP claims, and could this reduce future conflicts? Join the Decentralists with special gu...2022-06-3047 min
The DecentralistsHot Topix: Ten Years of StupidityTo paraphrase Jonathan Haight from his recent article in the Atlantic, WHY THE PAST 10 YEARS OF AMERICAN LIFE HAVE BEEN UNIQUELY STUPID, the proverbial tower of Babel has fallen and we barely noticed. Social Media has fragmented our societies, effected our mental health, and undermined our democracies.The switch to an algorithm-based advertising model and the billions of daily ‘likes’ and ‘retweets’ have caused the collapse of our previously fairly civil society in just ten short years.On this episode, the Decentralists discuss Johnathan Haight’s undeniable evidence that social media is responsible for the declin...2022-06-1632 min
The DecentralistsDo you see what I see?Human-rights rights group Global Witness recently revealed that Facebook pushes climate sceptics towards increasingly extreme disinformation and conspiracy groups. The researchers created two users - climate sceptic "Jane", and "John" who followed established scientific information. They then tracked what Facebook's algorithm suggested to both accounts.Jane soon saw content denying man-made climate change, including pages calling it a "hoax" and attacking measures to mitigate its effects. Meanwhile, John's account began by liking the page of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the United Nations scientific body. In stark contrast to Jane, John was consistently shown r...2022-05-2632 min
The DecentralistsHot Topix: The InternotVirtual Private Network (VPN) apps are increasingly popular in countries like Russia and China. Clearly there are millions interested in circumventing their government’s efforts to censor and control free speech on the Internet. This is certainly admirable, but at what cost?The Internet is actually surprisingly easy to filter and block, so censoring citizens is a breeze. We see the truth regarding the unjust war in Ukraine, yet Russian newsfeeds present a completely different story to every person connected in Russia. Why is it so easy to filter and block the Internet, and are...2022-05-0427 min
The DecentralistsHot Topix: The Musk stops hereLast week Elon Musk purchased 9% of Twitter’s stock for $3 billion. This makes him the company’s largest single shareholder. Then he announced his intention to take a seat on Twitter’s board of directors - and then he changed his mind. Electric cars, satellites, hyperloops, rockets, and now Elon Musk can count social media as one of his expensive hobbies. What does this mean for the future of Twitter and social media in general?Why does Elon Musk want to own Twitter? Join us this week as The Decentralists try to understand his motivat...2022-04-2119 min
The DecentralistsHot Topix: Diving into the DMAThe EU has recently proposed a new law to increase competition in cyberspace. Called the "Digital Markets Act" or "DMA", it applies to the world’s largest tech companies providing what are called "core platform services", such as social networks and search engines. Companies like Facebook, Google, Twitter and even that darling of Europe, Spotify.While the EU has pretty strict privacy laws, their enforcement and fines have been pretty toothless. In many cases companies like Facebook have simply paid the fines with money they've found under their lunchroom couch cushions and just carried on.Th...2022-04-0722 min
The DecentralistsHot Topix: Deception, Destruction and Resurrection in UkraineIncredibly and unjustifiably, Ukraine is being destroyed by Russian soldiers, artillery and tanks that look more like a 1942 newsreel than a 2022 newsfeed. However, today both sides are also armed with instant messaging and social media.Please join us as Mike & Henry discuss Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s mastery of digital media, Vladimir Putin’s reaction, and how this affects the ten million displaced Ukrainians and global perceptions.Is there hope for the millions of brand-new refugees who’ve lost absolutely everything? The Decentralists believe that cutting-edge technology and mobile phones can create a digital resurrection for refuge...2022-03-2233 minThe DecentralistsData Unions: They’re not what you think they areThis week on The Decentralists we have a very special guest: Dr. Victoria Lemieux, Associate Professor of Archival Science, and Founder of the Blockchain Faculty at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. Vicki’s research is focused the availability of trustworthy records. In particular, blockchain record keeping systems, and how these risks impact transparency, financial stability, public accountability and even human rights.Join us as The Decentralists discuss Data Unions with Dr. Lemieux and learn what they really are, and why they’re such an important component of the blockchain ecosystem.2022-03-051h 05
The DecentralistsHot Topix: The Last DanceWho knew a 15 second video of someone doing a goofy dance move would be such a popular way to ‘get social’ online? From these humble beginnings, TikTok has grown into a a bona-fide global social media phenomenon. To put the TikTok phenomenon in perspective, TikTok got more Internet traffic than Google in 2021 and Google handles almost every Internet search!But this success comes at a very high price.How can any social media company like TikTok or the ‘next TikTok’ even consider getting into a business where moderation is a necessity for every post? J...2022-02-2425 min
The DecentralistsHot Topix: The Great App Store of ChinaThe Chinese government has been getting tough with Tech lately, especially Chinese tech firms. Starting with the effective neutering of Alibaba founder Jack Ma a few years back, the Chinese government has been putting increased regulations in place and issuing vague guidelines in an effort to assert more control over the population.Kids are limited in how much time they are allowed to play on-line games like Fortnite, social media companies need to ensure nothing is said against the Communist Party and online tutoring companies have even bid forbidden to make money! The Chinese Uber, Didi is...2022-02-0921 min
The DecentralistsHot Topix: White Hat or Black Hat?We have been ringing alarm bells about invasive surveillance technologies like facial recognition and electronic surveillance in multiple blog posts and podcast episodes over the years. Two of the biggest offenders, Clearview AI and NSO Group have come under a lot of fire recently and are getting banned and sued as a result.Clearview AI and NSO Group’s technology was allegedly built to enable legitimate law-enforcement and government to do their jobs, what happened?Should hackers be allowed to create private companies out of their technology and market to the highest bidder?2022-01-2624 minThe DecentralistsEpisode 11: The Psychology of Identity with Dr. Agnieszka Rychwalska - Part 1To open Season 4 of The Decentralists we are joined by a very special guest, Dr. Agnieszka Rychwalska, Assistant Professor of Psychology and researcher at the Center for Complex Systems and New Technologies at The Robert Zajonc Institute for Social Studies at the University of Warsaw. Among other things, Dr. Rychwalska studies the application of complex systems in psychological and social processes (modelling and analysis of social networks, experimental study of social impact mechanisms, analysis of large data sets from social networks mediated by new technologies), in particular to study the impact of new information technologies on social...2022-01-131h 01
The DecentralistsHot Topix: Crypto a No Go2021 was a good year but also a bad year for cryptocurrencies.On January 1st 2021, Bitcoin was trading for approximately USD $29000 per coin and its value has more than doubled over the year reaching USD $66000 at one point. Bitcoin’s largest ‘competitor’ , Ethereum, has been on an even better run in ’21 starting the year at USD $737 per token and hitting a high of USD $4800 - a 6.5x increase.These types of returns would make any investment manager blush yet crypto still struggles to go mainstream, why?Join the Decentralists as we explain why cryptocu...2022-01-0621 min
The DecentralistsHot Topix: So long Jack…againJack Dorsey, the co-founder of Twitter recently announced that he was resigning as CEO of Twitter - again. This is not the first time Jack has departed Twitter’s CEO role, but at least this time it was his choice, apparently.Just like Steve Jobs when he was ousted as the CEO at Apple, Jack again proved his tech visionary credentials by forming the online payments firm, Square (now named Block).Unlike Steve Jobs however, Jack Dorsey will not oversee the potential renaissance of Twitter…but maybe that’s a good thing.Why di...2021-12-3021 min
The DecentralistsGame Changers: How much could a credential breach cost your company? with special guest, Scott Chu, UBC Masters StudentGreat ideas can be Game Changers and we talk to the people who made them great!On this episode of The Decentralists we speak with Scott Chu, a 2nd year Masters student in Management Information Systems at the Sauder School of Business at the University of British Columbia. Scott’s research interests are focused on investigating how organizations can harness advances in technology to realize certain business benefits. His research as an intern with Manyone this past summer, involved comparing annual financial performance measures between firms that experienced different types of data breaches, to...2021-12-0223 min
The DecentralistsGame Changers: Can Decentralization and Blockchain technology help Refugees? with special guest Sadaf Ahmadbeigi, UBC Masters StudentGreat ideas can be Game Changers and we talk to the people who made them great!On this episode of The Decentralists we speak with Sadaf Ahmadbeigi, a candidate for Dual Master of Archival Studies and Library and Information Studies, class of 2022. Sadaf is a recipient of the current Association of Research Libraries/Society of American Archivist - Mosaic Award, for their leadership role in gathering and processing oral history accounts from queer Iranian communities.As a member of the Blockchain Faculty at UBC, Sadaf is exploring ways to guarantee safety and transparency...2021-11-2419 min
The DecentralistsGame Changers: A new approach to Self-sovereign Identity on a Blockchain, with special guest, Ali FarahbakhshThe Decentralists are introducing a new segment called Game Changers. Great ideas can be Game Changers and we will talk to the people who made them great!On this episode we talk with Ali Farahbakhsh, Master of Applied Science student at the University of British Columbia. Ali has dual degrees in Electrical Engineering and Mathematics, with a broad range of research interests including: Communication networks, information theory, and distributed systems. This past summer, Ali was a research Intern with the Peer Social Foundation, designing a purpose-built blockchain for digital id...2021-11-1815 minThe DecentralistsEpisode 10: Why Decentralization Matters: A conversation with Transitional Justice analyst Dr. Jon UnruhThis week on The Decentralists we have a very special guest, Dr. Jon Unruh, Transitional Justice advocate and Associate Professor of Geography at McGill University in Montreal. Dr. Unruh has over 25 years’ experience in developing and implementing research, policy and practice on war-affected land and property rights in the Middle East, Latin America, Africa, and Asia - and has published widely on these topics. His specialty is housing, land and property (or HLP) restitution claims in war-affected scenarios. Most recently, he has assisted the UN in HLP restitution programs in Sri Lanka, Iraq, Syria and Yemen; and he’...2021-11-1059 minThe DecentralistsEpisode 9: Crypto or not to Crypto? Fundamental questions for Economic-Sociologist Dr. Nigel DoddDr. Nigel Dodd is Professor in the Sociology Department at the London School of Economics. He obtained his PhD from the University of Cambridge in 1991 on the topic of Money in Social Theory, and lectured at the University of Liverpool before joining the LSE in 1995. Nigel’s main interests are the sociology of money, economic sociology, and classical and contemporary social thought. He’s the author of The Sociology of Money and Social Theory and Modernity. His most recent book, The Social Life of Money, was published by Princeton University Press in September of 2014. Professor Dodd currently teach...2021-10-2658 min
The DecentralistsHot Topix: An Epic Victory?A little over a year ago on The Decentralists - Store Wars, we talked about the looming legal battle between Apple and Epic Games, maker of Fortnite. In a high profile trial, Epic Games had challenged the up-to-30% cut Apple takes from purchases - and argued that the App Store was monopolistic. Epic games declared victory when Judge Yvonne Gonzalez-Rogers Issued a permanent injunction, stating that Apple could no longer prohibit developers linking to their own purchasing mechanisms.Apple also claimed victory when the Judge ruled that with the evidence provided, the court co...2021-10-1417 min
The DecentralistsHot Topix: Proton TorpedoedProtonMail is a a secure, end-to-end encrypted email service developed by a group of scientists working at CERN in Switzerland. On their website, ProtonMail touts that their servers are located in Switzerland, and therefore subject to very strict Swiss privacy laws, as the primary reason to pay for the service.ProtonMail is used by journalists, whistle blowers and activists all over the world precisely because its is secure, private and untraceable.Until recently that is.Russell Brandom from the Verge recently exposed a flaw in the ProtonMail business model and it w...2021-10-0526 minThe DecentralistsEpisode 8: What? When? and How? A Practical guide to Decentralization with special guest Julian ZawistowskiThis week we are joined by Julian Zawstowski, a decentralized systems visionary and entrepreneur, and founder of the Golem Foundation. Located in Warsaw, Poland, Julian and his colleagues at the Golem Foundation are engaged in a number of projects that democratize access to computing, breakdown corporate data silos, and strengthen the position of individual users vis-à-vis service providers. Julian and his colleagues at the Golem Foundation are cutting edge Decentralists advocating for a new proof of use model call the User Defined Organization. Their first practical application, Wildland, is a distributed file sharing protocol currently in Pro...2021-09-2851 min
The DecentralistsHot Topix: Identity is a Ticking Time BombWe talk a lot about digital identity on The Decentralists. What is Identity? What makes Identity self-sovereign? Why is decentralized identity better than centralized like that offered by Single Sign-On? This week we talk about another important risk of centralized identity, the linking of personally identifiable data (PII). To put this important issue in context we have a couple of interesting examples in the news just this week Brian Barrett from WIRED reported on new dangers resulting from a breach of up to 100 Million user records at T-Mobile. Kim Lyons from The Verge reported that...2021-09-2325 min
The DecentralistsDecentralization Education Episode 7: Single sign-onThis episode, we define Single sign-on (SSO) solutions for identity management, and we’re thrilled to get some help from a very special guest. Dr. Geoffrey Goodell is a senior research associate in the financial computing and analytics group at the department of computer science at University College London. Furthermore, Dr. Goodell is the lead researcher at the Peer Social Foundation, our non-profit partner focused on education, research and open-source initiatives aimed at decentralizing identity and access for people, business and government.What exactly is Single sign-on and why do people use it?2021-09-1716 min
The DecentralistsDecentralization Education Episode 6: Self-Sovereign IdentityThis episode is all about Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI), a topic that is near and dear to our hearts. Dr. Geoffrey Goodell, associate professor at UCL and research lead at The Peer Social Foundation join us to break down a difficult concept into something we can all understand.What is Self-Sovereign Identity and how is it different from traditional identity documents?2021-09-0919 min
The DecentralistsDecentralization Education Episode 5: BlockchainThis episode of The Decentralists tackles a really popular topic, Blockchain. Henry, Mike and Chris will break down blockchain into something that everyone can understand. It seems like everyone is talking about blockchain but do you really know what they are talking about?What is a blockchain and why is everyone freaking out about it?2021-09-0209 min
The DecentralistsHot Topix: The Apple Doesn't Fall Far From The TreeApple recently announced a new feature to be released in iOS 15 that would allow all photos stored on an iPhone and in iCloud to be scanned for child specific abusive material (CSAM). Theoretically Apple would be able to compare every iPhone photo to known CSAM material and identify people who create and share such villainous content.What's the big deal? Why is Apple getting so much flack over this decision? On this episode of The Decentralists Henry, Mike and Geoff talk about Apple and their decision to join the rest of Big Tech in readily violating their u...2021-08-2628 min
The DecentralistsDecentralization Education Episode 4: The CloudJoin us as Henry Mike and Chris chat about the Cloud. What exactly is the Cloud and why has it been such a great innovation to help the Internet grow? Without the Cloud, the Internet would be much smaller and less accessible to people without computers but that conveniences comes at a cost.The Cloud is synonymous with using someone else's computer to host a service and the cost of using that computer is your data. Cloud services are not software, you don't own a Cloud-based service you rent it and in return for the convenience of a...2021-08-2012 min
The DecentralistsHot Topix: Regulation RigamaroleBill C-10 is a proposed amendment to the Canadian Broadcasting Act, introduced on November 3, 2020 by Minister of Canadian Heritage Steven Guilbeault during the second session of the 43rd Canadian Parliament. The bill seeks to amend the Broadcasting Act to account for the increased prominence of internet video and digital media, by adding undertakings that conduct "broadcasting" over the internet to the regulatory scope of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC). Bill C-10 has faced criticism for granting a large amount of power to the CRTC, who are unelected regulators and receive very l...2021-08-1231 min
The DecentralistsHot Topix: A Hostage SituationOver the past few weeks, we’ve heard a lot about malware. But what exactly is it? For example, major gasoline supplier Colonial Pipeline was shut down after it suffered a ransomware attack. Colonial reportedly paid $5 million in Bitcoin to a Russian hacker group called DarkSide.Why has there been so much malware lately? Hacking, phishing, ransomware, viruses: they’re all different forms of malware, and they’re all increasing. Businesses, governments, hospitals, and schools are being attacked with more victims each week.How do hackers turn our own data against us? What can we do abo...2021-08-0924 min
The DecentralistsHot Topix: Under the InfluenceAs the Internet has grown and society has shifted from document-based identity to digital, social media has changed everything. Identity now equals influence.Many of us may not know our neighbours, but we know our status as social media tastemakers. We’re foodies, fashionistas and technophiles. You can have any hobby and all of the sudden you have a community, and you may have incredible influence.2021-07-2932 min
The DecentralistsDecentralization Education Episode 3: What is Identity?This episode, we define identity, and we’re thrilled to get some help from a very special guest. Dr. Geoffrey Goodell is a senior research associate in the financial computing and analytics group at the department of computer science at University College London. Furthermore, Dr. Goodell is the lead researcher at the Peer Social Foundation, our non-profit partner focused on education, research and open-source initiatives aimed at decentralizing identity and access for people, business and government.What exactly is identity?2021-06-2414 min
The DecentralistsDecentralization Education Episode 2: What is Encryption?Decentralization Education is our short 10-15 minute segment where we explain technology terms and topics that we often reference during our regular podcast, The Decentralists. In this episode: a topic many people feel they know all about -- but do they? What exactly is encryption?2021-06-1711 min
The DecentralistsDecentralization Education Episode 1: What is Decentralization?Decentralization Education is a short 10-15 minute segment where we explain technology terms and topics that we often reference during our regular podcast, The Decentralists. We recognize that not everybody has deep technical knowledge on this topic, so we figured, “Why not explain it? It makes life easier when you don’t have to research it on your own.”So let’s start from the beginning: What is Decentralization?2021-05-2010 minThe DecentralistsSeason 2 Premiere: Manyone’s Product Road Map with Geoff GlaveWhat goes into making a social media app? What kind of planning does it require? Today, we are discussing product management and taking a deep dive into our brand new self-sovereign messaging app Manyone. To discuss this, we’ve invited Geoff Glave, Co-Founder of Manyone, and Chief Product Decentralist.Geoff has over 25 years of experience in product management, shaping visions from inception to real world products that bring value to individuals and enterprises. Geoff believes that the Internet is meant to be a decentralized peer-to-peer platform made up of self-sovereign users. In the premiere episode of Season 2, Ge...2021-05-1345 min
The DecentralistsHot Topix: Data Breach MayhemHot off the heels of the 533 million account Facebook data breach, LinkedIn just had 500 million accounts compromised, new social media darling Clubhouse had 1.3 million users scraped for personal information, and “Internet of Things” providers Ubiquiti and Verkada were both hit with “catastrophic” data breaches. Yikes!Why so many data breaches?Should we just accept this as the new normal?How can we protect ourselves?With data breaches on the rise, it’s time to stop trusting our data with cloud providers. It’s time to Decentralize. 2021-04-2228 min
The DecentralistsHot Topix: Facebook Loses Face...AgainAnother year, another Facebook data breach. Last week, 533 million Facebook users had their data leaked online—names, phone numbers, locations, birth dates, and email addresses. Of course, Facebook is downplaying the problem, saying it is an old breach that was fixed two years ago.After numerous privacy issues and fines by the FTC, we’re skeptical that this is the last privacy scandal from Facebook.How big is this data breach?How likely will there be another?Why is Facebook so vulnerable to data breaches?Should we keep...2021-04-0830 min
The DecentralistsHot Topix: NFT...WTF?This month, a non-fungible token (NFT) digital art collage sold for an eye-popping $69 million. This is the third-highest auction price paid for work by a living artist. We have a feeling that crazy NFT sales are going to become commonplace. Artists, designers, musicians, and other creatives are rejoicing. This means artists can showcase their unique digital talent and sell it directly to consumers and collectors on their terms—no middlemen. This is a very big deal.What exactly is an NFT?Why would someone pay millions for an NFT?How are NFT...2021-03-2532 min
The DecentralistsHot Topix: Clearview in the rearview?Clearview AI, the tech company that provides facial recognition services, has been a source of controversy for quite some time—we’ve previously blogged about them. A recent investigation found that Clearview AI’s “scraping of billions of images … represented mass surveillance and was a clear violation of the privacy rights of Canadians.” Clearview stopped offering its services in Canada in 2020 and suspended its contract with the RCMP—but an ongoing investigation (by the Privacy Commissioner of Canada) is looking into the RCMP’s past use of Clearview’s services. In the U.S. it seems that Clearview...2021-03-1831 minThe DecentralistsEpisode 7: A Conversation with Patty Krawec, Indigenous Activist and PodcasterThis week we welcome social activist and public speaker, Patty Krawec. Patty is an Anishinaabe woman of the Lac Seul First Nation. She hosts (along with Kerry Goring) the podcast Medicine for the Resistance—which looks at the similar experiences of Indigenous and black lives. Patty also uses social media to speak about Indigenous realities in Canada and the United States. For many Indigenous peoples, social media has changed how families and friends interact with each other. Not surprisingly, Patty shares some fascinating insights.What should everyone know about #NativeTwitter and Indigenous social media?H...2021-03-1154 min
The DecentralistsHot Topix: Facebook Falling Down UnderDaniel Bernhard, from Friends of Canadian Broadcasting, joins us as we talk about an epic battle down under. The Australian government has taken on the role of David in an epic struggle with the Goliaths of Big Tech, Facebook and Google. Australia demanded that Facebook and Google pay news organisations for use of their content. While Google finally decided to make a deal, Facebook chose to play dirty by blocking Australian news —this even included some government health and emergency pages. The world has criticized Facebook for removing legitimate news and information during the pandemic crisis. In...2021-03-0435 min
The DecentralistsHot Topix: Clash of the TitansApple and Facebook are about to go to war—legally speaking. Why? Privacy. Apple is rolling out new privacy features that will make it harder for apps (like Facebook) to track and collect user data. Facebook believes this is an abuse of Apple’s iOS distribution domination.While Apple touts itself as a champion of user privacy, Facebook cannot survive without your data. At stake are billions of dollars—and the future of the Internet.Can Facebook afford to lose this fight?Does Apple really care about user privacy?Who’s l...2021-02-2523 min
The DecentralistsHot Topix: The Game Stops Here 2 - Robinhood ExposedRobinhood, the stock trading and investment app used by Reddit users to trigger a meltdown on Wall Street, can’t seem to keep out of the headlines, and not for good reasons. Robinhood is being sued for wrongful death and is facing over 30 class-action lawsuits. What’s more insidious is how Robinhood makes money, and more importantly, who’s benefiting from it.Why do hedge funds and high frequency traders love Robinhood?How does Robinhood gamify the stock market?Why is front-running a concern?Despite multiple lawsuits and questionable tactics...2021-02-1829 min
The DecentralistsHot Topix: The Game Stops HereGameStop, a struggling brick-and-mortar retailer, made headlines last week after a group of Reddit users rallied together and drove the stock’s price way up—causing short-selling hedge funds to lose $91 billion dollars.Wall Street was not happy—they made numerous trading halts, bailouts to failing hedge funds, and put restrictions on buying (but not selling) the GameStop stock. Essentially, Wall Street changed the rules of the game—to protect themselves. Will regulators go after social media platforms to prevent future “market manipulations” from going viral?Are trading apps like Robinhood right to restrict reta...2021-02-0430 min
The DecentralistsHot Topix: Free Speech is not FreeWhen Apple and Google banned the “free speech” social network Parler from their app stores, and Amazon banned them from their cloud services—it was the final nail in Parler’s coffin. Before Parler was buried alive, it was home to tens of millions of conservatives, conspiracy theorists, and Trump devotees who felt that they were being censored on “leftist” platforms like Twitter and Facebook. Unfortunately for Parler, their platform was used to plan and carry out the insurrection on the U.S. Capitol—this was the beginning of the end.Is banning apps the new normal?...2021-01-2831 minThe DecentralistsEpisode 6: Diane Francis, Journalist, Force of NatureDiane Francis is a journalist, author, and editor-at-large for the National Post. Her areas of expertise include—Canada-U.S. relations, Silicon Valley, future technology, geopolitics, the Ukraine-Russia conflict, and white-collar crime. Diane’s popular Twitter feed on tech and corruption has more than 240,000 followers.Always provocative, Diane’s direct and dynamic point of view established her international reputation covering stories about corruption, politics, economics, and technology. On this week’s podcast, our conversation with Diane includes questions such as:Will governments pass fair compensation legislation, or will they allow the truth to die?How do w...2021-01-2052 min
The DecentralistsHot Topix: The D.C. Dumpster FireAfter months of President Trump riling up his base (mainly via Social Media)—a mob of Trump supporters violently stormed the U.S. Capitol. During the attack, the Vice President was evacuated, while Senators and Representatives had to take cover in the House chamber. As a consequence, Twitter, Facebook, and other Big Tech platforms decided to take matters into their own hands and ban Trump, as well as users who were supporting the attack. At the crux of this dumpster-fire is the issue of freedom of speech. How free is free speec...2021-01-1432 min
The DecentralistsHot Topix: Goodbye 2020!2020 has been a crazy year, to say the least. On top of a devastating global pandemic, there was the non-stop feed of circus-politics, fake news, anti-masker and anti-vaxxers. There were also antitrust lawsuits brought against Google and Facebook—perhaps the beginning of the end of Big Tech Internet monopolies?We launched The Decentralists.Last February, we were one of the featured speakers at an international Blockchain symposiumWe advanced research on Decentralized digital identities with the University of British Columbia and University College LondonWe won’t miss 2020, but we’re gratefu...2020-12-3121 minThe DecentralistsEpisode 5: Dr. Wade Davis, Rock & Roll AnthropologistWhat’s happening to our civilization? Anthropologist Wade Davis asks this question often. Professor Davis is the B.C. Leadership Chair in Cultures and Ecosystems at Risk, at the Liu Institute for Global Issues at the University of British Columbia—as well as Explorer-in-Residence at the National Geographic Society.Named by National Geographic as one of the Explorers for the Millennium, Professor Davis has been described as “a rare combination of scientist, scholar, poet, and passionate defender of all of life’s diversity.” In an era of unprecedented technological advancement, we asked Professor Davis how social media is affecti...2020-12-101h 01
The DecentralistsHot Topix: X Marks The SpotThe U.S. Military has been buying the location data of smartphone users like you.As we all know, personal data is extremely valuable. Many app vendors have realized that selling data to brokers like X-Mode is the quickest way to drive revenue (50,000 users guarantees an app developer $1,500 a month). One of X-Mode’s customers is—wait for it... the U.S. Military. X-Mode’s Software Development Kit (SDK) is embedded in over 400 apps—including a Muslim prayer app that has nearly 98 million active users.Why is the U.S. Military spying on smartphon...2020-11-2628 min
The DecentralistsHot Topix: Seeing Red or Feeling Blue?The US General Election has just ended (kinda), and we are chomping at the bit to talk about it.As President Trump continues to deny the outcome of the election (Joe Biden received the most votes for a single candidate in U.S. history)—it feels on-brand that Trump would refuse to concede. So, what role will social media play in the aftermath of this contentious vote count?In this era of uncertainty, what can we be certain about?What does this mean for the Internet?What happens next regarding the re...2020-11-1228 minThe DecentralistsEpisode 4: Is Social media the Biggest Threat to Independent Journalism?What is the biggest threat to independent journalism both in Canada and internationally? We discuss this question and more with the executive director and spokesperson for the watchdog group, FRIENDS of Canadian Broadcasting, Daniel Bernhard. FRIENDS conducts leading-edge policy and opinion research on issues affecting Canadian media and related issues. This research demonstrates that millions of citizens care deeply about the future of Canadian media, journalism, and programming. Unfortunately, as social media continues to dominate how Canadians access news, independent journalism is threatened. In this episode, we ask Daniel:How are data and journalism being w...2020-10-291h 02
The DecentralistsHot Topix: Big Tech Braces for Both Biden and TrumpNo matter the outcome of the U.S. Presidential election, if you’re one of the FAANGs (Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix and Google), this election does not bode well—both Biden and Trump want to regulate Big Tech. Whether Republicans or Democrats control the U.S. government, Big Tech is in for a reckoning.Democrats want to break up Big Tech because of antitrust concerns. Republicans want to dismantle Section 230—which frees Big Tech of liability for the content their users post on their platforms. Both possibilities scare Big Tech.Is Big Tech abusing their monopo...2020-10-2233 min
The DecentralistsHot Topix: Trump Opens Pandora’s BoxWhen we said that Donald Trump was opening Pandora’s box by attempting to ban TikTok—we were right. This is having far-reaching ramifications. The EU’s privacy regulators are now holding Facebook to account over user data—this has Mark Zuckerberg threatening to leave Europe.With the weaponization of social media, we are seeing more platforms being siloed according to geopolitical spheres of influence. If Facebook leaves Europe something else could take its place—and whatever that is, it might not be better. How much damage is Trump doing to the Internet?Why is Mark Zuc...2020-10-0124 minThe DecentralistsEpisode 3: Identity Expert Dr. Geoffrey GoodellOn this episode, we have a very exciting guest—Dr. Geoffrey Goodell.Dr. Goodell is a Senior Research Associate of Computer Science at University College London. Previous to his academic career, he spent roughly a decade in the financial sector, having served most recently as Partner and Chief Investment Officer of a boutique asset management firm based in Boston. One of Dr. Goodell’s key interests is ‘identity’ and how it affects the ‘always-online’ world we navigate. Every human being on the planet has an identity—or at least should have one. As an exercise in personal aut...2020-09-2448 min
The DecentralistsHot Topix: Still Banned from TwitterIt’s been weeks and our ban from Twitter continues. So, what are Decentralists like us to do? Time to re-evaluate our social media.Decentralization is no longer the future—it is the present. As discussed in this week’s episode—we are planning a migration to new and thriving decentralized social networks. The Fediverse will soon be our new social media home.The Fediverse now has 4 million users—is a change to social media brewing? Do new open web standards mean brand new tech innovations? What is the future for decentralized social networks?Getting...2020-09-1030 min
The DecentralistsHot Topix: Store WarsOn this episode of The Decentralists, we are talking about a literal Epic—as in, Epic Games’ antitrust battle against Apple and Google. Last week, both Apple and Google decided to ban Epic’s multiplatform hit game Fortnite from their respective App and Play Stores. Immediately, Epic followed these bans with an antitrust lawsuit. Michael, Henry, and Chris answer the following questions:Is it fair that Apple demands 30% of all transactions made through the App Store? Are Apple and Google using their market position to demand unfair rates from developers? Is Apple right to ban Fortnit...2020-08-2740 minThe DecentralistsEpisode 2: An Interview with Dr. Chris RowellOn this episode of The Decentralists, we are joined by Dr. Chris Rowell from the University of British Columbia. Dr Rowell teaches at the Sauder School of Business and is an expert on digital trust. His research is focused on strategy and innovation, with a particular focus on blockchain and other technologies which have the ability to disrupt established information technology architectures.What does trust have to do with all of this?The digital world has changed the nature of trust. Companies like Uber and Airbnb have convinced many of us to share cars and h...2020-08-2059 min
The DecentralistsHot Topix: The TikTok Shotgun WeddingOn this episode of The Decentralists, we discuss how the U.S. wants to force a marriage between TikTok and the world’s largest software company, Microsoft. Eight months ago, we predicted the ban of TikTok was inevitable. Meanwhile, TikTok has tried to rebrand itself as an American company, without success. Now President Trump has given TikTok six weeks to be bought by an American company, and it looks like Microsoft is the leading candidate.Will Microsoft buy TikTok completely or just some of it? Is this controversy just an attempt by Trump to distract fro...2020-08-1324 min
The DecentralistsHot Topix: Advertising's Future Without FacebookIt remains to be seen whether the advertising boycott of Facebook will impact the way Facebook handles hate groups on its platform.Since the Anti-Defamation League launched #StopHateForProfit, well-known brands like Colgate, SAP, and Puma are leaving Facebook’s advertising platform in droves.Why do advertisers care? Will this change Facebook’s policies towards hate? Will advertisers return to Facebook?Advertisers feel that hate groups on Facebook are poisoning their brand messages. Mark Zuckerberg seems unconcerned—he believes they’ll be back.Without Facebook, will advertisers become extinct, merely survive, or thrive?2020-07-2428 min
The DecentralistsHot Topix: The Social Media Cold War - Part 1This week on The Decentralists is our first doubleheader podcast. What started as a local border skirmish between China and India may result in a global data "Cold War” involving all apps. We must ask: is there a social media cold war looming?A few weeks ago, a border Skirmish between India and China resulted in India’s government banning TikTok within its borders. This resulted in a cascading bans across the globe and the USA might follow India’s lead. Just like it did with Chinese companies like Huawei and ZTE, the USA may also soo...2020-07-1718 min
The DecentralistsHot Topix: The Social Media Cold War - Part 2This week on The Decentralists is our first doubleheader podcast. What started as a local border skirmish between China and India may result in a global data ‘Cold War”involving all apps. We must ask: is there a social media cold war looming?A few weeks ago, a border Skirmish between India and China resulted in India’s government banning TikTok within its borders. This resulted in a cascading bans across the globe and the USA might follow India’s lead. Just like it did with Chinese companies like Huawei and ZTE, the USA may also soon ban...2020-07-1726 min
The DecentralistsHot Topix: Kingmaker or Kingbreaker?In this episode of The Decentralists, we put Mark Zuckerberg under the microscope. We question whether Facebook is just a benign influence in world events -- or if something shadier is happening:How vast is Zuckerberg’s influence?Can Facebook decide elections?How free is free speech on Facebook?While Facebook positions itself simply as a company that is “connecting people,” perhaps they’re more effective at dividing people.Mark Zuckerberg keeps apologizing for the same mistakes again and again, but how sorry is he really?2020-07-1024 min
The DecentralistsHot Topix: A Brave New WorldIn this episode of The Decentralists, we discuss Brave -- a so-called “private” web browser that just blew-up its own reason to exist.Until recently, Brave was lauded as the world’s most privacy-centric browser. That is, until their hand was caught in a private cookie jar. Mike, Henry, and Chris ask:When is privacy actually private?Is free-of-cost software actually free of cost? What are the consequences when companies violate trust of customers?In hindsight, Brave’s bad behavior was easy to predict -- many of their promises were too good to be true.And...2020-07-0323 min