For a long time, the use of internet has been subject to one form of centralized control or the other. Google, Yahoo, Baidu, Microsoft, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter are among the leading powerhouses behind such control, the implications of which include their possession of sensitive user data and exploitation of the same for ads and search related revenue. The existence of privacy policies does not spare users of exploitation such as the infamous Cambridge Analytica scandal. But the privacy violations are just one side of the exploitation.

At the other end of the divide is the issue of ‘no-share in advertising dividends for users’ in an online ecosystem where the user is the ultimate product. These internet giants invest heavily to be able to run servers and other logistics to offer users “free services” on their platforms, while the value they get in return will make many eyes pop. The truth is these guys create value in terms of traffic, something brands pay heavily to access. Data by the research firm Statista of digital ad earnings for 2015 to 2020 suggests that there was already spending of 229.25 billion USD in 2017, with further growth projection rising to 335.5 billion by 2020. Even subtracting all the costs of providing their platform services, that’s a whole lot of money going into the pockets of the centralized platforms.

Nothing is Free!

Even though users get a semblance of “free” stuff through their use of these internet resources, their data also gets shared with the brands without them getting paid, making the idea of free platform usage an illusion, or better still, a deception. This leads to a vicious cycle of distrust as a user loses his own data and the profits from them.

What if there was a way around that, an option that actually guarantees privacy of user data and puts the power of earning search and user data dividends in the hands of the everyday internet goer? This is the BitClave solution.