Facebook is doubling back on its January sweeping ban on all cryptocurrencies, that they put in the same bag as binary options and all ICOs.

This is happy news, as crypto-currencies are an integral part of a large part of blockchain platforms and Facebook is an important element in any marketing campaign today. By preventing all crypto-currency related project to advertise on their network, Facebook effectively banned many valid projects from spreading their ideas and, as a result, was party slowing down the possibity for people still unaware of blockchain potential to educate themselves.

So, it is great news indeed that they are relaxing their policies about advertising for crypto-currencies.

Sadly, this comes just at the time Google is about to implement a ban on, among other financial products, crypto-currencies and related content.

So, Facebook’s new relaxed policy regarding ads for crypto-currency related projects might also be perceived as an attempt to cash in on Google’s implementing its own…

It is interesting to notice that both Google and Facebook have styled themselves as authorities in the field of cryptocurrencies and financial products. Both condition advertising on their network to successfully passing an application process.

For Facebook, this covers

“Cryptocurrency Content includes without limitation advertisements or content concerning cryptocurrency; cryptocurrency trading platforms; initial coin offerings; cryptocurrency-related products (including hardware), services, educational offerings, and consumer goods; and cryptocurrency news, information, and advocacy.”

Google’s description of the products this policy covers is less sweeping.

“Cryptocurrencies and related content (including but not limited to initial coin offerings, cryptocurrency exchanges, cryptocurrency wallets, and cryptocurrency trading advice)”.

It does not cover educational offerings or cryptocurrency news, information and advocacy for example.

Also, Google began warning its clients month ahead of the implementation of the new policy, giving them the opportunity to either apply in time, enabling them to adapt their marketing plan ahead of time, depending on whether they were eligible or not.

For marketers relying on Facebook though, the abrupt implementation of the ban threw their marketing plan brutally off-tracks.

What is striking in both cases though, is that both corporations are dictating new policy affecting the business of guilty and innocent parties alike, without any mandate from the people.

At a time when political social networking is becoming the norm, this is especially worrying. Facebook is already implementing policies that enable it to selectively ban politicians according to rules they control entirely and for which there is no appeal in a court of law.

With their global reach, they centralize more power than any elected representative and have the means to buy off any corruptible politician.

Faced with such corporate behemoths, it is high time to put in place a blockchain-based political management structure such as Coalichain.

Maybe this is also an underlying reason behind their efforts to gag blockchain entrepreneurs.

As both Facebook and Google very existence is based on intense centralization of data and on the monetization of these data in various ways, blockchain is a threat. The very concepts at the core of the blockchain revolution are decentralization and consensus.

In a decentralized model, both risk losing their de facto monopoly (or oligopoly to be specific) on data, hence their revenue source.

In a democracy using blockchain voting with integrated accountability, lobbying would be far less of an option, and the famed will of the people might finally find a way to be expressed.

Of the many blockchain based voting platforms being created today, few also address the accountability part of the electoral process, contenting themselves with providing a secure and transparent voting mechanism, but keeping the current system where politicians are able to get away with repeatedly tossing their electoral promises to the wind.

Some emerging platforms, such as Coalichain, also address the need to ensure politicians will indeed enact the promises they were so generous with during the electoral phase.

Coalichain not only guarantees secure and transparent voting, it includes a milestones-based smart-contract system designed specifically to either provide sanctions for representatives who fail to meet predefined milestones, or to provide gradual funding, releasing funds only after milestones completion.

To facilitate a wide adoption, Coalichain’s app enables the use of all its features for any communities, large and small.