The rise of the internet was a remarkable experience, as people felt some iota of freedom. Sending messages, mails, calling, and sharing information has never been easier. As years went by, the internet kept evolving, therefore becoming almost limitless. Eventually, we became curious of what our data was being used for, and how it was being utilized. It soon became clear that services like social media platforms, streaming services, etc scraped & sold user data between themselves.
How does Web5 address data privacy concerns?
A while ago, I deleted my account on an e-commerce platform. Six months down the line, I still got emails from them till I called their support line. The major concern here is why they still held on to my email even after deleting my account.
Say hello to Web5. The new technology which promises decentralized data transmission and complete privacy for users. Think of this as a boomerang. Web2 technology feels like an arrow of data you shoot which just disappears into thin air, whereas Web5 incorporates Web2 & Web3 technologies, to deliver a boomerang style data transmission where you throw a bunch of data at a target, and it comes back to you and vice versa. Nothing is stored on the internet or intercepted while communicating in Web5. Thanks to the pillars (Decentralized IDs, Decentralized Web Nodes, and Cryptography) which make it a private and secure technology.
The key component here is Cryptography. This simply means the encryption of sensitive data to ensure they are only delivered to and readable by the intended user using Decentralized IDs (DIDs) stored on Decentralized Web Nodes (DWNs).
Key differences between Web2, Web3, and Web5.
As internet technology advances, here are some major differences between each stage of technology.
| Web2 | Web3 | Web5 |
| Data belongs on the internet (Centralized) | Data belongs on the blockchain (Decentralized & Centralized) | Data is fully decentralized and personalized to a specific user on a specific DWN |
| Payments are made with FIAT currency | Payments are made with Cryptocurrency (Bitcoin & Alt coins) | Layered on the BTC network |
| Data transmission is fast and insecure | Data transmission is slow and secure | Data transmission is fast and secure |
| Base internet services ex. Blogs, Social Media | Deals with Crypto services ex. NFTs, DeFi | Incorporates Web2 & Web3 services, offering an extra layer of privacy |
One major advantage of adopting Web5 protocols is that they can be combined with Web2 applications to create more decentralized applications. With the rise of Web5, we can be rest assured of speed, privacy, and security when transmitting data.