A recent report from Zee Prime Capital, a prominent venture capital firm, explores how decentralized physical infrastructure networks (DePin) could revolutionize law enforcement. This transformation envisions a shift from state-controlled, centralized systems to community-driven frameworks that promote greater transparency.
The emerging field of decentralized security (DeSec) is a subset of distributed infrastructure focused on creating distributed surveillance and law enforcement systems. These include technologies such as ballistic triangulation systems, radar arrays, and community patrol decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs).
Luffistotle, a writer for Zee Prime, discussed in an article how blockchain and decentralized technologies offer unique advantages for these applications due to their inherent tendency to build security redundancies. While consumer-focused retail applications often eschew such measures due to the high costs associated with redundant security, communities and organizations dedicated to security are often willing to invest extra funds to achieve the highest level of protection available.
Beyond simply enhancing community policing or decentralizing law enforcement, DeSec applications offer new ways for local communities to strengthen existing electrical infrastructure. This could protect against significant disruptions, such as coronal mass ejections or electromagnetic pulse (EMP) attacks, by distributing the financial burden across the DePin network participants.
Luffistotle further explained that a decentralized aerial radar network could detect unauthorized aircraft or reconnaissance drones, thus helping to prevent potential terrorist activities.
Related:
AI Advances Surveillance Capabilities for Governments — Nym CEO
Decentralized Networks: A Countermeasure to Authoritarianism?
The rise of public blockchain currencies and decentralized infrastructure is not an isolated phenomenon but a direct response to increasing state surveillance, the collapse of centralized power structures, and the escalating threat of authoritarian regimes worldwide. A notable example of this trend is the surge in social media censorship and surveillance aimed at activists, driven by the collaboration between government entities and major tech corporations to suppress protests, silence dissent, and censor ‘misinformation’—a trend that intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Decentralized physical infrastructure networks, such as the Helium network and other decentralized internet service providers, offer a potential solution to this issue. By redistributing power away from central internet service providers and tech giants, these networks aim to foster a more open and unrestricted internet for everyone.
The Trade-off
While increased transparency is beneficial, it often comes at the cost of reduced privacy. Luffistotle concluded by contemplating the challenge of balancing transparency with privacy and avoiding the development of an even more invasive surveillance state.
Magazine:
Tornado Cash 2.0: The Race to Develop Safe and Legal Coin Mixers