There is an interesting situation that is developing regarding Rumble (actually many of the social media platforms) and Russell Brand.
For those who are unaware, a couple news outlets reported that a number of women claimed that Brand either raped or sexually assaulted them in some form. So far these are accusations and no charges were filed. In fact, the incidents are reported to have occurred between 10 and 16 years ago.
Obviously, this is a serious matter which warrants investigation. To be fair. Brand has completely denied the allegations.
The subject of this article, however, is not the guilt or innocence of Brand. In reality, none of us know what took place. Perhaps this guy should be buried under the jail for what he did.
Instead, we are going to focus upon the reaction of social media platforms and the disturbing case with a member of the UK Parliament.
After the reports came out, YouTube, among other platforms demonetized Brand. Rumble has resisted following suit.
This is what set some things in motion.
##Uk Parliament Going Soviet Style
The above is the letter that was written by a member of Parliament to Rumble.
Does what you are reading disturb you? To start this is a member of government telling a platform to remove a private individuals ability to earn money. Over what? Notice the words in the first line: "serious allegations concerning Russell Brand".
They certainly are serious. Here is the problem: they are also allegations.
YouTube and other platforms have demonetized Brand over allegations of a crime. Has he been convicted? No. Were charges filed? No. Did any of the accusers file a police report? No.
At this point, there are only a couple of news pieces citing a number of anonymous women.
Yet, we have platforms demonetizing Brand and, even worse, a member of the UK Parliament wanting Rumble to follow suit.
Of course, if the government is allowed to force companies to demonetize people based upon allegations, what is to stop them from doing it over anything?
The answer is obviously there is nothing preventing this.
SPkNetwork
We have watched some of the infrastructure for SpkNetwork being built. This is becoming increasingly necessary as we proceed forward.
What is a bigger problem than the actions of this member of Parliament is the fact that a letter like this can be sent. The reason why any of this can happen is because Rumble is a company. This means there is an address to mail something like this to.
The company did response, denying the request. However, the issue is revealing the larger issue.
No matter how much Rumble claims to be different than YouTube and for freedom, ultimately, it has the power to operate in the same manner. Even if the company refuses, it can be forced by governments.
A dictator is still that even if he or she chooses not to behave in such a manner. There could come a day when that is reversed.
Rumble might claim to host all their infrastructure and not be beholden to other mega technology companies. That might be the case.
However, we are still dealing with an entity that is, in the end, no different from the rest.
This is what SpkNetwork seeks to alleviate.
No Different Than The SEC
Gary Gensler is making a name for himself. His attacks on cryptocurrency are becoming legendary.
The SEC files civil lawsuits. In other words, it sues. This entity does not bring criminal charges although, if found, it will refer that to the Department of Justice (and the FBI).
To be effective, Gensler needs an address to send the subpoena. Without this, he is out of luck. Of course, Congress is onto this, beginning the process of targeting the developers.
It is a conversation we often have with Hive. Can the SEC claim it is a security? It could make that assertion. Could it go after anyone for the distribution or for dealing in an unregistered security? No because there is nobody to go after. Being able to sue without a company or individual in charge is not possible. There is no single entity behind Hive.
With video, that is not true. At least for the moment. While video storage is on IPFS, the next step is for individuals to host it. This will change the infrastructure design.
There is still the problem of the front end. A website like 3Speak is still vulnerable. There is someone (or a company) that registered that and could be targeted. Even quicker, the site could be taken down by governments.
That said, if the content is housed in a distributed manner, it becomes a game of whack-a-mole. Other front ends could be created.
How Far Behind Most Are
It is almost laughable when people promote Rumble. They make statements about how one is safe there as compared to YouTube.
The reality is the exact opposite. Rumble has the same powers as YouTube in that it can close an account. Whether they do or not is immaterial. The fact is they have the power to do so.
Here is where Hive is working to be different. One's digital life cannot be eliminated with just a click of a button by some powerful entity. Instead, any text that was created and posted on chain is there. It cannot be taken down without a move by the super majority of the witnesses. This is very difficult to get. Even in that instance, someone might fork the database to ensure it keeps going.
SpkNetwork is looking to bring the same premise to video, images, and audio.
If a member of Congress, Parliament, or the White House wants a platform to demonetize someone, it will be a non-starter in the future. The reason is because there will be no central entity to go after.
This is a situation Gensler would find himself in if he was to target Hive. Who does he send the letter to?
Genlser is there to protect the established system, i.e. Wall Street. This is becoming evident. For that reason, we build something that he cannot go after.
Now the goal is to get it to start growing to offer services similar to those entities.
It is a process but this is how change happens.