How can Bitcoin be used to promote free speech?

[d5000]

These countries are only those that refuse to bow down to the US regime and its global oppression.

That is also only a propaganda narrative propagated by authoritarian, highly centralized governments

As someone with sympathies for anarchism I believe there are currently no really good governments at all. Apart from "bad" ones there are some "mediocre" ones, which concede some liberties to their citizens (Argentina, Brazil, Canada, some European countries ... you see I have not a very strong ideologic preference, as Argentina is said to be right-wing, and Brazil currently left-wing), and some terrible, highly authoritarian ones like the US, Russia, Israel and Iran (China is very authoritarian too, but at least relatively peaceful in my view).

So I would be very careful to deem "opposition" activity as "foreign-funded terrorism". In every country, citizens need to have the right to be in disagreement with their governments. Whatever their reasons are. And no, a government is not necessarily "good" because it opposes another bad government (e.g. the US). For me, for example all governments with death penalty are completely barbaric and oppressive.

And Bitcoin is exactly there for all groups who disagree with their governments. We can make moral distinctions and say some opposition movements are "good" and others "bad", but Bitcoin should not do this - Bitcoin is a neutral payment layer. If an opposition group is violent, racist or whatever, this often can be proven by other means, and people can draw their conclusions and support them or not.

[Smartprofit]

Bitcoin is censorship-resistant; we need to build on that to create something that enables free speech.  How can we do that?

Bitcoin is currently under severe pressure in many countries. Freedom of speech is under even greater pressure. Governments, bankers, and institutional players are trying to distort the very essence of these concepts. 🙋

For me, the most interesting story related to the attempt to protect free speech using Bitcoin involves Julian Assange. Julian Assange is a legendary figure who created a decentralized system of free speech (decentralized independent media).

After banks united to block funding for Assange's project, he began accepting donations in Bitcoin.

Incidentally, Satoshi Nakamoto categorically opposed such actions... He believed that the time had not yet come to use Bitcoin for such purposes, as Bitcoin was still weak, and regulators and banks wielded enormous power.  Perhaps it was Assange's actions that led to Satoshi Nakamoto's sudden disappearance...

Currently, we don't have people of Assange and Satoshi Nakamoto's stature. Governments are doing everything they can to prevent such people from pursuing their projects.🤷

[Moreno233]

For example Human Rights Foundation accepts BTC donations which it uses to fund opposition groups in Nigeria Russia Belarus Hong Kong etc.

That is a U.S. based terrorist organization that funds terrorist groups disguised as "opposition" in only certain countries so that these US proxies can carry out regime change operations or at least deal damage. These countries are only those that refuse to bow down to the US regime and its global oppression. Otherwise you never see them say anything about for example France which right now is shooting kids on the streets as we speak and has already maimed thousands of schoolchildren.

All US based terrorist organizations that perform such operations overseas use pretty words such as "human rights", "democracy" and so on.
Be careful not to fund them...

I have observed that the term "human rights" as preached by the words is a fraud. I saw this because some humans are not more humans than others and if such term were anything to take serious, most of the atrocities happening in the Middle East, Africa and some other place in the world would not happen. There are just so much double standards going on and the UN is just so docile to actually enforce anything. Free speech itself is only free when it is not spoken against those that have the power to make the rules.

[Hamza2424]

Bitcoin is censorship-resistant; we need to build on that to create something that enables free speech.  How can we do that?

Haha bro, inscriptions can be used for this, but that can increase congestion on the main network, and the fees could shoot up. And many Bitcoiners don't even like inscriptions, and they even tried to introduce their own BIP. Anyway, that didn't work.

But maybe someone can create a project, or maybe one has already been created, where we can use the BTC blockchain or sidechains to get freedom of speech so no one can alter it, but inscriptions are the only way to do this now.

[Multani Boy]

For example Human Rights Foundation accepts BTC donations which it uses to fund opposition groups in Nigeria Russia Belarus Hong Kong etc.

That is a U.S. based terrorist organization that funds terrorist groups disguised as "opposition" in only certain countries so that these US proxies can carry out regime change operations or at least deal damage. These countries are only those that refuse to bow down to the US regime and its global oppression. Otherwise you never see them say anything about for example France which right now is shooting kids on the streets as we speak and has already maimed thousands of schoolchildren.

All US based terrorist organizations that perform such operations overseas use pretty words such as "human rights", "democracy" and so on.
Be careful not to fund them...

I have observed that the term "human rights" as preached by the words is a fraud. I saw this because some humans are not more humans than others and if such term were anything to take serious, most of the atrocities happening in the Middle East, Africa and some other place in the world would not happen. There are just so much double standards going on and the UN is just so docile to actually enforce anything. Free speech itself is only free when it is not spoken against those that have the power to make the rules.

My guess is that most problematic aspect is the inconsistency with which the principles are implemented. If a specific nation breaches are met with criticism while similar offenses in other nations go unchecked due to geopolitical interests, individuals will become skeptical of these groups.

Thus, I believe that an organization should be evaluated based on what it does, other than accepting it at face value merely because it espouses values such as human rights and democracy.

[abaeze]

Bitcoin is censorship-resistant; we need to build on that to create something that enables free speech.  How can we do that?

It's as easy as it sounds, but it's still unclear whether it can be done successfully, how long it would take, or whether it's even possible. Although Bitcoin has been able to give people economic freedom despite all these adversities, but true economic freedom and freedom of speech require a decentralized platform or decentralized communication system where there is no government interference. Also, censorship-resistant publishing, independent storage, and the user's own control over their own identity. That is, the ability to speak without revealing their real name or personal information that no institution or government can shut down or control at will.

[Basels]

I'm still trying to understand the relationship between Bitcoin and free speech. What I find amusing sometimes is the fact that crypto enthusiasts seem to arrogate the technology, use that it isn't really meant for. The technology do have its own limits and can't necessarily be expected toi be a magic wand that solves every problem.

Nevertheless, if the issue is making payments that are not traceable because of free speech, I think that privacy coins fit this utility more than Bitcoin. I mean privacy coins like XMR.

[MusaMohamed]

For me, the most interesting story related to the attempt to protect free speech using Bitcoin involves Julian Assange. Julian Assange is a legendary figure who created a decentralized system of free speech (decentralized independent media).

After banks united to block funding for Assange's project, he began accepting donations in Bitcoin.

Incidentally, Satoshi Nakamoto categorically opposed such actions... He believed that the time had not yet come to use Bitcoin for such purposes, as Bitcoin was still weak, and regulators and banks wielded enormous power.  Perhaps it was Assange's actions that led to Satoshi Nakamoto's sudden disappearance..

Do you have any source for that opinion of Satoshi Nakamoto that the Bitcoin founder was against that use case of Bitcoin. Receiving Bitcoin as donation is a normal activity, and there is nothing bad with it.

Donation is donation, how people use donation later will be a different story. If governments want to arrest Assange, it's because of his personal or business works, not because of Bitcoin received in donation. If Bitcoin was not illegal, receiving it as donation is not illegal, and Assange did not do illegal thing.

Recent years, Ukrainian government has received donation for their nation in bitcoin and cryptocurrencies, nothing is wrong.
Russian government has tried to avoid sanctions by using bitcoin, nothing is wrong.

Bitcoin blockchain simply has its new blocks, and new transactions confirmed by miners.

[Cryptomultiplier]

For me, the most interesting story related to the attempt to protect free speech using Bitcoin involves Julian Assange. Julian Assange is a legendary figure who created a decentralized system of free speech (decentralized independent media).

After banks united to block funding for Assange's project, he began accepting donations in Bitcoin.

Incidentally, Satoshi Nakamoto categorically opposed such actions... He believed that the time had not yet come to use Bitcoin for such purposes, as Bitcoin was still weak, and regulators and banks wielded enormous power.  Perhaps it was Assange's actions that led to Satoshi Nakamoto's sudden disappearance..

Do you have any source for that opinion of Satoshi Nakamoto that the Bitcoin founder was against that use case of Bitcoin. Receiving Bitcoin as donation is a normal activity, and there is nothing bad with it.

Donation is donation, how people use donation later will be a different story. If governments want to arrest Assange, it's because of his personal or business works, not because of Bitcoin received in donation. If Bitcoin was not illegal, receiving it as donation is not illegal, and Assange did not do illegal thing.

Recent years, Ukrainian government has received donation for their nation in bitcoin and cryptocurrencies, nothing is wrong.
Russian government has tried to avoid sanctions by using bitcoin, nothing is wrong.

Bitcoin blockchain simply has its new blocks, and new transactions confirmed by miners.

The simple fact behind this is that Bitcoin is decentralized and while no government can actually blacklist any Bitcoin address or block the transactions received via Bitcoin because it is clearly secured by POW consensus, any whistle blower or country or group can use Bitcoin to keep their work alive even when the banking system or other government backed financial system fails in that regard.

So free speech can be sustainable by using Bitcoin to fund it and even the Blockchain can be used to embed messages, cryptographic proofs, historical documents via using data fields like OP_RETURN and it can't be deleted or tempered with by any government or body that is against it.

[JiiBs]

Bitcoin is censorship-resistant; we need to build on that to create something that enables free speech.  How can we do that?

Conceiving the idea of using a currency for free speech is completely out of place for me. The correct use of a currency is for daily payment for goods and services but, Bitcoin is yet to fit in that roll as Satoshi Nakamoto would have hoped as well as those of us that remains enthusiastic of the ways we can utilize Bitcoin for our everyday buying and selling.

Your freedom of speech is already protected by the constitution and human rights, anything outside that would be way too dramatic.

[PrivacyG]

As someone with sympathies for anarchism I believe there are currently no really good governments at all.

There will probably never be an actually 'good' government just like there will rarely ever be a lot of money in one place with out evil behind it.  There will not be one such government that would last long enough to matter at least.  Movies always end with the bad guys dying and losing, but reality looks like the exact opposite.  The good people will rarely ever end in ranks as high as the sitting President, Secretary of State, Prime Minister and what not.  These ranks have a pre requisite of bathing in a pool of mud, and I can not imagine how any good can ever come out of what is a long time sitting, high concentration of bad and evil.

[Byebyebtc]

Bitcoin is censorship-resistant; we need to build on that to create something that enables free speech.  How can we do that?

If engagement in such platform increase just know that there will be increase of scams and theft,
I personally do not see any use of that, there are platforms out there that has very slim restrictions those ones could be used, these restrictions are there to protect you, but if you still need something more private, be as well ready for the bad parts too.

[uneng]

These countries are only those that refuse to bow down to the US regime and its global oppression.

That is also only a propaganda narrative propagated by authoritarian, highly centralized governments

As someone with sympathies for anarchism I believe there are currently no really good governments at all. Apart from "bad" ones there are some "mediocre" ones, which concede some liberties to their citizens (Argentina, Brazil, Canada, some European countries ... you see I have not a very strong ideologic preference, as Argentina is said to be right-wing, and Brazil currently left-wing), and some terrible, highly authoritarian ones like the US, Russia, Israel and Iran (China is very authoritarian too, but at least relatively peaceful in my view).

So I would be very careful to deem "opposition" activity as "foreign-funded terrorism". In every country, citizens need to have the right to be in disagreement with their governments. Whatever their reasons are. And no, a government is not necessarily "good" because it opposes another bad government (e.g. the US). For me, for example all governments with death penalty are completely barbaric and oppressive.

And Bitcoin is exactly there for all groups who disagree with their governments. We can make moral distinctions and say some opposition movements are "good" and others "bad", but Bitcoin should not do this - Bitcoin is a neutral payment layer. If an opposition group is violent, racist or whatever, this often can be proven by other means, and people can draw their conclusions and support them or not.

After all, the slogan "Bitcoin can be used to promote free speech" is just a propaganda used by rival groups to sponsor their narrative in countries where they are the underdogs (or in countries they want to destabilize). And as consequence, it has nothing to do with promoting free speech at all, rather it's about promoting the narrative of the opposite's group to the local establishment.

Those who are really autonomous and independent on their views have nobody behind them interested in promoting such views. They are by themselves, and unless they earn Bitcoin by working somehow, nobody is going to deposit the currency to support them in anyways.

[CryptopreneurBrainboss]

Bitcoin is censorship-resistant; we need to build on that to create something that enables free speech.  How can we do that?

Owning it only and building your life around it enables that, let me explain; when the government has nothing on you then you won't be scared of questioning, opposing or attacking them whenever you want with your words as physical attacks aren't encouraged. Your banks has no money so that can't be restricted, your wealth are in Bitcoin so the government has nothing to hold against you.

With this leverages, it gives you a sense of security to speak as you want without being scared of the governments using their control on your money as a leverage for them. Bitcoin is freedom in all aspects and this is just one of those causes, when a man isn't scared of losing  his money or it been taken from him by the government then he can stand up for himself.

Confidence becomes your aura and you can't be controlled (money wise) like the others as you won't be holding back to speak when you see things not being done right. Being in control of your finances gives you freedom and that can be expressed in many ways.

[Hekah Kryptonite]

But if you want more freedom and privacy, the own Bitcoin is a money of resistance to the censorship. You can use social networks and decentralized message apps.
Use Bitcoin or Lightning for payments without intermediary to not be tracked.

That is really general statement. In my opinion Bitcoin most clear cut use case has to do with funding. For example Human Rights Foundation accepts BTC donations which it uses to fund opposition groups in Nigeria Russia Belarus Hong Kong etc. Specifically because moment they speak out against their respective governments their bank accounts will be frozen.

Most true to its "free speech" origins use of BTC has little to do with "posting on social media" and has much more to do with maintaining funding for journalists and dissidents that banks wont work with. It is "free speech" infrastructure, more than payments. Because if the government cuts you off financially you'll soon be silenced.


​Probably the most clear cut example of censorship resistant money being a free speech enabler that has actually happened is the 2022 Canada Freedom Convoy. When the govt froze protesters bank accounts through GoFundMe/tradfi, BTC donations were still coming through. Nothing could stop those since there was no central account.

If I understood the original post properly, I think he is not talking about anonymous funding at as Bitcoin has already addressed that.

In my opinion I think he is asking how a social network can be created that will be as interactive and popular as platforms like Twitter, Facebook, etc with total anonymity just like Bitcoin such that people can air their opinions without any fears of being tracked down and attacked or eliminated by tyrant regimes in countries like Nigeria or Iran.

While Bitcoin core is about funds, this suggested network will be about information/social interaction in a working mechanism tailored to mimick Bitcoin core.

This is a great idea but its possibility might prove tricky but never say never.

[terrific]

‎I think Bitcoin can help in promoting speech by allowing  individual to receive and send money without asking permission from authority like bank or government.

And that's already what Bitcoin does.

After all, the slogan "Bitcoin can be used to promote free speech" is just a propaganda used by rival groups to sponsor their narrative in countries where they are the underdogs (or in countries they want to destabilize). And as consequence, it has nothing to do with promoting free speech at all, rather it's about promoting the narrative of the opposite's group to the local establishment.

I am afraid that they see Bitcoin as a tool to be used for their propaganda and the cause that they're fighting for.
While we have no control over that since bitcoin is just out there and can be used by anybody in free speech and actual transfers.
Better they use it with their political agendas in a better way that it's free for all but, be ready for the back slash about it that scammers also do use it.

[pooya87]

(1) So I would be very careful to deem "opposition" activity as "foreign-funded terrorism".
(2) In every country, citizens need to have the right to be in disagreement with their governments.

What an interesting post because of the way stuff you say are completely unrelated and yet you seem to believe they are related to each other and to what I said; like these two sentences that sum everything up! Perhaps because you were never on the receiving end of it but "your side" has always been only on the supplying end.

So let me translate things for you using your own words and put the shoe on the other foot a little bit so that my initial comment becomes clearer and maybe you understand the real difference between "opposition" and "foreign-funded terrorism".

You said people have the right to be in disagreement with their government. I completely agree and I even go as far as saying they have the right to overthrow that whole system if they see fit (we did that 47 years ago when we replaced the US-backed dictatorship and established democracy).
Now lets take Germany. A large portion of Germans dislike the Supreme Chancellor Merz, and that hatred is increasing year by year as the economic situation worsens and he keeps funding Zionists helping them commit genocide. As I'm typing this thousands of them are protesting against the German regime in downtown Berlin.

Now imagine an alternate world where Russia has an organization called "De-Nazifying Foundation" that received donations in bitcoin to fund "opposition" groups in Germany to "protest" against Supreme Chancellor Merz because as you said yourself "there are currently no really good governments at all" and "citizens need to have the right to be in disagreement with their governments" and since Germany is considered highly authoritarian all of that makes perfect sense.

And lets say in that alternate world the group the "De-Nazifying Foundation" funds is called "Freedom Movement of Germany" and its motto is "Free and Democratic Germany". Some cases of their "opposition" is assassinating scientists and university professors, bombing hospitals, destroying bridges, espionage, ... and one of their most recent "protest acts" was to blow up a power plant that is currently keeping the lights on in your home letting you post here!
Here is a better one, you know NATO and Russia are close to clashing. So one of their next possible "opposition" acts in that hypothetical scenario would be to cooperate with Russians to bomb Germany more effectively, providing them with coordinates, infiltrating the military, leaking classified documents, carrying out swarm attacks against German force that defend against Russian invaders, and so on...

Now tell me what would you call this hypothetical "Freedom Movement of Germany"? "Opposition" or a "foreign-funded terrorist group"?

[Localhostspeed]

Bitcoin is censorship-resistant; we need to build on that to create something that enables free speech.  How can we do that?

It's been a very long time since I saw Bitcoin been used as force against bully and protest against bad governance. The last one I experienced was during the end Sars in Nigeria during the lock down. It wasn't a good experience, it's one of the reason why Bitcoin legitimacy isn't transparent in Nigeria. Many people went out to protest against bad governance and the first thing the government did was to lock accounts that has protesters funds for bottle of water. It was funny but the experience was bad.

They cut all their fundings, no water to stand in the sun to protest and immediately, donations start coming through Bitcoin, a lot of funds were donated and the next thing the government did was to ban Bitcoin. This lasted a while before Bitcoin was unbanned.
You can have freedom with Bitcoin but the freedom that comes after the speech is what is not guarantee, just stay safe.

[Taricoins]

Bitcoin is censorship-resistant; we need to build on that to create something that enables free speech.  How can we do that?

There are lots of opportunities that comes with the ability of Bitcoin to be resistant to censorship which can be used to provide the cleanest form of communication, alot of people here have talked about funding of causes that promotes free speech in a government that restricts it but it can also be used in countries where we feel free speech is absolute but the government always has eyes on any press releases, with Bitcoin peer to peer transactions without government scrutiny, media outlets, journalists and other associations can offer free opinions without  government interjection

But note with that free hand, comes ability to fund terrorism that can be detrimental to the people

[AVE5]

Bitcoin is censorship-resistant; we need to build on that to create something that enables free speech.  How can we do that?

Bitcoin censorship resistant is already tied to its decentralization mechanism which gives user's the privilege of freedom where user's has the right to control their own bitcoin in their respective privacies.
The censorship resistance of bitcoin isn't part of freedom of this speech you're campaign but how bitcoin can't be controlled by any authority.
Note that the government also have right to put bitcoin policies in their jurisdictions and when you find yourself in one, don't panic because there's already authorities that are bitcoin haters who may not legalize the use of bitcoin and its news in their places.
So you don't kill yourself over that which you can't express yourself about bitcoin. Just buy, hold and spend your bitcoin at your privacy without letting the world known you've one.
Bitcoin is also speculative which freedom of speech would spread it news widely but worry not now for bitcoin is still at its early stage. Let's see how the next generation would treat it if this generation isn't going to be fair about it.