Turkey Blocks Reddit Access – Decentralized Social Networks Are Needed

The concept of freedom of speech is great on paper, but it doesn’t seem to every practical by any means. China has its “Great Firewall”, effectively cutting off the country from most foreign websites that can not be controlled by the government. Russia’s Internet watchdog is trigger-happy on getting certain websites blocked, and now the Turkish government has decided to block all traffic to the Reddit platform. It’s a good thing Bitcoin discussions can be hosted elsewhere. Otherwise this would create a major issue.

Also read: Bitcoin Overtakes Yuan On Google Trends

Reddit Inaccessible From Turkey

What makes this story of particular interest is how there has been no official communiqué regarding the reason for blocking Reddit access. According to the information we have received, the Turkish government has made DNS changes to block access to the Reddit platform anywhere in the country. It is not the first time the country takes an aggressive stance towards social networking sites.

As of this Friday, the blockade has been in effect, as various Internet users voiced their concerns regarding Reddit not being accessible. Based on the information provided by a dedicated government website, the route to Reddit has been restricted due to a “technical analysis and legal considerations”.

Bypassing this blockade is not all that difficult, as individual users can manually update their device’s DNS settings. While this process is not as straightforward for less tech-savvy people, Google has put together a comprehensive guide on how to change DNS settings. For now, this process will make Reddit accessible again for Turkish Internet users, although that situation can change at any time.

The only way to prevent these scenarios is by embracing decentralized social media networks. Facebook, Twitter, and consorts are all very popular social networking sites, but each and every one of them possesses a central point of failure. Decentralized solutions are the answer, and several of these projects are in development as we speak.

Decentralized Social Networks Through Blockchain Technology

One of those platforms is called Synereo, which touts itself as being the “next-gen social platform.” By removing any single point of failure, the Synereo social network can not be taken down, hijacked, or blocked by government officials. Additionally, users can determine who can see their profile and content if needed, rather than making it public automatically.

Datt is another decentralized social media network, developed by former Reddit employee Ryan X. Charles. But there is more to Datt than just being another social media network, as the platform offers Bitcoin-powered incentives as well. On top of that, Datt will embrace commerce, allowing users to buy and sell just about everything.

Source: Eekg

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