There was an idea behind the Web. An idea of privacy and unlimited access, in which the user owned everything they did and everything they saved. At some point along the way, that idea faded, and our digital lives came to depend on giants that sell data to the highest bidder, or use it to fuel their own business. Tim Berners-Lee has been one of the most vocal opponents of this, and he is convinced that the solution is technological. That is why he has developed Solid, a decentralized, open-source privacy tool in which users will be able to decide how, when, and where to share their data.
Just studying the permissions of certain mobile apps closely is enough to understand the abuse. A calculator that wants to read text messages, a Tetris clone with access to the camera, a QR code reader that needs to install more apps — the list goes on. To this we must add Facebook and its scandal with Cambridge Analytica, Google that doesn't turn off GPS and ignores its own cookies when deleting them, the Equifax disaster… an old saying goes that if you don't buy it, you are the product, and although not everyone agrees with it, lately it feels that way. The titans of the Web do what they want with our data, and in most cases we end up accepting their terms because otherwise it's impossible to access even the most basic services. Tim Berners-Lee, father of the Web if there truly is one, believes there is a different way of doing things, without falling into the absorption and kidnapping of personal information. His answer is Solid.
Solid: The New Privacy Tool for the Modern Web
Solid is a new platform built on the current Web that will give users the option to choose where and how their personal data will be stored. The key behind this is a Solid POD, which the official page describes as a secure USB stick for the Web, or why not, a private page. Users set access limits for services and online apps through their POD, and enable or revoke permissions as they see fit. There are no restrictions on the number of PODs a user can have, and it's possible to create them online with the help of a trusted provider, or set up a local server. Now, what kind of data can we store in those PODs? According to the available information, anything. Photos, videos, wearable device data, calendars, address books, and more.
Needless to say, Solid is in its infancy, and needs companies and developers to join the project. After all, the plan is for Solid to also work as an authentication method, so users no longer depend on the classic Log in with Facebook or Log in with Google. All we can do for now is get an online POD or download the software that creates a server, and both options have a highly technical profile, so they aren't intended for the end user yet. Is Solid the privacy tool we need, or does it arrive too late?
