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What the New Infrastructure Bill Means for Tech

On Tuesday, the United States Senate passed a USD $1 trillion infrastructure bill, sending it to the House of Representatives for further debate. While the details and amount of money are subject to change, it is likely that some kind of bill to expand and rebuild the country’s infrastructure will be passed and signed in the coming months. And while most of the bill’s funding will focus on fixing America’s roads, bridges, and other transportation infrastructure, tech is far from being ignored.

Infrastructure spending has long been a goal of many Presidential administrations. And while many bills fall victim to partisan battles, the general idea of infrastructure spending enjoys bipartisan support. Of course, certain tenets of the infrastructure bill will still face fierce debate, particularly the portions that pertain to technology. However, because there is bipartisan agreement that America’s infrastructure needs updates, a bill is likely to pass. And while the numbers may change, the country is still set to spend billions to update, modernize, and regulate technology infrastructure.

Crypto Tax Changes

One of the most important (and controversial) tenets of the bill is creating tax-reporting mandates for cryptocurrency brokers. In practice, this would make reporting cryptocurrency income similar to traditional stock income, where brokers already report their clients’ sales to the IRS. Congressional accountants estimate that this update to crypto tax laws would raise USD $28 billion over ten years [1]. And while this money doesn’t cover the entire cost of the bill, it would pay for the USD $25 billion to repair America’s structurally deficient bridges.

The reason for its controversy is cryptocurrency’s unique nature. Opponents say that the language of the bill regarding cryptocurrency is too broad, leading to software developers and crypto miners facing tax requirements. Additionally, some fully oppose taxes on cryptocurrencies, due to their purposefully decentralized nature. However, supporters of this tax claim that cryptocurrencies are like any other property, and therefore should be subject to capital-gains taxes. Supporters want cryptocurrency gains to be taxed the same as other properties, such as gold and stocks. So while cryptocurrency will still be largely decentralized and international, it will likely become subject to national taxes in the future.

Broadband Access

Another large portion of the infrastructure bill is dedicated to broadband affordability. While those living in urban or suburban communities typically have easy access to the Internet, those living in rural communities aren’t afforded that same accessibility. Many rural areas don’t have consistent access to the Internet, and if they do, the costs can be immense. To combat this Internet inequality, the infrastructure bill offers billions in grants to low-income households. The new program offers monthly USD $30 subsidies toward purchasing high-speed Internet [2]. 

As millions of Americans have spent the past year working and studying from home, reliable Internet access has become a necessity, especially for low-income college students. The new bill also provides USD $1 billion for colleges and universities to provide additional direct grants to students in need. Overall, expanding broadband access will help ensure more Americans have affordable access to the Internet. After all, access to online services has proven itself to almost be a necessity in nearly every facet of life.

Electric Vehicle Expansion

One of the largest physical infrastructure plans included in the bill is a USD $7.5 billion investment in electric vehicle (EV) charging stations [3]. While EVs have been available to Americans for years, adoption has been slow, partially due to the lack of EV chargers available across the country. This investment hopes to encourage Americans to switch to more environmentally-friendly EVs, as opposed to traditional gasoline-powered cars. In addition to EV charging stations, the bill also sets aside USD $7.5 billion to help cities adopt zero-emission public transportation vehicles. 

Cybersecurity Updates

The bill also offers USD $1.9 billion for cybersecurity updates. USD $1 billion of that fund is slated to be given as grants to state and local governments [4]. Following increased numbers of cyberattacks and ransomware incidents, this money will be useful for updating aging technology. State and local governments often rely on older tech, making it easier for cybercriminals to stage a successful attack.

In addition, these grants will greatly help local governments, who are particularly susceptible to ransomware attacks [5]. Local governments often oversee critical infrastructure, such as water, sewage, schools, and airports. Because all of these are necessities for the community, cybercriminals often target them, knowing that local governments will be desperate enough to pay the ransom. Thankfully, the infrastructure bill’s investment in modernizing cybersecurity for local governments can help protect these communities from the rising threat of cybercrime.

Why Tech is Infrastructure

While the infrastructure bill receives broad support from Americans, some have objected to the bill’s spending outside of traditional infrastructure. After all, “infrastructure” has always meant roads and bridges, rather than tech. But because technology is becoming so present in our lives, it’s important to ensure our tech consistently works. Think about it: If your employer’s Internet went out on a workday, it would be more than an inconvenience. It would likely cause nearly everyone’s work to pause. Simply put, we are incredibly reliant on technology, so it makes sense to ensure that technology works properly and consistently.

When people hear the word “infrastructure,” many think of physical infrastructure, such as roads, bridges, pipes and buildings. Naturally, most of the infrastructure bill is slated to fund these physical infrastructure projects. However, with the Internet truly becoming a necessity in recent years, technology needs to be included in infrastructure as well. To a certain extent, it’s just as important as water or sewage. When our country’s technology works as intended, it can lead to incredible efficiency and convenience. And even in a pandemic, technology allowed us to continue to get work done, ensuring that businesses and governments could continue to serve their communities. But when technology doesn’t work, it can lead to chaos and frustration. Just a loss of Internet can cause entire businesses to temporarily shut down. So because technology and the Internet are so vital to individuals, businesses, and governments, it simply makes sense to consider technology as infrastructure. After all, the Internet isn’t just a luxury anymore; it’s a vital necessity for all.

[1] Gordon, Marcy. “EXPLAINER: How Cryptocurrency Fits into Infrastructure Bill.” AP NEWS. August 10, 2021. https://apnews.com/article/technology-joe-biden-business-bills-cryptocurrency-92628a41124230448f65fdeb89ffad7d.

[2] Gravely, Alexis. “Infrastructure Bill Expands Broadband Affordability for Students.” Infrastructure Bill Expands Broadband Affordability for Students. August 10, 2021. https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2021/08/10/infrastructure-bill-expands-broadband-affordability-students.

[3] Szymkowski, Sean. “Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill Passes US Senate with Billions for EV Charging Network.” Roadshow. August 10, 2021. https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/biden-bipartisan-infrastructure-bill-ev-charging-network-senate/.

[4] Miller, Maggie. “Senate Includes over $1.9 Billion for Cybersecurity in Infrastructure Bill.” TheHill. August 10, 2021. https://thehill.com/policy/cybersecurity/567204-over-1-billion-in-cybersecurity-funds-included-in-senate-passed.

[5] Garcia, Michael. “The Underbelly of Ransomware Attacks: Local Governments.” Council on Foreign Relations. May 10, 2021. https://www.cfr.org/blog/underbelly-ransomware-attacks-local-governments.

How to Rebuild Trust in Tech

It’s safe to say that reality has not lived up to the utopian vision of a highly advanced technological society. The optimism present in the 80s during the microchip boom and again in the 90s with the internet revolution has given way to a rather dreary outlook. This pessimistic view has various causes, including the proliferation of mass surveillance systems and the overall erosion of fundamental privacy rights. Can this be fixed? AXEL believes it can, but tech corporations will have to pursue alternative business models and practices for it to happen.  Let’s look at how we got into this mess and how we can get out of it.

Initial promise leads to technocratic dystopia?

So, where did this pessimism come from recently? After all, it was only a decade ago that Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg was touting his social media platform as a way for people all over the world to connect meaningfully. Social media and the convenience of Big Tech services were supposed to advance the human race. And, for a while, it appeared like they might. Social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter helped facilitate significant historical events, such as the 2010 Arab Spring[1]. However, as the years passed, it became apparent that these services had a darker side.

The Cambridge Analytica scandal first reported on in 2015 was the tipping point. It’s where Facebook got caught selling vast amounts of its users’ personal information to the data analytics firm Cambridge Analytica. This firm used the data in an attempt to influence the outcome of the 2016 United States elections. While it is unknown exactly how successful this was (after all, Ted Cruz’s ill-fated campaign was the first to use this data), what was obvious is that Facebook collected and sold an alarming amount of information without consent.

Looking back, people should have known all along. Enormous tech platforms require thousands of skilled employees and significant backend infrastructure to maintain. Since they are typically free to use, how do they make money? Personalized advertising due to mass surveillance.

Trust in Big Tech hits all-time lows

Since the Cambridge Analytica scandal, education regarding how Big Tech analyzes and sells data has improved. The average consumer now understands that there shouldn’t be an expectation of privacy when using these services. In fact, according to a 2020 survey, over 85% of people are “very concerned” about how companies like Facebook and Google handle their personal data[2]. We feel this is a great trend, but there will need to be an aggressive demand from consumers for better privacy protections for any actual progress. The unfortunate truth is that even if there is a tacit understanding of the current reality, consumers either feel trapped in the situation or are otherwise willing to put up with the status quo.

This is evidenced by a 2019 panel discussion where business leaders and academics talked about the ethics of data collection[3]. Throughout the roundtable, the majority of the audience and the panel itself agreed to give up their privacy for small monetary benefits.

We believe this line of thinking is short-sighted and naïve. One point that kept coming up was that most trusted the firms collecting their data not to misuse it and to protect it. We know from countless stories that neither of these assumptions is prudent. Not only will companies sell data without consent, but they can’t guarantee hackers won’t pilfer it illicitly. Even organizations spending adequate resources on cybersecurity get compromised routinely. Many of the largest businesses in the world have had terrible breaches. Putting that kind of faith in Big Tech’s trustworthiness will only end in disappointment.

The way forward

As a company that values user privacy, here are our tips for ushering in a new era of tech that delivers on the optimistic vision of previous generations:

Opt-in for advertising rather than opt-out. So far, organizations attempting to remedy privacy concerns have relied on providing opt-out clauses for data collection. We feel this puts the burden on the consumers, who tend to be busy. Most people don’t read privacy policies or want to click through a maze of links to get to the opt-out page. Privacy should be the default. If there really are benefits worthy of people giving up their personal info, the company should state their case clearly and provide a link to opt-in to the advertising.

Move away from free-to-use business models. We’ve covered this topic in a previous blog, but it’s a necessary shift if people truly value privacy. Free software and services create bad incentives to misuse data because it’s the only way to monetize users. This can be alleviated by normalizing paid software again. Consumers didn’t always have the expectation of free software. With a coordinated education outreach, paid software may make a comeback.

Transparency. One of the most disturbing aspects of the Cambridge Analytica scandal was that Facebook sold information without consent. If an organization wants to offer free services to those who opt-in to personalized advertising, it should go the extra mile and be transparent about how it uses that data. This would lead to fewer surprises and major scandals. Users could make informed decisions and weigh the tradeoffs accordingly.

AXEL leads the way

At AXEL, we provide data storage and sharing solutions that prioritize privacy and security. Not only is our leading platform, AXEL Go, built with secure implementations of blockchain technology, decentralized servers, and robust encryption, but our entire data collection policy centers around the philosophy that less is more. Just take a look at AXEL Go compared to other popular cloud drives. AXEL does not collect data linked to your identity. Period.

You can sign up for a free trial of our Premium AXEL Go service today and get the peace of mind that nobody is mining your content or selling your data. We can bring about change together. Join the privacy revolution.

Jose Antonio Vargas, “How an Egyptian Revolution Began on Facebook”, The New York Times, Feb. 17, 2012, https://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/19/books/review/how-an-egyptian-revolution-began-on-facebook.html

[2] Allen Bernard, “Most consumers do not trust big tech with their privacy”, TechRepublic, July 29, 2020,  https://www.techrepublic.com/article/most-consumers-do-not-trust-big-tech-with-their-privacy/

[3] “How can we rebuild trust in the digital world? A discussion with Professor Michael Sandel”, Fujitsu.com, May 16,2019, https://www.fujitsu.com/global/vision/insights/201905event/

Projects We Love: PrivacyWall

This is part of our series highlighting startups who share our mission of trying to bring data privacy back to users.

You’ve had a rough week, maybe it’s a relationship or health problem, but either way, you’re feeling down. Fortunately, your family is there for you, and reach out to console you through a few private messages on social media.

Mom: “I know it’s expensive, I’m sorry your health care doesn’t cover it, we’ll do what we can to help you pay.”

Dad: “Don’t worry sport, she’s just going through a phase, I’m sure you guys will work through it.”

Friend: “Hey man, let’s meet up for a drink this weekend, cheer up!”

After reading your messages, you lay down in bed to rest and start scrolling through social media to pass the time until you fall asleep, and you’re astounded by what you find.

Ads.

But not just the usual ads for food, or some new tech gadget.

“Lower your healthcare costs now! Save 20% off market rate plans!”

“Relationship trouble? Local family counseling is available!”

“Cheapest beer in town, and half-price shots on Fridays!”

Maybe it’s just coincidence, or maybe every single thing you say or do online is being tracked and sold to advertisers… That “free” social media website has to make money somehow.

And that’s where PrivacyWall comes in- a startup that is returning data privacy and security to users. By blocking unwanted data collection by everyone from Facebook to Google, PrivacyWall puts you back in the driver’s seat.

Why PrivacyWall?

Every website you visit, every search you type in, every message you send and photo you post, it’s all tracked, recorded, and monitored. PrivacyWall is the “off” switch we’ve been waiting for.

By blocking over 3,000+ trackers from many of the largest tech companies in the world you can once again browse the internet without fear of being tracked like the target of a CIA investigation. We expect privacy in our homes, and we should get the same treatment on the internet.

PrivacyWall even blocks Facebook Connect from building a shadow profile of your online activity when you are not on Facebook. If you didn’t know, that convenient “log-in with Facebook” turns that account you just signed up for into another data collection point for Facebook to build a profile on you.

If you didn’t know that, you aren’t alone. And that’s exactly why PrivacyWall blocks threats you don’t even know about yet. Because you shouldn’t have to become a security expert and worry about your private information being leaked just because you used Facebook to sign-up for a food delivery app, or a dating site, or anything.

You deserve privacy, and PrivacyWall is a step towards a more private world.

Q&A With The Developers Of AXEL IPFS

We sat down with AXEL’s development team to discuss their AXEL IPFS Pinning Facility.

Q: What inspired you to develop AXEL IPFS?

The next evolution of computing is distributed. IPFS or something very similar is going to be the basis of distributed storage. The AXEL IPFS integration into our ecosystem has given us a worldwide public distributed storage system to build practically anything on top of including AXEL IPFS Pinning, AXEL IPFS Search, and many other services to come. AXEL is building a very strong foundation in distributed storage and will be a leader in the next evolution of Web 3.0!

Q: What excites you the most about AXEL IPFS?

AXEL IPFS will allow our users to immediately and securely distribute their data around the world for personal or business use. AXEL will be fostering the movement from centralized to decentralized computing and AXEL IPFS is the start of the process. For AXEL users, they can share files or even distribute website information with IPFS. It is very exciting to bring Web 3.0 technology to the masses. AXEL has made it super easy to use, which is very important when you want to increase the adoption of complex technologies like IPFS.

Q: Do you see a future for IPFS and what industries will adopt it first?

Web 3.0 will be distributed. IPFS seems likely to be a core technology of Web 3.0 and the distributed Internet. Right now archivists, service providers, researchers, developers, and content creators have begun to adopt IPFS to address many problems caused by centralized computing. IPFS also addresses many issues around high-latency networks found in developing countries. Even NASA is using similar systems to address the high-latency involved in space communications. So there is a lot going on in this field. With that said, though, it is still very new. AXEL is bringing this technology to users today by making it secure and easy to use so anyone can take advantage. I think it will be interesting to see how IPFS develops and is integrated into more and more consumer products. 

Q: What industries will IPFS be the death blow for? Is there a future for cybersecurity in a distributed web?

I do not think we are talking extinction but evolution. Current centralized systems will evolve into decentralized/distributed systems as users demand the flexibility, security, and efficiency of decentralized/distributed systems. The only companies that will go extinct are those that fail to evolve or evolve without taking into account customer needs. And as far as cybersecurity goes, as long as we use computers and the human condition remains as it is, cybersecurity will also be a lucrative and in-demand career.

Q: How much will AXEL IPFS cost to use?

The IPFS is the backbone for our private, secure file-sharing and cloud storage platform; AXEL Go. You can sign up for a free Basic account and receive 2GB of online storage and enough network fuel for hundreds of typical shares. Power users or enterprise customers have a choice of pricing tiers to accommodate their specific needs. 

Q: Is IPFS the death of HTTP?

In the computer industry, protocols die hard. As much as we want to criticize the problems with centralized computing, it has provided one of the greatest revolutions in mankind’s history. Never before have so many had access to almost the entire world’s knowledge. Individuals and entrepreneurs have tapped into this knowledge to develop some incredibly cool tech over these past 20 years. So, HTTP has been a great success, and it will not disappear quickly. But as 5G becomes more prevalent and developing countries increase their demand for data, decentralized and distributed technologies will be selected as the protocol over HTTP. It is also interesting to note that Tim Berners-Lee who created the HTTP protocol and the World Wide Web is now working on the next distributed/decentralized protocol. It is one of the greatest qualities of humans, we never stop creating.

Q: Do you have any concerns that content on IPFS can’t be removed or censored?

Yes, absolutely. There are clearly certain types of information that are not suited for publication anywhere at any time, such as child pornography or sex trafficking. Universally, this type of abhorrent information has no place on IPFS or anywhere else on the internet for that matter. When it is so universal and clear-cut like this, AXEL will do everything in its power to prevent this content from being listed on IPFS.

Q: What was the most challenging aspect of developing AXEL IPFS?

The IPFS is still actively being developed and there are always difficulties with anything new and in-development. But otherwise, I have been developing technology for over 30 years and with that experience, you learn how to be diligent and get it done the right way.

Q: What does AXEL IPFS do that sets it apart from any other IPFS platform?

We believe our IPFS integration is the most easy-to-use, intuitive solution on the market. In the past, IPFS pinning required extensive technical knowledge or expensive third party services. We’ve eliminated both barriers and made utilizing this decentralized technology simple and affordable. For instance, with AXEL Go, the process isn’t any more complicated than using other popular cloud storage and sharing applications. And it doesn’t get much more affordable than a free Basic account! 

Q: How can someone help or participate in the project?

Join us on Discord or Telegram and get involved. Telegram has a lot of great community activity and Discord is where the Devs hang out. Come chat with us! There are so many ways to get involved, ask any of the channel admins and they’d be happy to help!

The Distributed Future

According to Blade Runner, we only have 7 months left for the invention of sentient androids, but that seems unlikely at this point (I’m still hoping though). And we’re already four years late for Back to the Future’s flying cars and hover-boards. 

Looking back, all of these predictions seem a little bit silly in comparison to how fast technology has actually progressed. We don’t have androids, we don’t have flying cars, we don’t even have a printer that works without having to beg and plead for it to just print your document correctly for once. Physical tech has lagged behind our predictions. No matter how hard we work, there’s only so efficient you can make a chemical process, like the one that powers the batteries any of this tech would require. 

But what hasn’t slowed down… is digital technology. Smaller, lighter, and faster than anybody ever imagined even 30 years ago. Look at Blade Runner, they had sentient androids and still worked with magnetic tape recordings for data storage, not exactly a great prediction there Ridley Scott… 

The computing power in your cell phone dwarfs even the most advanced supercomputer of the early 1990s. And it doesn’t take up an entire warehouse and enough power to run a small town. And all you use it for is to watch cat videos on Youtube… really? 

So in a world where we’re all carrying around a supercomputer in our pocket, what are we going to do with it? (And please… don’t just say watch more cat videos, yes I know they’re adorable but come on, aim a little higher, please?) Why not run the internet ourselves? 

When we’re all running around with supercomputers, why should we be putting our trust in these large tech conglomerates when they’ve continually shown themselves, at best as ambivalent and at worst as downright negligible when it comes to our data privacy. Every other day it seems like there’s a new data breach, hack, or the company itself selling our private data to advertisers. They haven’t earned our trust, and even if they did at some point, they’ve certainly lost it by now. 

But we don’t have to anymore. We aren’t beholden to big tech if we are willing to take the plunge and dive into the distributed web. A web like our predecessors in the 80s imagined it, free to surf, send, and share without someone looking over your shoulder. A web free of censorship, where the only boundaries are our imaginations. A web hosted by people for people, not advertisers and tech monopolies. 

The distributed web is not the web like you’re used to though. It’s not some massive server farm hidden away in a warehouse, its independent server operators sharing the network load among them. It’s every one of us having the opportunity to participate in the governance of the internet. It’s freedom from control and freedom from censorship. 

It’s not just about escaping big tech though; it’s about building something better. Joining the distributed web doesn’t mean you don’t get to share photos and videos with your friends, it means sharing content in a way that doesn’t compromise your data privacy. It’s about creating a web where you are in ultimate control of your data, your privacy, and your life. 

Welcome to the future of the internet.

AXEL IPFS Is Out Now

Two weeks ago we released the AXEL Wallet, the window into our blockchain and the basis of everything we plan to do. And now, it’s only getting better!

Not only have we released one of the best-designed blockchains on Earth, but we also integrated it with the most advanced IPFS platform out there. You no longer have to make a choice between privacy or convenience, you can have both. There already are ways to stay private online, but privacy often comes at the cost of your experience and is inconvenient. AXEL IPFS is the best of both worlds, it’s secure and encryption-enabled, while still being fast and free!

But more important than just the technology of the distributed web is the team who built it. No matter how great their product is, would you really want one of those big-tech conglomerates, who have continually monitored you, sold your data and abused your trust, starting the distributed web? Do you really trust them to have your best interest at heart? While they may have the right technology, their past behavior should make you wary of trusting them with something as important as the distributed web.

Unlike most tech companies our business is not in advertising, we don’t host ads and we don’t sell data. Our business is privacy; specifically, your privacy. It has always been our business and it always will be.

That’s why we started this project. Our entire company is based around privacy and data custody. For over a decade, our team has been working on products to give you back your data, and give you the option to divorce yourselves from the surveillance-web that’s been forced upon us by big tech. Every product and project we’ve worked on has been building towards this moment.

The distributed web is no longer something to talk about as something that’s coming, it’s here. We built it, for you. AXEL IPFS is already the most advanced IPFS-integrated blockchain, and it’s just going to keep getting better with time! But now it’s your turn, show us what you can do with it, how you’d live your life, free from surveillance and censorship.

Welcome to the future of the internet, welcome… to AXEL IPFS.