The Social Construction of Blockchain Privacy Platforms
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The social construction of blockchain privacy platforms by Jennifer Mentanko B.A., MacEwan University, 2015 Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the DeGree of Master of Arts in the School of Communication Faculty of Communication, Art and TechnoloGy © Jennifer Mentanko 2020 SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY Summer 2020 CopyriGht in this worK rests with the author. Please ensure that any reproduction or re-use is done in accordance with the relevant national copyright legislation. Declaration of Committee Name: Jennifer Mentanko Degree: Master of Arts (Communication) Title: The social construction of blockchain privacy platforms Examining Committee: Chair: Ahmed Al-Rawi Assistant Professor, Communication Peter Chow-White Supervisor Professor, Communication Andrew Feenberg Committee Member Professor, Communication Frederik Lesage Examiner Associate Professor, Communication ii Ethics Statement iii Abstract Our current Internet environment is characterized by online conGlomerates, predictive computinG and data mininG. With this, there is a GrowinG concern amonG users on how to protect their privacy and manaGe their identities online. Advocates for blockchain, the newest large-scale wave of Internet based platforms, argue it is hiGhly useful for privacy protection. Blockchain is an encrypted and decentralized public ledGer that verifies and stores information throuGh a peer-to-peer network. UsinG the social construction of technoloGy (SCOT) as a theoretical framework, I deploy a comparative discourse analysis of three blockchain platforms - Brave, Civic and Oasis Labs - alonG with user discourse on Reddit and Medium. This thesis explores how users socially construct this emerginG technoloGy by comparinG privacy discourse between blockchain platforms and motivated social aGents. I found blockchain privacy platforms and its users both value data ownership, ad-blockinG and safety and security. However, there is also friction and disaGreement about themes of trust and ethics as well as usability. Keywords: social construction; online privacy; blockchain; identity management iv Dedication For Mum. You always believed in my dreams too. v Acknowledgements This thesis would not have been possible without the Guidance of Dr. Peter Chow-White. ThanK you for introducinG me to blocKchain and the GeNA lab. My academic experience was incredibly fulfillinG because of the opportunities you gave me to collaborate, learn and better myself both academically and as a person. I have grown so much these past three years, and it is thanks to your mentorship. I’d also liKe to thanK my committee. Dr. Andrew FeenberG inspired my theoretical framework and Dr. FrederiK LesaGe helped to form my methodoloGy. ThanK you Ahmed Al-Rawi for your participation and thouGhtful feedbacK. I would liKe to thanK the GeNA lab for their guidance, encouragement and friendship. WorKinG in the lab was my favourite part of this academic journey. Pippa Adams and Julie Frizzo-BarKer, thanKs for beinG such positive role models. Camille JasinsKi, I am so glad to have met you in our methodology class. Outside of the university, I’d liKe to thanK my husband, Sparky. You are my number one fan. Your encouraGement and support mean everything. My brother Blake, you didn’t really help let’s be honest, but thanKs for beinG you. AGF – I never felt alone in this city because of you. Thank you to my mum, the best mum in the whole wide world. And lastly, to my best friend, my doG, Waffles. vi Table of Contents Declaration of Committee .................................................................................................. ii Ethics Statement .............................................................................................................. iii Abstract ............................................................................................................................ iv Dedication .......................................................................................................................... v AcKnowledGements .......................................................................................................... vi Table of Contents ............................................................................................................ vii List of Tables .................................................................................................................... ix List of Figures .................................................................................................................... x List of Acronyms ............................................................................................................... xi Chapter 1. Introduction ................................................................................................ 1 1.2. What is Online Privacy? .......................................................................................... 2 1.3. Online Surveillance Practices ................................................................................. 4 1.4. BlocKchain’s Role in Privacy Protection .................................................................. 7 1.5. Thesis Overview ..................................................................................................... 8 Chapter 2. Literature Review ..................................................................................... 10 2.1. Introduction ........................................................................................................... 10 2.2. Constructing Technology ...................................................................................... 12 2.3. Surveillance Society ............................................................................................. 17 2.4. BiG Data and Privacy ............................................................................................ 22 2.5. Conclusion ............................................................................................................ 27 Research Questions ........................................................................................................ 28 Chapter 3. Methodology ............................................................................................. 29 3.1. Introduction ........................................................................................................... 29 3.2. ChoosinG Discourse Analysis ............................................................................... 29 3.3. Data Collection and Analysis ................................................................................ 31 Chapter 4. Blockchain Platforms .............................................................................. 38 4.1. Introduction ........................................................................................................... 38 4.2. Social Construction of the Internet ........................................................................ 38 4.3. BlocKchain TechnoloGy and Social Agency .......................................................... 42 4.4. BlocKchain Solutions ............................................................................................. 44 Chapter 5. Privacy and Blockchain ........................................................................... 48 5.1. Introduction ........................................................................................................... 48 5.2. UnpacKinG Themes on BlocKchain Platforms ....................................................... 48 5.3. BlocKchain Platforms and Privacy Themes .......................................................... 54 5.4. Conclusion ............................................................................................................ 59 Chapter 6. Reddit and Medium .................................................................................. 60 6.1. Introduction ........................................................................................................... 60 vii 6.2. Reddit and Medium Platforms .............................................................................. 60 6.3. Privacy Themes .................................................................................................... 64 6.4. Usability ................................................................................................................ 72 6.5. Problems and Solutions: Social Construction in BlocKchain Privacy Platforms .... 75 6.6. Conclusion ............................................................................................................ 78 Chapter 7. Conclusion ............................................................................................... 81 References ..................................................................................................................... 89 Reddit User References ................................................................................................ 103 viii List of Tables Table 1 Total Number of Items Coded on BlocKchain Platforms ..................................... 34 Table 2 Broad Themes on BlocKchain Platforms ............................................................ 34 ix List of Figures FiGure 1. Timeframe of Medium Articles and Reddit Comment Threads Published ........ 36 FiGure 2. Brave HomepaGe ............................................................................................. 49 FiGure 3. Civic HomepaGe ..............................................................................................