The free internet as we knew it in the early 2000s is gone for good. This opinion was expressed by tech blogger Valentin Petukhov, better known as Wylsacom, in the latest episode of his show “Let Them Speak.”
Wylsacom. Cover image © VK / Valentin Petukhov
According to him, governments worldwide are tightening their grip on the digital space. Some require data localization, others restrict access to certain platforms, while a few have introduced age verification systems.
Petukhov cited the UK as an example, where a viewer must now undergo verification to access 18+ content. Potential restrictions on social media for teenagers could effectively turn the whole system into “the internet by passport.”
“The free internet, the way I remember it from the dawn of the 2000s, is not coming back,” Wylsacom stated.
At the same time, the blogger considers abrupt bans adopted without consultation with users, experts, or market representatives to be highly questionable. According to him, any restriction quickly spawns workarounds and a black market for verified accounts. Petukhov urged that people should be clearly informed in advance about the purpose of digital innovations, and that it should be assessed whether these changes will create more problems than they solve.
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