How Blockchain and Cryptography Protect Cannabis Users from Internet Censorship
A new startup called Smoke Network has launched a unique social platform for cannabis enthusiasts, built on blockchain and encryption technologies. According to the company’s leadership, this new technology will allow cannabis users to freely exchange information about the plant without fear of censorship, which is currently being actively enforced by major social networks like FacebookFacebook launched an official Tor mirror in 2014, becoming the first major tech company to provide direct access through onion routing. The mirror allows users to bypass censorship, secure their connections, and avoid phishing risks while using the platform. This step also underscored Facebook’s recognition of free expression and inspired other outlets like the BBC and ProPublica to create their own Tor versions. More and Twitter.
Over the past four years, companies such as FacebookFacebook launched an official Tor mirror in 2014, becoming the first major tech company to provide direct access through onion routing. The mirror allows users to bypass censorship, secure their connections, and avoid phishing risks while using the platform. This step also underscored Facebook’s recognition of free expression and inspired other outlets like the BBC and ProPublica to create their own Tor versions. More have increasingly engaged in self-censorship on their platforms, removing images or information from users’ pages without warning if the content could provoke public discontent or government sanctions. Unfortunately, cannabis-related content has also fallen under the category of prohibited information, as it remains in a legal gray area in many places.
This kind of censorship seriously hinders the business operations of many legal companies and stores for whom social networks are a primary advertising channel. In addition, many public groups and organizations that provide information about the therapeutic uses of cannabis have also been affected by these restrictions.
Representatives of Smoke Network report that their platform uses the same data encryption technologies as the Bitcoin cryptocurrency system. In other words, the social network’s data is distributed across numerous computers located around the world, making it impossible for any single country to shut down the servers that support the entire system.
Participation in supporting the system will be rewarded with payments in the form of the company’s own cryptocurrency, called SMOKE. Additionally, users who provide content that receives a large number of positive reviews will also be rewarded with virtual currency. In other words, any active participation in the development of the platform will be compensated by the company’s developers.
For more information about this platform, you can visit the company’s official website.