Web Evolution, Power, and Privacy

This unit situates students in the socio-technical landscape that shaped modern digital ecosystems: the rise of Web2, surveillance capitalism, monopolistic consolidation, and the historical arc from Web1 to emerging Web3 proposals. Learners will examine harms produced by Big Tech, Big Ag, and Big Energy, evaluate alternative governance and business models (e.g., conscious capitalism, restoration networking), and develop foundational concepts of privacy and anonymity to prepare for technical cybersecurity work in subsequent units.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze the historical evolution of internet architectures (Web1 → Web2 → Web3) and explain how architectural and business model differences affect surveillance, data control, and user agency.
• Evaluate the societal, economic, and environmental impacts of surveillance capitalism and monopolistic practices using case examples from Big Tech, Big Ag, and Big Energy, and summarize why fines alone may be ineffective remedies.
• Compare and assess alternative governance and business models (including conscious capitalism, restoration networking, user advisory boards, and decentralized wallets) for their potential to restore user control and reduce systemic harms.
• Differentiate between privacy and anonymity by summarizing their legal, technical, and social dimensions and articulating the implications of each for cybersecurity policy and platform design.