Do you have Gmail? Me too. Did you know that Google knows pretty much EVERYTHING about you (and me)? Because they read our email. And then they use our information to sell us stuff in the form of "advertisers pay Google to use our information to sell us stuff." Seriously, NOTHING is private anymore. In fact, one time I emailed my mom about a pimple I was getting (a totally email-worthy disaster) and was subsequently bombarded by Proactive Acne wash advertisements on Google and Facebook for a week. I'll admit I was kind of impressed but I should be nothing short of horrified. Because this is scary sh*t.
Ever heard of net neutrality? It's a huge topic right now in US politics. The Trump Administration is talking about reversing it which means big companies like Google, Amazon, Facebook, and Ebay could literally PAY internet providers, like Verizon and AT&T, for "premium service" (aka FASTER websites mobile web experiences). WHY is this completely terrifying? WHAT IF, back in the day, a little Start-Up named Twitter wanted to launch a free service where people could post mini-blogs, opinions, and share information quickly and freely....but they couldn't afford to pay for a fast website (or mobile) experience? Well, Twitter wouldn't be around today because nobody likes a slow website.
Now, imagine a world where a single app installed on a mobile device gave us the power to email, post, chat, shop, share, inform, and thrive in a world where these mobile luxuries would no longer be controlled by Internet providers, middlemen, and advertising money. They would become "decentralized."
Decentralization means 100% private (no information gathering), 100% free (from both middlemen AND transaction fees) and 100% controlled by the people (nobody "owns" therefore nobody can "steal" our digital identity). And yes, it can absolutely work and is already working as we speak.
I realize this is a lot to swallow so I'll stop now. But start getting excited because as we speak, these things are being collaboratively cooked up by some of the smartest minds in the world!