For decades, the internet ran on an unspoken agreement between platforms and people: You use our services, and we’ll handle your data responsibly. That was the social contract. But somewhere along the way, that contract was broken.
- Data collection became surveillance
- Personalization became manipulation
- “Free” became the costliest word in tech
At SealedWeb, we believe it’s time to rebuild that agreement—this time, not on blind trust, but on verifiable transparency.
The Broken Promises of Web2
The platforms we once trusted slowly shifted their priorities:
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The focus shifted from users to advertisers
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The emphasis was no longer on attention, it was access
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The priority became profit at the cost of privacy
The result?
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Apps that watch more than they serve
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Algorithms that shape behavior without consent
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Policies that change quietly in the background while user data is mined in the foreground
And all of this was possible because we were asked to trust, without the ability to verify. The is the gist of the entire notion of social contract.
Why Trust Alone Isn’t Enough
In other parts of life, trust is earned—and maintained—with transparency, accountability, and clear boundaries. But on the internet, platforms built black boxes.
- You click “accept,” and you’re never quite sure what you’ve agreed to.
- Data goes in—but you don’t know where it’s stored, who sees it, or how long it lives.
This isn’t trust. It’s a dependency with no visibility. As SealedWeb, we think users deserve better.
What SealedWeb Means by Transparency
Transparency doesn’t mean exposing everything. It means being clear about what’s happening, who’s involved, and what’s under your control. Here’s how we’re rebuilding that foundation:
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No hidden surveillance: We don’t collect what we don’t need. And we explain what we do
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Cryptographic assurance: We use math—not marketing—to prove how your data is protected
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External audits, not internal promises: We work with independent testers to validate our system behavior through black-box testing.
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User-first design: You control your identity, your data, and your footprint—no hidden syncing, no silent tracking.
You don’t need to “just trust” us. You can see the system working, and know what it can do, but more importantly, you also know what it won’t do. That’s the essence of SealedWeb. Our tagline—trust the math—is there for a reason.
The New Social Contract
The next era of the internet should be built on clear terms, strong protections, and user control by default. We envision a web where:
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Consent is informed, not implied
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Systems are tested, not just marketed
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Privacy is standard, not a premium feature
This is what we call the new social contract. It’s not a policy document. It’s an architecture choice.
Closing Thought
The original internet was built on hope and openness—but it grew into something users no longer recognize. Rebuilding trust isn’t about asking for it again. It’s about replacing trust with transparency, and that’s exactly what we’re doing at SealedWeb. If the old internet felt like a gamble, the new one should feel like a system you can depend on—even when no one’s watching.
Because real trust is built on what’s provable, not what’s promised.
