Ep 620: Building the Private User-Friendly Internet  @brave has spent a decade building a privacy-first browser that empowers users with tools like ad-blocking and fingerprinting protection, now serving 100 million monthly active users. @tw_tter chats with Kevin Den Hartog (@PryvitKyle), security engineer @brave, to unpack the centralization traps in digital identity from email's spam-driven dominance to one-size-fits-all DeFi lending rates and how Brave counters them with BAT's user-rewarding ad model, zero-knowledge personalization, and wallets that act as privacy guardians. Kyle warns of on-chain transparency's risks to consumer behavior, advocates for intent-based "vendor relationship management" advertising, and draws historical lessons on censorship's chilling effects amid rising regulations like EU chat controls. He shares Brave's vision for seamless private payments and user-controlled algorithms to reclaim the open web from Big Tech monopolies. Don't forget to RT & follow @epicenterbtc Topics discussed in this episode: 0:00 Introduction 0:57 Kyle's background in security and identity 2:50 Why identity and privacy matter 4:33 The history and centralization of digital identity 6:59 Email as a cautionary tale for decentralization 10:22 Brave's privacy-first vision and 100M users 15:59 BAT: Rewarding users for attention 19:44 Challenges and evolutions in Brave's ad model 30:15 Zero-knowledge for intent-based ads 31:49 Brave Wallet: Privacy by default 36:03 On-chain privacy pitfalls and wallet solutions 47:03 Browser wallets vs. built-in security 52:38 Censorship, regulations, and history's lessons 57:58 Fixing social media algorithms 1:07:54 Brave's 5-year vision

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