Despite legislation such as GDPR, surveys show that 69% of internet users are more concerned than ever about their privacy. It’s not just empty words. Growth in the VPN industry shows that people are willing to take concrete action to protect their privacy and security online.
Less publicized, however, is the world of privacy-focused infrastructure. The apps and websites that make up the internet must be hosted somewhere. There are several good arguments for ensuring that hosting is held to high privacy and security standards.
Hosting Privacy-Focused Applications
With the increased worry about privacy, there is a growing demand for privacy-centric applications. Capturing this market share can be very lucrative; most customers are willing to pay extra to feel their data is secure from prying eyes.
Ensuring those expectations are met requires infrastructure that is safe from prying eyes and oversight by various entities. As a result, privacy-first hosting is increasingly being used to run privacy-focused search engines, encrypted file-sharing services, anonymous browsing tools, and even Bluestacks VPSs for Android emulation.
Hosting on private infrastructure allows the provider, and therefore the customer, to feel more secure that the server provider does not have visibility over their data. Private payment methods such as cryptocurrency do not require the business to disclose its name or purpose and therefore these cannot be leaked. Combined with other adjustments, this allows the use of phrases such as “zero-knowledge”, and “privacy-centric” in marketing material as a key selling point.
Enabling Anonymous Blogging and Activism
Private VPS hosting provides a lifeline to bloggers, activists, and journalists. Confidence that their identity will not be leaked leads to greater freedom of expression, with a broader range of topics able to be discussed without fear of repercussion.
Naturally, hosting your blog on private infrastructure does not mean that writers can ignore basic privacy principles. Measures such as using a pseudonym, not linking to your blog on socials, using a VPN, etc., are still vital. Privacy hosting simply ensures that parties cannot find their identity by requesting from the customer’s server provider or by hacking their account.
Separating Business and Personal Identity
Starting a business is a financial and reputational risk. While this risk can be reduced, it is impossible to eliminate it entirely. As a result, it is often a good idea to separate the reputation of your business and person. The last thing you want is a failed business affecting your standing in your community or other business ventures.
Protecting yourself against both personal financial and reputational risk can prove difficult, however. A limited company is a great way to limit financial risk, but they must publish their directors' names in most jurisdictions. Conversely, registering as a sole trader is more private but comes with significant personal financial risk. For this reason, entrepreneurs who want to separate business and personal usually take a multi-pronged approach that includes:
- Registering the business offshore
- Removing personal elements in branding and company literature
- Promoting and marketing the business anonymously or through a partner
- Avoiding loans with a personal guarantee
- Using privacy-based payment methods for business purchases
Hosting on private infrastructure is another piece of this puzzle. Private VPS servers enable businesses to pay with cryptocurrency while ensuring that founders’ personal information is not tied to hosting accounts.
To utilize non-traditional payment methods
The traditional banking system is not the best choice for everyone. Globally, 1.4 billion people do not have a bank account, primarily due to a lack of identification and not being able to meet the minimum balance requirements to keep an account open.
While cash is a worthy alternative for many physical services, it is not easy to use it to buy digital ones. Privacy VPSs, however, usually accept payment in cryptocurrency, which can be purchased using cash at Bitcoin ATMs. They can play an important role in delivering development, privacy, and hosting tools to unbanked populations.
Of course, there are also various reasons to buy services with cryptocurrency beyond not having access to a bank. Some people have invested in digital assets previously and find it easier and cheaper to spend directly than converting it to fiat currency. Others are simply disillusioned with the centralized banking system or find it to be faster for international transactions.
Closing Words
For everyday consumers, private VPSs are becoming an increasingly popular way to host anonymous blogs or privacy-centric applications. VPNs, cloud storage, search engines, and more can all benefit from secure, no-log infrastructure that does not collect users’ personal information. Businesses, meanwhile, can leverage Private VPS hosting and non-traditional payment methods to protect their founders’ identities while catering to a broader audience, including the unbanked.
This article was written in cooperation with BitLaunch