You must have heard about WhatsApp; a messenger app that pledges to offer end-to-end encryption between the sender and the receiver. 

Let us ask you a question. If you sent a picture of you to a friend of yours through WhatsApp, who can see and access that picture? 

You and the recipient, right? 

No! Even though WhatsApp vows that no one outside of your chat can see or access the messages and pictures you sent through WhatsApp, they collect a lot of user data to effectively track their users. 

You heard it right. According to WhatsApp's terms and conditions, they clearly state that “

you grant WhatsApp a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free, sublicensable, and transferable license to use, reproduce, distribute, create derivative works of, display, and perform the information (including the content) that you upload, submit, store, send, or receive on or through our Services”

Recently Apple enforced a rule in the AppStore saying all apps must make it clear to the users the data points that they are collecting. 

And guess what? 

WhatsApp wasn't too happy with this transparency but here is all the data WhatsApp collects from its users. Not too secure, is it?

There are millions of people out there who love and use WhatsApp due to how secure it claims to be. However, it is such a disappointment to see even they are stealing our personal data behind our backs putting our security and privacy at risk. 

The time to embrace a solution that sets both privacy and interactivity as priorities have exceeded. This gave birth to Web 3.0. 

But understanding web 1.0 and web 2.0 aka our current system first is vital to comprehend why web 3.0 is so special and how it's going to change the world forever. 

How it all started - Web 1.0

The history of the internet and hypertext dates back much farther than the World Wide Web. But Web 1.0 was a significant step in the evolution of the World Wide Web.  

Tim Berners Lee was the one to invent the World Wide Web in 1989 applying the concept of hyperlinks. He then developed the first web server and web browser and document formatting protocol called Hypertext Markup Language (HTML). 

After releasing the code for public use,  many web browsers were soon developed. But it was Marc Andreessen's Mosaic (later Netscape Navigator) that created sparking the boom of the internet in the 1990s. 

This version was all about read-only content and there were only limited people namely creating web pages and content, and the majority was only able to access these facts and information from different sources. 

Originating from Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), Web 1.0 was designed to help people find information. As it lacked any forms, visuals, controls, and interactivity and it was mainly made up of static pages connected to a system via hyperlinks. 

The Rise of Web 2.0

Web 2.0 came into existence in 2004 and it was all about reading and writing.

Web 2.0 made the internet much more interactive thanks to the development of web technologies like javascript, HTML 5, CSS 3, and others. Thus allowing companies to develop interactive platforms like Youtube, Facebook, and many more.  

In Web 2.0, when we seek out information or data of any kind in any web platform we are unknowingly providing them information related to our choices and interests which are stored on cookies. Later on, these data are sold to various companies who make use of these data to advertise exactly what you seek. 

It's truly fascinating how the internet has evolved throughout the years especially considering how interactive it has become. However, when it comes to the privacy of the user we still have a long way to go. 

With Web 2.0 people were sacrificing their privacy and security for the sake of services like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Whether they know it or not but companies like google and meta were basically selling people’s identities, browsing habits, searches, and online shopping information to the highest bidders; thus implying you don't have any control over the data or the personal information you provide for accessing these services and applications. 

There are loopholes to protect our data in the current Web 2.0 like using incognito mode and Tor browsers but they are not permanent solutions. We might face fluctuations in the reliability of these solutions in the future. So opting for a permanent solution in the future has become more than necessary. 

The Breaking Dawn of Web 3.0 

Web 3.0 is the next step in the evolution of the internet allowing it to process data with near-human intelligence using technologies using AI and Blockchain technology that can run innovative programs to help users by providing them with relevant choices which is a significant factor to an open, trusting, permissionless network. 

Web 3.0 is the era of reading, writing, and ownership.

It has been diffusing our lives since the early 2020s and we can expect the next decades to be not only three-dimensional but potentially multidimensional with the latest introduction of the metaverse. 

There are four characteristics that act as the foundation of Web 3.0. They are;

1. Decentralization

Web 3.0 is all about decentralization and it is accomplished with the help of block technology. Blockchain helps centralize data storage and establishes trust in the virtual world. Decentralization makes it easy to fetch data as they are retrieved based on the content. In Web 3.0 the data are kept in several locations simultaneously making it centralized and dismantling the vast database currently maintained by tech giants like Meta and Google, giving more power to the people. 

2. Trustful and Permissionless

Web 3.0 offers a space where participants can freely interact with each other eliminating the need for any intermediaries or permissions from any governing body. Due to this people can access any data of their choice without the need to accept any cookies or offer any details; thus crafting a trustful bond between you and web 3.0. 

3. Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

Technologies based on semantics web and natural language processing understand information the same way people understand. So the use of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in Web 3.0 allows achieving more relevant content of their choice easing up the task of internet browsing. 

4 . Connectivity and Ubiquity

Web 3.0 offers accessibility to everyone anywhere at any time as the Internet of Things will soon launch on several small devices not just limited to PCs and smartphones. 

With the inception of Web 3.0, corporate giants like Apple, Amazon, and Google are transforming their already existing services into Web 3.0 applications that abide by these characteristics of Web 3.0. A prominent example of this is Google’s Siri and WolframAlpha.

Why Web 3.0 is powerful? 

What makes Web 3.0 so powerful has to be the numerous advantages it proffers. When compared to its predecessors, there is no debate that Web 3.0 is going to excel in its role.  

Here are six advantages of Web 3.0 which make it exceptional from its predecessors. 

Data Ownership

The most disliked aspect of Web 2.0 was how tech giants take control and exploit the data of the users. However, Web 3.0 is powered by blockchain which makes it easier for end users to take full ownership of the data being used. With Web 3.0 you'll be provided with the option to choose the information you want to share with businesses and advertising companies and make a good earning from it. 

No Central Point of Control

Web 3.0 is no space for middlemen and no single individual can control the identities of others. Being a trustless platform, all the data in Web 3.0 is fully protected using blockchains like Ethereum where the rules are just unbreakable. Thus making corporate giants like Apple and Alphabet no longer in control of user data. 

Reduction in hacks and data breaches

As the information is decentralized and disseminated, hacking won't be a simple errand as they would need to turn off the whole network. These days, internet companies are constrained to surrender client information consequently causing information interruptions.

Uninterrupted services

In Web 3, data are stored on distributed nodes thus users no longer need to worry about the suspension of particular accounts or service disruptions due to technical or other reasons. 

Transparency

The decentralized web allows users to track their data and look over the source code of the platforms they want to use. All stakeholders will always be aware of the value and commerce they are associated with, eliminating the requirement for any middleman. 

The Ending Line

The ride to Web 3.0 is already in motion but it's gonna take some time for us to finally reach the decentralized internet of the future. 

Just like Web 2.0 didn't fully extinguish Web 1.0, a part of web 2.0 may follow and continue to exist in some parts of the internet. 

Although Web3 sounds great and mighty, it does not mean everyone loves it, Web3 is facing a fair amount of high-profile criticism from people like Elon Musk and Jack Dorsey. 

As blockchain is very energy intensive many comments on how it's going to contribute to carbon emissions and climate change are also popping up in various parts of the globe. 

However, Web3 is expected to be revolutionary and life-changing for not just us but for society as well.