Privacy is Punk
Hardcore, DIY, and cypher are on the same team
Punk has always been about resistance. It’s a raised fist, a screamed lyric, a middle finger to authority. It’s not just music; it’s a way of life—a refusal to conform, a demand for autonomy, a relentless drive to build something new when the system has failed you. Privacy is no different. When governments and corporations treat you and your data like a commodity, when surveillance is used to crush dissent and control lives, choosing privacy is an act of defiance.
Privacy is punk.
The Roots of Rebellion
The punk, hardcore, and DIY scenes emerged in the 1970s as a rallying cry for those who refused to conform to established norms. Rejecting traditional power structures—governments, corporations, and law enforcement—these movements championed autonomy and self-determination. When the music industry insisted that success required major label backing, punks took matters into their own hands, founding independent labels to produce and distribute their music. Faced with exclusion from mainstream venues, they transformed basements, squats, and community halls into vibrant performance spaces.
In New York City, punk revolved around CBGB, a Bowery venue that hosted pioneers like The Ramones, Patti Smith, and Television in the 1970s. Amid economic collapse and cultural exclusion, working-class youth embraced stripped-down music to channel their anger and alienation.1 In London, punk emerged in the late 1970s from widespread unemployment and political unrest. Bands like The Sex Pistols and The Clash embodied defiance. The DIY ethic here was both a necessity and a rejection of the bloated music industry.2 And in Los Angeles, punk took on an edgier, more aggressive sound with bands like Black Flag and the Germs. Greg Ginn of Black Flag founded SST Records, bypassing major labels to create a DIY infrastructure. Punks also made zines like Slash and Maximum Rocknroll, spreading ideas and resources. This self-sufficient ethos defined punk culture, carving inclusive spaces in squats, basements, and VFW halls for those outside mainstream norms.3
The DIY ethic became a cornerstone of punk culture, emphasizing self-reliance and creativity. Bands recorded their own albums, often on limited budgets, capturing a raw and unpolished sound that stood in stark contrast to mainstream productions. This approach extended to the creation of zines—self-published magazines that disseminated ideas, showcased art, and fostered community discourse. These zines were typically hand-drawn or assembled as collages, then reproduced using photocopiers, embodying the DIY aesthetic associated with the punk scene. 4
Parallel to the punk movement, the cypherpunk movement emerged in the late 1980s and early 1990s, advocating for the widespread use of strong cryptography and privacy-enhancing technologies as tools for social and political change. The term "cypherpunk" is a portmanteau of "cipher," referring to codes, and "punk," reflecting an anti-establishment ethos. This movement coalesced around figures like Eric Hughes, Timothy C. May, and John Gilmore, who in 1992 launched a mailing list dedicated to discussions on cryptography, mathematics, politics, and philosophy. 5
Cypherpunks shared the punk movement's disdain for centralized control, focusing their efforts on developing tools that empower individuals to reclaim control over their identities, data, and personal freedoms. They viewed privacy-preserving technology as the ultimate DIY project, creating spaces where surveillance and censorship could not penetrate. This philosophy is captured in Eric Hughes's "A Cypherpunk's Manifesto," which is very clear: "Privacy is necessary for an open society in the electronic age."5
Punk is built on the power of DIY: making your own music, printing your own zines, booking your own shows. It’s about creating inclusive spaces for people who don’t fit the mold and refusing to let gatekeepers define your worth. Cypherpunks, the digital rebels of the internet age, operate with the same ethos and build tools that empower individuals to take back control of their identities, their data, and their freedom. For cypherpunks, privacy-preserving technology is the ultimate DIY project—a way to create spaces where surveillance and censorship can’t reach.
Both movements underscore a commitment to self-determination and resistance against centralized authority. Punks and cypherpunks alike have built alternative infrastructures—be it independent music scenes or encrypted digital networks—to foster communities that operate beyond the reach of traditional gatekeepers. Their legacies continue to inspire ongoing efforts toward autonomy and freedom in both physical and digital realms.
The Parallel Undergrounds
Punk thrives in the shadows, in underground networks built on word-of-mouth and trust. Cypherpunk operates in the same way, creating encrypted spaces and decentralized networks where people can collaborate without fear of interference.
Punk’s zines—handwritten manifestos produced at Fedex Kinko’s—find their digital twin in open-source code repositories. Both are tools for education and resistance, freely shared within their communities. Punks take to the streets, cypherpunks channel this energy into the digital world, where encrypted spaces enable subversion of surveillance and foster communities resistant to centralized control. Both are acts of rebellion against unjust authority, empowering individuals to share knowledge and build collective power.
The shared philosophy is clear: centralized power corrupts, and true freedom comes from building alternatives. Reject monopolies. Democratize access to knowledge and tools.
Why Privacy Should Matter More to Punks
Punk’s lifeblood is its independence. The underground thrives on informal, decentralized networks that defy mainstream oversight. But in an age of ubiquitous surveillance, those networks are at risk. Police crack down on DIY venues. Social media algorithms bury radical voices. Corporate-controlled payment platforms block funding for independent projects. Privacy-preserving tools like encrypted messaging and decentralized currencies ensure that the underground can continue to exist on its own terms.
Empowering Marginalized Communities
Punk has always been a refuge for the marginalized—the queer, the trans, the working class, the dispossessed. It’s where those who’ve been pushed out of mainstream spaces find a voice, a community, and a sense of belonging. But the same qualities that make punk a sanctuary—its defiance, its rawness, its rejection of norms—also make it a target. Marginalized communities have always faced the harshest surveillance, from government scrutiny to corporate exploitation and even targeted harassment from hate groups. This isn’t just about being watched; it’s about being controlled, silenced, or erased.
Privacy technology offers a crucial defense. Encrypted apps like Signal ensure that communication—whether it’s organizing a protest, planning a benefit show, or simply supporting a friend in crisis—remains private and secure, free from interception by oppressive forces. Decentralized platforms take this further, creating spaces where voices can’t be silenced by algorithmic bias, deplatforming, or censorship.
For the queer and trans punks who face discrimination both online and offline, privacy tech becomes a way to survive and organize. It allows them to build networks of solidarity that can’t be dismantled by corporate policies or targeted surveillance. For working-class and dispossessed communities, it means breaking free from systems that commodify and exploit their personal data, turning it into profit for the corporations that marginalize them.
Beyond personal protection, privacy tech empowers collective action. It provides tools to organize without exposing leaders or participants to unnecessary risk. When even the smallest act of defiance can be met with overwhelming force, encryption and decentralization are more than just tools, they’re lifelines.
The punk ethos of resistance and solidarity finds a natural ally in privacy technology. Both reject the idea that power should be concentrated in the hands of the few, and both aim to empower individuals and communities to create their own spaces, their own futures, on their own terms. Privacy tech isn’t just about hiding; it’s about protecting the ability to live authentically and fight unapologetically. It’s about ensuring that punk continues to be a refuge for the marginalized, no matter how the systems of control evolve.
Fighting Corporate Gatekeepers
Just as punk has long resisted the stranglehold of corporate control in the art and music industries, privacy technology offers a similar rebellion against the dominance of Big Tech on the internet. For decades, punks have created their own labels, venues, and distribution networks to bypass the commercial machinery that homogenizes art and exploits artists. Now, privacy-preserving tools and decentralized platforms are enabling a new wave of digital independence that aligns with the punk spirit of self-reliance and defiance.
In the digital age, organizing a DIY show or releasing music often means navigating an ecosystem dominated by a handful of corporations—social media platforms for promotion, centralized ticketing systems, and payment processors for funding. Each step in this chain exposes artists and organizers to surveillance, censorship, or exploitative fees. Privacy technology challenges this structure, empowering punks to take back control.
Decentralized platforms offer alternatives to corporate-controlled communication tools. These platforms enable punks to organize shows, spread word of upcoming events, and build community networks without feeding into the surveillance capitalist machinery. Here, no algorithm decides whose voices are amplified or buried, and no central authority controls access.
When it comes to funding, privacy-focused payment tech allows for direct, peer-to-peer transactions that bypass banks and payment processors. This is crucial for DIY efforts that often find themselves on the margins of legality or targeted by institutions that object to their radical messaging. These tools offer a way to raise money for tours, album releases, or mutual aid projects without the risk of being surveilled or deplatformed (like OnlyFans did to adult content creators).
Moreover, privacy tech doesn’t just free punks from corporate control; it protects the integrity of their work. Digital distribution has made it easier than ever to share music, zines, and art, but it’s also made creators more vulnerable to exploitation. Decentralized tools ensure that artists maintain ownership of their creations and can share them on their terms, without being co-opted by platforms that profit off their labor.
In many ways, privacy technology is the digital equivalent of the DIY ethos. It’s about building systems outside the mainstream, creating self-sustaining communities, and refusing to let corporations dictate the rules of engagement. For punks, it’s a natural extension of their fight against corporate control, providing the tools to thrive in an increasingly centralized and commodified online world. It’s not just about protecting your data; it’s about protecting your freedom to create, connect, and resist.
Supporting Mutual Aid and Harm Reduction
Defiance without purpose is just violence. Solidarity, a deep commitment to standing together and supporting those who are most vulnerable, gives punk its heart. This ethos of mutual aid has always been a cornerstone of punk culture, evident in everything from benefit shows to food drives to grassroots harm reduction efforts. Groups that distribute Narcan or clean syringes embody this spirit, operating in legal gray areas to provide lifesaving resources for people affected by addiction. Yet, their work often comes at great personal risk, as these groups are frequently targeted by law enforcement or stigmatized by communities that misunderstand their mission. Privacy-preserving technologies offer essential tools to protect and strengthen these efforts, ensuring they can continue their vital work without undue interference or danger.
Encrypted communication allows harm reduction workers to coordinate in ways that are safe from prying eyes. Platforms like Signal or Matrix ensure that plans, logistics, and sensitive information remain private, shielding workers and volunteers from surveillance or interception. This is particularly critical for groups operating in hostile environments, where even the perception of aiding drug users could lead to harassment or criminal charges. Encryption allows organizers to mobilize effectively, share critical updates, and respond to crises without exposing themselves or the people they serve.
Anonymous donations provide a crucial funding lifeline for harm reduction initiatives, many of which rely on grassroots support rather than institutional backing. Privacy-focused platforms enable donors to contribute to these efforts without revealing their identities or risking legal repercussions. In a climate where financial platforms can freeze accounts or deny service based on political or moral judgments, anonymous transactions ensure that lifesaving resources can continue to flow uninterrupted.
Decentralized directories could be set up to empower communities to share and access harm reduction resources without fear of censorship or shutdowns. These directories, hosted on distributed networks resistant to takedowns, can provide critical information about where to find Narcan, safe injection sites, or other forms of support. They prevent centralized authorities or bad actors from erasing these resources and ensure that those in need can always find the help they require.
These practical solutions offered by this tech represent a philosophical alignment of cypherpunk ideologies with punk’s core values of autonomy, mutual aid, and defiance of oppressive systems. By leveraging privacy-preserving tools, harm reduction groups can operate more securely and effectively, protecting themselves and the communities they serve from the forces that seek to criminalize compassion.
This is punk in its truest form—standing in solidarity with the marginalized, rejecting the systems that seek to oppress them, and building a better world in defiance of the odds. Privacy-preserving technology is not just a tool for rebellion; it’s a tool for saving lives.
Protecting Activism
Punk has always been a breeding ground for activism, where raw energy and uncompromising defiance are channeled into action. It’s a space where marginalized voices can amplify their demands for justice, whether through anti-racist demonstrations, climate protests, labor organizing, or mutual aid efforts. But activism has never been without risk. State repression has targeted these movements for decades, from the infiltration of civil rights groups to the brutal crackdowns on anti-globalization protests in the early 2000s. Today, the tools of surveillance have grown more sophisticated, and activists face a digital landscape where their every move can be tracked, intercepted, and weaponized against them.
In this environment, privacy is not a luxury, it’s a necessity. Privacy-preserving technology is the modern activist’s toolkit, a set of digital tools designed to protect organizers and their communities from being traced, silenced, or stopped. Encrypted communication platforms allow activists to plan and coordinate without fear of their conversations being intercepted by governments, corporations, or malicious actors. These tools and the people who build them are creating a digital safe space where strategies can be discussed or actions organized without leaving a trail.
Decentralized platforms provide activists with an alternative to the corporate-controlled social media networks that often censor dissent or amplify state propaganda. These platforms ensure that messages of resistance can spread without interference, even in environments where oppressive regimes or corporations dominate traditional communication channels.
In the punk tradition of DIY resistance, privacy-preserving technology offers a way for activists to stay one step ahead of those who seek to suppress them. Beyond protecting individuals, a robust privacy-preserving infrastructure ensures that the movements themselves remain resilient and unstoppable. Because in the face of escalating repression, the fight for justice depends on the ability to organize without fear, to speak truth to power without being silenced, and to build a better world without being watched.
Privacy is a Shared Fight
Privacy is punk because it preserves everything punk stands for: autonomy, resistance, and the freedom to exist on your own terms. It’s the natural evolution of the DIY ethos, a digital extension of the fight against centralized control.
In an age of relentless surveillance, choosing privacy is a revolutionary act. It’s a way to protect the underground, empower the marginalized, and keep the spirit of rebellion alive.
Punks and cypherpunks are the guerrilla forces of our time, pushing back against the relentless creep of surveillance capitalism. They fight back—not with polite petitions or corporate-approved solutions, but with raw creativity, defiance, and the tools of rebellion.
For punks, the battle is cultural. They reject the commodification of art, music, and identity. They build DIY networks, bypassing the gatekeepers of the mainstream to create spaces free from corporate control. For cypherpunks, the battle is digital. They see privacy not as a privilege, but as a human right—one that must be defended with encryption, decentralization, and code.
Both groups understand the stakes. Surveillance capitalism isn’t just about ads tailored to your browsing habits. It’s about control. It’s about power. It’s about a world where every aspect of your life is quantified, categorized, and used against you. It’s punk shows shut down by cops because of social media leaks. It’s activists tracked and silenced by governments. It’s harm reduction groups denied funding because they don’t fit the algorithm.
Punks and cypherpunks are the resistance. They create alternatives—scenes, systems, and tools that thrive outside the all-seeing eyes of Big Tech and Big Brother. That fight starts here.
Encrypt everything. Build the underground. Privacy is punk.
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