AiThority Interview Series With Bryson Hill, CEO – Daplie

Tell us about the journey that led you to start Daplie.

Daplie was born out of the realization that cloud services really are just someone else’s computer, and that you’re paying for the privilege of renting back your digital assets, which you already own! This led to the creation of a hardware device that could offer the same benefits of the cloud—convenience, accessibility—with the added benefit of ensuring security, privacy, ownership, and control. Connect was developed after successful rounds of crowd fundraising, and the average person’s desire for privacy and control has only continued to grow.

Our solution cuts out the need for cloud-based “middlemen,” and ensures that the individual—not the corporation—can decide where and if they wish to share their private data.

Once we were far enough along in the development of Connect, we realized that blockchain technology had matured to the point to allow us to start building the vision for Web 3.0, with consumer hardware at the center.

What are your thoughts on Digital Rights and the current state of ownership, security, privacy and control for users?

We’ve given up a lot of privacy and control for convenience. Our excitement over being able to share and access everything from anywhere has led us like sheep into the marketing shed where we are commodified and sold. Privacy and control are for people like Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos. The rest of us have to live knowing we are always under surveillance. Our lives are public whether we like it or not. I think control and privacy are fundamental rights we have to take back. The recent privacy revelations from Facebook, passage of the CLOUD Act, and the #deletefacebook campaign are all strong indicators that the public is ready for something better.

Tell us about your team.

My philosophy is that chasing talent is an exercise in futility. I’ve learned that it’s difficult to take someone off the street and accurately gauge whether they will have the passion and drive necessary to succeed in an entrepreneurial environment. That’s why I tend to rely on strong recommendations from people I already know and trust, and then ensuring those people have compelling reasons to join Daplie, outside of just compensation. We have people from very different industries—some are highly technical, some are not—but they all share a passion for bringing the Web 3.0 to life through our solutions.

Read More: 10 Top Takeaways From Google I/O 2018: Duplex, Assistant, Maps & More

What is the problem with existing cloud technologies and how does Daplie offer a solution?

Cloud technologies are conceptually brilliant, and they offer a lot in terms of accessibility, convenience, the sharing of information, and efficiency. But once you really start to understand the downsides—monthly fees, hacking vulnerabilities, uncertainty over what’s being done with your private information, and onerous t*******************—you start to question whether the trade-offs are worth the convenience.

The recent passing of the CLOUD Act means law enforcement agencies in multiple countries now have broad sweeping powers to access virtually anyone’s data without a warrant. The Facebook/Cambridge Analytica debacle put corporate abuse of our data into the public spotlight. The risk of manipulation and abuse has never been higher, and people demand better options.

So, we came up with Daplie Connect. It’s a plug-and-play home server that anyone can use. You own it, it’s always on, it can be accessed from any device you own anywhere in the world, and it’s a secure, private way to gain ownership and control of your digital life. You get the benefits and convenience of the cloud, but you decide who gets access to your private information. It also plays a key role in Daplie’s Web 3.0 ecosystem, allowing you to securely access decentralized apps (Dapps), store cryptocurrencies, farm DapCoin, and even update Connect’s hardware via the blockchain. It’s the perfect tool for bringing the benefits of the blockchain into the home.

How does Daplie’s Cloud technology work?

The technology is founded in public-private key pairs and encryption. The basic gist is that two devices you own; presumably the Daplie connect and your phone, each generate a public-private key pair and then broadcast that public key to the other device. Once the handshake has taken place, the two devices know each other. We also have built Peer-to-peer connectivity solutions to enable the most direct connection, where possible.

Read More: 2018 Connected World Women Of M2M Celebrates Women In Innovation

Why do users need added security when using connected or IoT devices?

Virtually any of today’s smart home devices—cameras, smart assistants, thermostats—are collecting information about you and your family continuously. Not only is it an unnecessary threat to privacy, but do you really want your security footage, when you arrive and leave home, and who’s home at what time, stored and accessible from someone else’s computer?

The promise of IoT is exciting and will bring huge benefits to people, but it has to be done on a private network, where no company or person can set up surveillance or access your device’s data. Connect acts as the hub for all your IoT devices and creates a private, self-contained environment.

How can interested developers get involved?

Daplie has developed an SDK (Software Development Kit) that offers developers a roadmap for building applications on Connect. These can include Dapps (blockchain based applications) or traditional apps such as file storage. Interested developers can reach out to us through daplie.com to learn more.

How is Daplie’s Cloud technology going to be a game changer?

Daplie is playing a leading role in developing the next Internet, or Web 3.0. Web 3.0 is all about decentralizing control from the few and empowering the rest of us. It’s about democratizing the web. This means giving individuals the means to take control of their digital lives, reduce unnecessary middlemen, and leverage peer to peer (P2P) interactions to increase prosperity and access to technology.

What’s next for Daplie?

Daplie is laying the foundations for a Web 3.0 ecosystem. One of the first steps is to launch DapCoin, which is a token that plays a key role in the ecosystem. Daplie will launch a pre-ICO crowdsale for DapCoin in June, 2018, which will help raise funds necessary to fully develop and implement the vision for Web 3.0. This includes the token (DapCoin), blockchain-based marketplace for Dapps (DapStore), and the hardware that ties it all together (Connect).

Thank you, Bryson! That was fun and hope to see you back on AiThority soon.

Read More: Rise Of Connected Cars And AI Prompt Automotive Manufacturers To Partner With Software Vendors