web1
Think of it as “read-only internet.”
- Content: Mostly static HTML pages.
- For example: A company’s website had an “About Us” page, maybe a contact email, but no comments, no interactivity.
- Users: Just consumers of content.
- You visit Yahoo, AOL, or a personal blog → you read, but you don’t post.
- Ownership: Content was hosted on someone’s server (universities, companies, hobbyists).
web2
the current internet dominated by centralized platforms
in web2 you are not just a consumer but also a creator
but in web2 big company scoop up our data like kids in a candy store(like your search history, browsing habits, location, purchases, likes, clicks).
The Web3 idea
Web3 is supposed to flip the control:
- Data ownership: Instead of companies storing your data, you keep it in your wallet or decentralized identity.
- Permission: If someone (even an app) wants to use your data, they need your consent, often enforced by cryptography or smart contracts.
- Incentives: You might even get paid if you share your data.
For example:
- In a Web3 social network, instead of Meta showing ads and keeping the profit, you might choose to share your attention or browsing habits with advertisers and get tokens in return.
- In healthcare, you could grant a hospital temporary access to your medical records via blockchain, then revoke it later.
Web3 is a proposed next generation of the internet that is decentralized and user-centric, built on blockchain technology to give users ownership of their data and digital assets, rather than relying on centralized corporations.
- Decentralization: Power and control are distributed across a network, moving away from the centralized servers and control of large corporations like Google and Facebook.
- User Ownership: Users have greater control over their personal data, digital identity, and digital assets through mechanisms like private blockchain wallets.
Why would companies give up power?
Good question — they won’t do it voluntarily. The shift would happen only if:
- Users demand it → If people migrate to platforms that protect their data.
- Regulation forces it → e.g., GDPR in Europe already limits how data is used.
- Economic incentives change → If blockchain/Web3 ecosystems become more profitable than hoarding data in silos.
So Web3 isn’t a guarantee — it’s more like a proposal for a new balance of power, where data is not automatically locked inside corporate servers.