The internet is public by design, which is what makes it one of the world’s great inventions. That being said, agents gaining unintended access to the open internet has been in the news a lot lately, and the writing is on the wall: what got us here may not get us there.
I believe that a ‘private by default’ mindset will be a cornerstone of how we engage going forward, spanning both connectivity as well as data. Are you sure you want that fancy new (free!) agent to do your shopping and banking? How will you control it, audit it? I can barely keep up with my streaming subscriptions, and I actually signed up for those with my own fingers!
A private, tightly controlled approach isn’t new (raise your hands 🙌 regulated industries), but it’s clearly not the dominant pattern online today. This is especially true among cloud native and AI native builders, who tend to optimize for velocity. Just look at the exploration of the MCP protocol!
Here's what I find so interesting: the private internet runs on trust, and it is often built in public. Network operator groups, peering exchanges, and the relationships formed at the human level are the foundation of what makes private interconnection actually work.
So maybe public and private aren't as opposed as they seem. Transparency often produces better, more secure outcomes. It challenges our thinking and speeds up new ideas.
In a polarized moment, like what we are experiencing today, it's tempting to batten down the hatches and stick with people we already know. But as we build the next wave of the internet, that’s a mistake. We need to gather in public, form new relationships, and challenge each other's ideas.
Technically, I want private by default because it gives me agency. I choose who to connect with, what to share, and when to revoke it. Every consumer, builder, startup, and scale up should have that.
Socially, I want the opposite: more debate, more sharing, more human connection, with no agents in the mix unless I invite them.
"Control" sounds harsh. "Agency," the ability to act on your own choices, is a much better word. The Resonant Computing Manifesto makes a similar case.
