The Priv/Acc Manifesto
A new force is rising in the digital age, a force to reclaim what has been quietly stolen: privacy.
We are the Privacy Accelerationists—driven by a simple conviction that privacy is not optional, but essential for personal freedom. Surveillance capitalism, government overreach, and the culture of data extraction corrode our ability to live freely, think independently, and interact with trust.
The future of privacy is no longer something that can be delayed, debated, or dissected. It must be accelerated—now. The pace of intrusion is relentless; our response must be swifter still. The tools to protect privacy—encryption, decentralized networks, and privacy-enhancing technologies—already exist. But only decisive action can ensure these tools are put into the hands of billions.
We are not radicals for desiring privacy, but because we understand that privacy is power—liberation in a world that seeks to control us. Privacy is rebellion. In a society where thoughts, desires, and behaviors are commodified for control, privacy becomes the means by which we reclaim our lives and identities.
The systems of surveillance—corporate, governmental, and societal—are intertwined, feeding off each other in a symbiotic cycle. But as history shows, even the most entrenched systems are vulnerable to revolution. Cryptography is that revolution. Anonymous transactions, encrypted communications, decentralized data: these are not just theoretical tools but the foundations of a new era.
Governments and corporations will attempt to stop us, justifying endless data collection with claims of “efficiency” or “security.” They will argue privacy is unnecessary in a world where transparency is a virtue. They will say, "If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear."
We reject these premises entirely. Privacy is not about hiding—it’s about choice. The choice of what to reveal, to whom, and when. Without privacy, there is no autonomy; without autonomy, there is no freedom. The acceleration of privacy technology is our only path forward.
We do not oppose technology—we champion it. Our fight is against the hijacking of technology to strip away privacy and autonomy. We assert our right to navigate the digital world without the oppressive gaze of surveillance. By embracing technology as a tool for empowerment, we can restore control over personal information to where it belongs—with the individual. This is our moral imperative, our stand for a future where freedom and technology coexist.
The systems of control thrive on complacency and apathy. We are here to disrupt that cycle. We will accelerate the adoption of privacy-enhancing technologies—not as a slow reform, but as a revolution. Code is our weapon, and knowledge our shield. We build not for governments or corporations, but for people.
Privacy is the cornerstone of an open society in the digital age. To build that society, we will work with cryptographers, developers, activists, and everyday users. We will create networks that resist censorship, tools that ensure anonymity, and communities that defend privacy at all costs.
We will not wait for permission. We will not apologize for defending our right to exist unobserved. We are not products. We are not data points. We are free individuals.
Join us, or stand aside. Privacy will not wait.
Onward.
contact@privacc.org
LudlowInstitute.org
https://privacc.org/
