Goal
Understand the ethos, purpose, and mindset of a cypherpunk. Learn why privacy matters in the digital age and why “cypherpunks write code.”
Prerequisites: Basic Linux CLI familiarity
This is Part 1 of 3 - Covers philosophy, history, and the manifesto.
1. What Is a Cypherpunk?
“Privacy is necessary for an open society in the electronic age. Privacy is not secrecy. A private matter is something one doesn’t want the whole world to know, but a secret matter is something one doesn’t want anybody to know. Privacy is the power to selectively reveal oneself to the world.” — Eric Hughes, A Cypherpunk’s Manifesto (1993)
The Cypherpunk Creed
Cypherpunks believe that:
- Privacy is a fundamental human right - not a luxury for the paranoid
- Code is more reliable than law - Cryptography protects better than legislation
- Individuals should control their own data - not corporations or governments
- Strong cryptography empowers individuals - against powerful institutions
Historical Context
The cypherpunk movement emerged in the late 1980s and early 1990s as a response to growing digital surveillance capabilities. Early cypherpunks included:
- Eric Hughes - Wrote A Cypherpunk’s Manifesto (1993)
- Tim May - Created The Crypto Anarchist Manifesto (1988)
- John Gilmore - Co-founded the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF)
- Phil Zimmermann - Created PGP (Pretty Good Privacy) in 1991
- Adam Back - Invented Hashcash (precursor to Bitcoin’s proof-of-work)
- Julian Assange - WikiLeaks founder, early cypherpunk mailing list member
- Hal Finney - Cryptographer, Bitcoin pioneer
The Cypherpunk Mailing List
The birthplace of modern privacy tech:
Started in 1992, the cypherpunk mailing list was where:
- PGP was refined and distributed
- Anonymous remailers were developed
- Digital cash concepts were explored
- Tor’s predecessor (onion routing) was theorized
- Bitcoin’s precursors were designed
Key quote from Tim May’s Crypto Anarchist Manifesto:
“The State will of course try to slow or halt the spread of this technology, citing national security concerns, use of the technology by drug dealers and tax evaders, and fears of societal disintegration… But this will not halt the spread of crypto anarchy.”
Spoiler: He was right. Tor, Bitcoin, Signal, and encrypted messaging exist despite government opposition.
2. Why Cypherpunk Matters Today
Mass surveillance is real:
- Snowden revelations (2013) - NSA collects everything (“collect it all”)
- Corporate surveillance - Google, Facebook, Amazon track every click
- Data breaches - Your data will be leaked, it’s just a question of when
- Social credit systems - China’s model spreading globally
- Chilling effects - Self-censorship when you know you’re watched
Privacy enables freedom:
- Journalists protect sources
- Activists organize without repression
- Whistleblowers expose corruption
- Ordinary people think freely without judgment
- Dissidents survive in authoritarian regimes
Cypherpunk wins:
- HTTPS everywhere - Encrypted web traffic is now default
- Signal - Encrypted messaging for millions
- Tor - Anonymous communication despite attempts to shut it down
- Bitcoin - Decentralized currency without government control
- End-to-end encryption - Built into mainstream apps
“Cypherpunks write code.” - We don’t ask for privacy, we build it.
3. The Manifesto: Required Reading
Read A Cypherpunk’s Manifesto
curl -s https://www.activism.net/cypherpunk/manifesto.html | less
Key passages to internalize:
On privacy vs secrecy:
“Privacy is not secrecy. A private matter is something one doesn’t want the whole world to know, but a secret matter is something one doesn’t want anybody to know.”
On why we build:
“We the Cypherpunks are dedicated to building anonymous systems. We are defending our privacy with cryptography, with anonymous mail forwarding systems, with digital signatures, and with electronic money.”
On action over talk:
“Cypherpunks write code. We know that someone has to write software to defend privacy, and since we can’t get privacy unless we all do, we’re going to write it.”
Reflect on These Questions
Write in your journal (we’ll create this in Week 1c):
- What does privacy mean to you personally?
- What would you lose if all your digital activity was public?
- Which cypherpunk value resonates most with you?
- What privacy-protecting tool do you want to build or master?
4. Cypherpunk Heroes & Their Contributions
Phil Zimmermann - Created PGP in 1991
- Gave encryption to the masses
- Faced federal investigation for “exporting munitions” (crypto was classified as a weapon)
- Won: Crypto is now legal to export
John Gilmore - EFF co-founder
- Quote: “The Net interprets censorship as damage and routes around it”
- Fought government backdoor requirements
Jacob Appelbaum - Tor developer
- Brought Tor to the mainstream
- Targeted by NSA for his work
Edward Snowden - NSA whistleblower (2013)
- Revealed global mass surveillance programs
- Used Tor, Tails, and encrypted communication to safely leak
- Living proof that cypherpunk tools work
Aaron Swartz - Internet freedom activist
- Co-created Creative Commons and RSS
- Prosecuted for downloading academic papers
- Tragic death led to reform efforts
5. The Bigger Picture: Why Privacy Matters
“I Have Nothing to Hide”
Common objection: “I have nothing to hide.”
Cypherpunk response:
“Arguing that you don’t care about privacy because you have nothing to hide is no different than saying you don’t care about free speech because you have nothing to say.” – Edward Snowden
Why privacy matters even if you’re “boring”:
Privacy enables freedom of thought
- Self-censorship when you know you’re watched
- Can’t explore ideas if every search is logged
Chilling effects are real
- People behave differently when surveilled
- Journalists’ sources dry up
Data breaches are inevitable
- Your data will be leaked (it’s when, not if)
- Today’s harmless data = tomorrow’s blackmail
Power imbalances
- Governments and corporations have your data
- You don’t have theirs (asymmetric transparency)
Future you might need it
- Today’s legal protest might be tomorrow’s crime
- Regimes change, data persists
Privacy is a human right. We’re here to learn how to exercise it.
Real-World Consequences
Without privacy:
- Journalists can’t protect sources → No investigative reporting
- Activists are targeted → No dissent
- Whistleblowers are silenced → No accountability
- Minorities are persecuted → No safety
- Everyone is profiled → No freedom
With privacy tools:
- Snowden leaked NSA docs safely (Tor, Tails, encrypted comms)
- Arab Spring activists coordinated despite censorship
- WikiLeaks published war crimes documentation
- Signal protects millions of activists worldwide
Cypherpunk tools save lives. This isn’t abstract theory.
Up Next
Week 1b covers threat modeling and setting up your secure development environment.
Key Takeaways
- Privacy ≠ secrecy - Privacy is selective revelation of yourself
- Cypherpunks write code - We build privacy tools, not ask for them
- The movement started in 1992 with the mailing list
- Key figures: Hughes, May, Zimmermann, Gilmore, Snowden
- Privacy enables freedom - Without it, dissent, journalism, and free thought are impossible
- “Nothing to hide” is a fallacy - Everyone needs privacy, especially when they think they don’t