What risk is inadvertently shifted onto the individual when designers prioritize mitigating platform control through “local-first” data storage?
Becoming the primary target for sophisticated adversaries or law enforcement searches
When system designers focus narrowly on mitigating immediate control held by the platform—often by advocating for 'local-first' data storage solutions—they relocate the security burden and associated risk directly onto the individual user. Centralized organizations typically possess greater security expertise and resources necessary to defend against sophisticated threats, such as external adversaries or official mandates like law enforcement searches or subpoenas. By storing sensitive data locally, the individual user becomes the sole point of defense, vastly increasing their vulnerability to unauthorized access or seizure, a risk often overlooked by simplified consent models focused only on platform behavior.
