Ever noticed that when you “buy” a Kindle e-book from Amazon in the United States, things have gotten a bit more explicit? They’ve updated their purchase terms to really spell it out: you’re not actually owning the book, you’re just licensing it. The updated message now clearly states: “By placing your order, you’re purchasing a license to the content and agree to the Kindle Store Terms of Use.” This change is specifically for us folks in the U.S.; if you’re browsing internationally, you might still see the old wording. But no matter where you are, the underlying message is pretty clear: it’s not really yours, they’re just letting you use it.

And there’s more news from Amazon that drives this point home. Starting February 26, 2025, they’re going to discontinue the “Download & Transfer via USB” feature for Kindles. What does this mean for you? Well, you’ll no longer be able to download your Kindle books directly to your computer and move them around manually. From that point on, accessing those books you “bought” will depend entirely on Amazon’s cloud. This change really highlights a subtle but important truth about what we think of as ownership in the digital world, and reinforces a simple, somewhat unsettling fact: if someone else can take it away, can you really say you own it?

But let’s be clear, this isn’t just an “Amazon being Amazon” thing. This is a reflection of how things work with pretty much all digital content these days. Think about your favorite songs and albums on your streaming app. No internet? No music. Plus, they often limit how many devices you can use, and bombard you with ads unless you fork over a monthly fee. Remember the freedom of records, tapes, and CDs? You could listen whenever you wanted, lend them to a friend, or even sell them if you were done with them. Those days are fading fast.

So, let’s get back to basics: what does it actually mean to own something? Usually, when we talk about ownership, we mean possessing something. And sure, in a way, we “possess” this digital content. But if it can be changed or taken away from us on a whim, is that really possession? Is it really ownership? Oxford dictionary gets right to the point, defining ownership as “The exclusive right to use, possess, and dispose of property”. That word “exclusive” is key here.

What about other digital things that feel like ours, but we can’t touch? Take your social media handle or email address, for example. That’s you online, your digital identity, all the stuff you’ve created and shared under that name. You can’t have two people with the exact same handle, and that exclusivity is (supposedly) protected by your password. Yet, those accounts can be locked, banned, or deleted whenever Facebook (sorry, Meta) or X (formerly Twitter) decides. And what about the money sitting in your bank account? You possess it, legally it’s yours, but banks freeze accounts and governments seize funds all the time. Again, is that true, undeniable ownership?

So, I ask again: What does it truly mean to own something? It’s more than just having it in your grasp. Even having exclusive or legal rights isn’t always enough. To really own something, it seems you need to be the one who can ultimately enforce that ownership. In the physical world, this often boils down to force – the sheriff with an eviction notice, armed guards protecting a vault, redrawing borders after a war. But in the digital realm, a fascinating alternative emerges: encryption. Encryption steps in and, in a way, takes violence out of the equation by making force ineffective. It creates a type of ownership that physical force just can’t touch. No army can brute-force strong cryptography. A government might seize a server, a company might shut down your account, but if your data is encrypted and only you hold the key, that information remains locked away, inaccessible to them. The only way to get in is with your consent.

Encryption isn’t just about protecting your digital stuff; it’s actually shifting the balance of power. It takes violence – the usual enforcer of ownership in the physical world – out of the equation entirely. And that’s what makes it so revolutionary.

Digital signing within these encrypted systems is how you prove, in the digital world, that something is yours, that you control it. Think about PGP: it lets you digitally sign messages and files, proving without a doubt they came from you and haven’t been tampered with. Nostr, a decentralized social media system, works on the same principle. Your posts and your online identity aren’t tied to some company that can suddenly ban or delete you; they’re tied to your private key. Bitcoin is another perfect example. Controlling your private keys means you, and only you, can access and manage your funds. When you use your private key to sign a Bitcoin transaction, only you can move your money. No bank can freeze it, no government can seize it without getting their hands on your key – true ownership is about having that kind of unshakeable control.

This all brings to mind the famous saying in the Bitcoin world: “Not your keys, not your coins.” It’s a simple but powerful idea: if you don’t control the private keys to your Bitcoin, you don’t really own it. If you’re keeping your Bitcoin on an exchange, for example, the exchange is actually holding the keys, not you. They’re the ones in control. They could freeze your account, limit your withdrawals, or, in the worst case, even lose your funds. Even brokerage or retirement accounts that offer Bitcoin ETFs? They can be frozen or seized just like any regular bank account. True digital ownership, in this sense, means holding your own keys. Only then are you really in charge of your money, your digital identity, and your property.

The move from the physical to the digital world has definitely made access easier in many ways. But it’s also made the concept of ownership much murkier. Whether we’re talking about books, music, our online identities, or even our money, just “having” it isn’t the same as truly owning it. Companies can cut off access, governments can seize funds, platforms can erase identities. But encryption changes the game. It makes digital ownership enforceable, not by laws or corporations or institutions, but by math itself. So, if you’re after true digital ownership, the rule is pretty straightforward: control your keys, or someone else is the real owner.