In today’s digital world, data breaches are becoming all too common, exposing the vulnerabilities of centralized systems and shaking user trust. Recent hacks, like those targeting Coinbase and Steam, highlight the risks of storing vast amounts of personal data in centralized silos. As these incidents pile up, the case for human-centric design—putting users at the heart of data systems—has never been stronger. Drawing from insights shared by Dr. Alex Boyer on the Decentralized Me podcast (May, 2025), let’s explore why human-centric design is critical and how it can protect us in an era of escalating cyber threats.
The Centralized System Problem#
Centralized systems, like those used by Coinbase and Steam, are giant honeypots for hackers. In 2023, Coinbase disclosed a breach exposing user emails and transaction histories, while Steam’s 2024 hack compromised account details for millions of gamers. These incidents aren’t isolated—centralized platforms, from crypto exchanges to gaming services, amass user data in one place, making them prime targets. When a breach occurs, the fallout is massive: stolen identities, financial losses, and eroded trust.
Dr. Boyer, a computer scientist and MyData Global advocate, pointed out on Decentralized Me that centralized systems often treat data as a proprietary asset, locked away from users. This approach not only disempowers individuals but also heightens risks. If companies like Coinbase or Steam had adopted human-centric principles, giving users more control and minimizing stored data, the impact of these breaches could have been reduced.
What is Human-Centric Design?#
Human-centric design, as Dr. Boyer explained, is about fostering a respectful relationship between users and the organizations holding their data. It means giving people visibility into what data is collected, the ability to understand and correct it, and a voice in how it’s used. Unlike centralized systems that assume data is always accurate, human-centric systems recognize it’s often outdated or biased. They prioritize transparency, consent, and user empowerment.
For example, instead of a platform like Coinbase storing your entire transaction history in a vulnerable database, a human-centric approach might use end-to-end encryption or let you store sensitive data in a personal data space, like a digital wallet. Steam could limit data collection to what’s strictly needed for gameplay, reducing the “attack surface” for hackers.
Why It Matters Now#
The Coinbase and Steam breaches underscore the urgency of human-centric design. Here’s why it’s a game-changer in today’s threat landscape:
- Reducing Risk Through Data Minimization: Human-centric systems collect only what’s necessary, as Dr. Boyer advocated. If Steam had minimized stored data, hackers would have accessed less sensitive information. This principle, called privacy by design, shrinks the treasure trove that cybercriminals target.
- Empowering Users with Control: Centralized systems leave users in the dark, as Dr. Boyer noted with examples like credit scores or doctor’s office records. Human-centric design gives you tools to see and manage your data. Imagine if Coinbase users could revoke access to compromised data instantly or store it locally—breaches would lose much of their sting.
- Building Trust as a Feature: Dr. Boyer highlighted that trust is a competitive edge. After Coinbase’s breach, many users switched to decentralized wallets. Companies like Proton and Signal, which prioritize privacy, show that human-centric design wins loyalty. In contrast, centralized platforms risk losing customers when trust crumbles.
- Mitigating Liability: Centralized systems bear huge legal and financial risks, as Dr. Boyer pointed out. By outsourcing data to trusted third parties, like data trusts, companies can reduce liability. This approach could have limited Coinbase’s exposure during its breach.
- Countering the Surveillance Economy: Many centralized systems, including AI platforms, fuel the surveillance economy by harvesting data for ads, as Dr. Boyer warned. Human-centric AI, trained on your device’s data rather than cloud silos, respects privacy and avoids the data sprawl that makes breaches so damaging.
The Path Forward#
Dr. Boyer believes regulation and enforcement are key to making human-centric design the default, but technology and market demand can accelerate the shift. Personal AI assistants, which learn from your local data, could showcase the benefits of user-focused tools, driving adoption. Startups have a golden opportunity to differentiate by embedding privacy by design, as seen in platforms like Hestia or Kin AI. For enterprises, Dr. Boyer’s advice to create clear, user-friendly data summaries is a practical first step.
The Coinbase and Steam hacks are wake-up calls. Centralized systems, with their data-hoarding habits, are failing us. Human-centric design offers a better way—one that respects users, reduces risks, and rebuilds trust. As Dr. Boyer put it, data is a mirror of your life, and it’s time we all had a say in how it’s handled. To learn more about building with privacy in mind visit https://www.arcblock.io to get started.