Taco Bell has made what could prove to be a revolutionary or foolhardy decision to remove itself from the Internet at large.  The fast food chain has removed all contact and communication through social media channels with an announcement that reads “The new way to Taco Bell isn’t on Tumblr/Facebook/Twitter/Instagram – it’s #onlyintheapp.”

The new Taco Bell mobile-ordering and payment app allows customers to select menu items, pre-order meals for pick-up and cash in on app-only discounts, whilst urging customers to migrate away from existing social media channels and conduct business ‘in the dark,’ thus appealing to customers who prefer to do their dealings off the grid.

Not only will it allow Taco Bell to focus all of its social media interests into one avenue, the #onlyintheapp campaign has raised plenty of interest and presumably respect for a brand that dare to operate outside of communication norms. Whether Taco Bell's online presence stays dark remains to be seen but the stunt has certainly provided plenty of hype for the new app.

There's a heightened awareness of the pitfalls of the centralised Internet. London based designer Sarah Gold has recently won a Future Pioneers Award for her Alternet project, a proposal for an alternative civic network that fits somewhere between the traditional Internet and the Darknet.