Whether you’re aware of it or not, your online data is protected by encryption, a type of math problem that has protected private data for decades. But what some are calling “Q-Day” could signal the end of data privacy as we know it.

Q-Day refers to the day that quantum computers will be able to crack the encryption of modern technology, releasing any private information, such as passwords, messages, and even Bitcoin wallets. While most people are oblivious about the implications, a March article in Wired Magazine had this unsettling title: “A Quantum Apocapalypse is Coming: Be Very Afraid.”

According to Yahoo, experts expect Q-Day to happen in the next 5-20 years, but not all hope is lost. Many companies are working on creating quantum-proof encryption. Some tech giants, such as Google, Huawei, IBM, and Microsoft, have been pouring funds into quantum computing research, and the U.S., the European Union, and China have pledged millions to homegrown quantum companies, as noted by Wired.

The result has been what some refer to as the Quantum Race, because whoever develops the first functioning, code-cracking, data-leaking, quantum computer–if it has not already been created–will have a massive upper hand on the geo-political world. Just imagine: Some Chinese company creates the first quantum computer, unbeknownst to anyone. Suddenly, the Chinese government knows exactly where the U.S. military is, exactly what their plans are, and how to stop them.

Think of this as the new “Space Race,” except this time it’s for control of all the data of all eight billion people in the world. What some consider the scariest issue is that this type of technology could already exist, hidden from everyone, and nobody would know who is using it or where they are using it from.

If Q-Day is still in the future, the hope is that there is still time for someone to learn how to protect data from quantum computing. For now, it may be only a matter of time before it is revealed if this technology is close to being developed or not.