Decentralised Social Media
When we hear decentralisation, what often comes to mind is blockchain and cryptocurrencies. However, decentralisation is not associated with only cryptocurrencies. There are social media that are built on decentralisation and blockchain. Decentralised social media arose due to the threats that come along with traditional social media. These threats include data misuse, lack of privacy, and fake news, to name a few.
What are Decentralised Social Networks?
Keeping it simple, these are social media networks that operate on independent servers rather than servers that are controlled by central organisations. With the aid of blockchain technology, it is possible to store data entries in servers at any location in the world. This feature enables transparency because the data can be viewed in almost real-time by anyone on the network. Among the best examples of decentralised social networks are Steemits and Minds.
Steemit was launched in 2016 and runs on the Steem blockchain. This social network rewards its users for engagement by giving them its digital currency, STEEM. Engagement includes the posting of content, curating and commenting. Steemit has about 1.2 million users, with about half a million engaged in discussion at any given moment. Discussions include a wide range of topics from sports to politics. However, most of the discussions center around cryptocurrency.
According to Minds, it is an open source decentralised social network that rewards users in cryptocurrency for contributing to the network. It was launched in 2015 with the aim of enabling content creators to get back their online freedom, revenue and social reach.
Benefits of Decentralised Social Networks
Decentralised social networks enable their users to have more control. These networks allow independence, without the presence of a central authority. The absence of a central authority ensures the user’s ownership over personal data, censorship resistance, and higher control with regards to user-generated content. Hence, users are able to reject censorship and get to have the final word on their content. In other words, no central organisation will be able to remove or modify users’ content.
Decentralised social networks also provide a solution to data privacy and security concerns. These networks enable their users to create accounts without asking for real world identification such as mobile numbers or email addresses. Decentralised social networks use public-key cryptography to ensure account security instead of using single organisations to keep user data secure.
Cons of Decentralised Social Networks
Although decentralised social networks grant social groups independence by removing the dictatorship of a central authority, this can be disadvantageous. Yes, users can post whatever they want with complete impunity. This can benefit malicious groups as they can create their own social media sites. Other users can block them, but they cannot prevent them from engaging with the network.
Since decentralised social networks are not supported by central organisations, they can suffer from lack of funds. Without funds, users can lose their data and connections as the network will shut down. Not only will their data be lost, but users will not be able to reconnect to other users because personal data is not stored on the servers.
Conclusion
The demand for user privacy increases among social media users, especially due to the ways influential players use data and censor content. Hence, more users are willing to try decentralised social networks. Although these networks provide solutions to various social media concerns, there is the risk that they may turn into darknet forums.
