Decentralised social media: What Is It And How Does It Work?

The most popular social media platform Facebook, came under fire in 2021 for sharing user data from its recently purchased "end-to-end encrypted chat service” app, WhatsApp. If you are sick of the uncompromising attitude of big social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter, it’s time you switch to an alternative. 

This alternative social media platform is known as “Decentralised social media”. It is also commonly known as blockchain-based social media. These social media platforms are based on distributed ledger technologies like DAG or blockchain.

How Does A Decentralised Social Media Platform Work?

Some of the biggest social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter are 100% centralised, meaning only one core authority is ruling over them. This system is potentially dangerous as it carves the path to increased hacks, leaks, and takeovers. 

On the other hand, decentralised social media is nothing like that; it has more than one central server. You can say that these platforms operate on a voting system, where each user has the right to opine on how the platform progresses further. 

Thus, this social media platform is taking on a fresh approach to digital communication. Here, each platform has not one but multiple networks that are further under the control of numerous independent servers. 

Advantages Of The Decentralised Social Media Platform For Users And Tech Companies

• Increased security

Server crashes and downtimes are common in centralised or traditional social media platforms, unlike decentralised ones. Multiple independent servers work together in a decentralised social media platform to ensure smooth functioning. This dependency on multiple servers hugely eliminates the chances of a total network failure. In addition, this sort of distributed networking also diminishes the chances of DDoS attacks. 

From the users' perspective, unlike traditional social media, they do not need to provide their own identity. Therefore, they can go as they like, enjoying an added layer of anonymity. 

• Improved user control

When using a centralised social media platform, users have little control over how it should function according to their preferences. In contrast, the basic concept of social media is to generate a good user experience. Social media is a platform for users and must develop per users' demand, meaning that users themselves should harbour control of how they use it. However, any essence of this is completely absent in decentralised or traditional social media.

Thus, potential decentralised social media platforms like Subsocial and Steem are witnessing an increase in their number of users with time. A prominent reason is that users exercise complete control over their data, interactions, and overall social media experience. 

Drawbacks Of Decentralised Social Media

Along with its list of perks, decentralised social media also has certain drawbacks, as mentioned below:

• Increased chances of promoting illegal content and publicly spreading individuals' hate beliefs.
• Poor or weak ethical code of conduct leads to increased exploitation of marginal groups.
• Increased chances of corruption and unfair governance manipulation.

Final Word

Like centralised social media, decentralised social media has its pros and cons. But, a decentralised social media platform practices non-discrimination by providing an equal and fair social network for all.