Summary
DSNP stands for Decentralized Social Networking Protocol, which is an open protocol and potential standard for social networking and social media. It is not owned or controlled by any one person or company, allowing anyone to build on it or use it. DSNP is stewarded by Project Liberty Institute, a 501(c)(3).
DSNP is an open-source social media protocol designed to decentralize data ownership, allow easier cross-platform interaction, and let users regain control over their personal data. This includes posts, connections, and messages. The decentralized approach allows users to retain ownership of their information and move it between platforms without relying on a single provider.
OnAir Post: Decentralized Social Networking Protocol (DSNP)
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10 High-Level DSNP Concepts
- Users are given a numeric ID known as their DSNP User Id which may or may not be linked to or associated with their real-world identity.
- User data is managed and secured via a set of control keys typically connected in a public/private key pair. The control keys are owned and managed solely by the user.
- DSNP is designed to run on a consensus-based system such as a blockchain. This allows the system to be truly decentralized—meaning that users, not system operators, have control and agency over their data, and changes to the state of the system are public and immutable.
- DSNP users can delegate tasks such as managing social connections or submitting posts and content to the applications they use. This means that tasks that require specialized technical knowledge or have associated costs can be performed by service providers acting under the user’s explicit agreement (which the user may revoke at any time).
- User-generated content is handled via Announcements–public or private declarations or directions published to the system.
- Updates or changes to the system are expressed as State Change Records–the observable output of a DSNP system.
- Part of the data stored by each user is their social graph, which contains information about all the public and private relationships between the user and others in the system.
- DSNP is designed to allow users to easily and seamlessly access their social graph and other user-centric data with any compatible application—user data and content is not just portable between applications, but fully interoperable.
- Applications and service providers (those to whom tasks are delegated) compete in an open marketplace for users. This allows users to choose the applications and providers who best serve their needs, and grant or revoke delegations at any time.
- Applications and service providers collect and send Announcements in batches, reducing operational cost and enhancing scalability.
Source: DSNP Website
What is a DSNP System?
A DSNP system is a (1) state machine that generates an (2) ongoing, (3) publicly observable and (4) verifiable (5) stream of state change records in response to (6) authenticated public input. To take each of these terms one by one:
- State Machine: The system maintains a consistent, deterministic set of data (state) in response to protocol communications.
- Ongoing: The system runs continually.
- Publicly Observable: System activities are transparent and may be openly viewed by developers, creators and users.
- Verifiable: The authenticity of those sending messages is recorded and can be verified. While these identities may remain pseudonymous, and the real world identity of the user may not be revealed, each account’s activity can be verified to come only from that account.
- Stream of State Change Records: The system produces a continuous log of all changes that occur, such as account Id creation, messages sent, delegation, and so forth.
- Authenticated Public Input: Refers to the open, decentralized nature of DSNP applications, which ensures that users have control and agency over their data.
In social networking terms, one can think of a DSNP system as one that continuously records everything that happens, including the identities of the participants (identity), the relationships they declare to other participants, the messages they send, when they are sent, and who they are for. This is true whether or not that participant is sending data themselves or delegating that task to someone else to do it on their behalf. A DSNP system does its recordkeeping in public, even if some of the data it manages may be private (encrypted).
Web Links
The DSNP Difference
How DSNP differs from AT Protocol and ActivityPub, and how DSNP can act as a bridge to create truly decentralized social. by Jeanette Depatie from website.
Economic Viability
One of the main differences between DSNP and AT Protocol/ActivityPub is in the revenue models they can support.
While DSNP is also a 501(c)3-stewarded protocol with charitable donations covering advisor meetings and community communications, DSNP can support any number of revenue models for applications and network participants. App developers may choose any monetization strategy they see fit so long as they clearly and transparently divulge this strategy to would-be users on the platform. At the next level, DSNP end users may choose whatever app provider meets with their personal needs. Thus monetization strategies are both presented and selected in a free-market system which may change to accommodate different market conditions and whatever end users are currently willing to support.
Decentralization
A bridge built between DSNP and ActivityPub and AT Protocol could result in greater decentralization for these two federated systems. DSNP could potentially offer greater data resilience and resistance to censorship.
Data Persistence
It is conceivable that connections built between DSNP, AT Protocol and ActivityPub could result in a hybrid system. This hybrid system could afford greater data persistence and resilience than is currently enjoyed by either of the federated systems.
Censorship
DSNP users are less vulnerable to censorship, as the delegation model allows them to simply elect to share access to their data with any willing application provider. Each of these providers is expected to provide clear instructions regarding their terms of service. And should a user choose to leave one provider or application, the process of moving to another is quite simple. As all important information the user needs to stay connected to their DSNP identity and relationships is stored among all nodes of the system, the user can move from one application to another without fear that their essential data will be lost.
More Information
Wikipedia
Distributed Social Networking Protocol (DSNP) is an open-source protocol designed to enable decentralized social networking[1] by allowing interoperability between platforms. Decentralized networks using protocols such as DSNP can implicitly help to enable increased user anonymity, thus enhancing a user’s security and privacy.[2] It allows individuals to connect across various platforms and tools without having to create and manage separate accounts, potentially reducing the division between users of individual platforms.
Benefits
Decentralization allows users to retain ownership of their information and enables them to move personal data between platforms.[3] The use of decentralized platforms can also benefit availability through the use of redundancy. Cryptographic proof of ownership techniques allow decentralized networks to minimize the exposure of users’ sensitive information. It provides a framework for open digital interactions that enables users to maintain a consistent social identity across multiple applications.
DSNP can improve user data privacy and security by permitting fine-grained management of their personal information. Operating on an application-agnostic model similar to SMTP for email, the DSNP promotes the development of interoperable applications. By using encryption and permission-based access systems,[dubious – discuss] DSNP enables users to determine who can view and interact with their data, supporting their ability to manage their digital presence.
See also
References
- ^ “Reimagining Social Media: The Promise of Distributed Social Networking Protocol (DSNP)”. Social Media. Retrieved 2025-03-05.
- ^ Nay, Matthew (May 2024). Decentralized Social Networking Protocol (DSNP) and User Empowerment: An Analysis of Online Identity Ownership, Data Privacy, and Comparative Assessment with Other Decentralized Protocols (Thesis thesis). Massachusetts Institute of Technology. hdl:1721.1/156782.
- ^ “DSNP – Decentralized Social Networking Protocol”. dsnp.org. Retrieved 2024-12-24.
External links
- DSNP: Distributed Social Networking Protocol Archived 2020-02-29 at the Wayback Machine
- Mailing list archive
- GitHub repository
