~ by Krishnam Agarwal, SRMIST ACM Chapter

Imagine a world where your social media experience
isn’t dictated by a single corporation. A world where your posts aren’t subject
to algorithms that prioritize engagement over authenticity. A world where your
data isn’t a commodity to be sold to the highest bidder. This vision is
becoming a reality thanks to the rise of social networking platforms built on
open protocols.

The current state of social media is characterized by
a few dominant platforms that wield immense power over their users. Centralized
platforms like Instagram and Facebook control what we see, how we interact, and
even what we think. This centralized model has led to a number of issues,
including censorship, data privacy breaches, and a lack of user control.

To address these problems, a new approach is emerging:
platforms built on open protocols. Social networking platforms, such as
Mastodon and Bluesky, are built on protocols like ActivityPub and AT Protocol (Authenticated
Transfer Protocol) that allow for interoperability between different instances
of the same platform. This means that users can connect with each other across
various servers, creating a more interconnected and resilient network.

A Familiar Example: A
great example of a system built on open protocols that many people use daily is
email. Email services like Gmail, Outlook, and others operate on protocols such
as SMTP, IMAP, and POP3. These protocols allow users to send and receive emails
across different providers, creating a seamless communication experience
without being tied to a single service.

 

The Technical Underpinnings

 

At the heart of these new social networking platforms
is the ActivityPub protocol. ActivityPub is a W3C standard that defines a
common language for data exchange between different social networking
platforms. It uses JSON-LD, a format for linked data, to represent posts,
comments, and other types of content.

One of the key benefits of ActivityPub is its ability
to support federation. Federation allows users to follow and be followed by
people on different instances of the same platform. This creates a more
interconnected community and reduces the risk of censorship.

Mastodon is a popular example of a social networking
platform built on ActivityPub. It offers a microblogging experience similar to
Twitter, but with an architecture that supports federation. Mastodon instances
are independent entities that can interact with each other through the
ActivityPub protocol. This means that users on one instance can follow and be
followed by users on other instances.

 

The Advantages of Open Protocols

Social networking platforms built on open protocols
offer a number of advantages over centralized platforms. These include:

• Resistance
  to censorship: Because these platforms are not controlled by a single
  entity, it is more difficult for governments or corporations to censor
  content.
• Improved
  privacy: Platforms built on open protocols can provide users with greater
  control over their data.
• Increased
  user control: Users have more control over their online experience on
  these platforms.
• Enhanced
  resilience: Platforms built on open protocols are less vulnerable to
  attacks and outages.

The Future of Social Networking

Social networking platforms built on open protocols
are still a relatively new concept, but they have the potential to
revolutionize the way we interact online. As more people become aware of the
benefits of these platforms, we can expect to see a growing number of them.

The future of social networking is likely to be a
hybrid of centralized and platforms built on open protocols. Centralized
platforms like Instagram will continue to play a role, especially for
large-scale social networks. However, platforms like Bluesky will offer a
valuable alternative for users who value privacy, control, and resistance to
censorship.

By understanding the technical underpinnings of social
networking platforms built on open protocols and the benefits they offer,
computer science engineers can play a vital role in shaping the future of
online communication.