![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blog.mi.hdm-stuttgart.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/p2p_structure.png\")
<\/a>Clients in a P2P network can both offer services for other clients as well as use services that other clients offer [7]. Clients are therefore taking on the role of the server and the client. That way all the functions of a typical client-server relationship can be mimicked within a P2P network. The data is stored on the respective clients instead of on a server. In some networks so-called ‘supernodes’ are used to store a big part of the resources needed in the system. The term refers to clients with a high bandwidth and a lot of processing power [7]. This of course leads to a stronger centralization as these nodes take on a more central role inside the network.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
P2P networks can also be divided into structured and unstructured networks [7]. Because there isn’t any information about where specific data is stored in an unstructured network, clients must locate data via broadcasts. This process is called flooding and can get more and more resource intensive the more clients are in a network. That\u2019s why it’s often better to use a structured network. Here the location of data can be found out through technologies like distributed tables. These distributed tables contain the addresses of clients and other things like a list of files that a client can offer [7]. By using distributed tables, it is no longer necessary to send broadcasts to locate data which reduces the strain on the network.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Advantages of peer-to-peer networks<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
An obvious benefit of P2P networks is the resilience they have against cyber-attacks, government censorship or just plain outages. It is not possible like with centralized networks to just block access to one server to take down the entire platform. A prominent example to this is the independence referendum that was held in Catalonia. The Spanish government tried multiple times to shut down websites that contained information about the referendum. But whenever one node was shut down, multiple other nodes became active, making it impossible for the Spanish government to fully restrict access [5].<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another advantage is that it is not necessary to employ expensive data centers to operate a platform. Instead, all the storage space, bandwidth as well as computing power comes from the client nodes [7]. This also makes a peer-to-peer network very scalable. The more clients are connected to it, the higher the performance of the network. However, this also means that P2P networks with a small number of users won\u2019t have a lot of resources available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Most importantly peer-to-peer systems enable networks that can\u2019t easily be controlled by corporations or governments. Done right, they make for true data privacy and platforms that work in the interest of the users and not the financial interests of a few.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Problems and challenges in peer-to-peer networks<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The participants in a P2P network can be very different when it comes to their respective bandwidth or processing power [11]. A P2P network must also be robust against clients that are suddenly not accessible anymore. That’s why the availability of content can\u2019t always be guaranteed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Coordination in a centralized network is often easier than the protocols needed for a P2P network to run smoothly. Some changes in a P2P network must be made known to all members, so everybody is on the same level. Such broadcasts as well as simple search requests can put a high pressure on the network. Especially if the number of members inside the network rises [7].<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Security is another factor that is difficult to maintain in a mostly unregulated network. Without a central instance where all data flows through there is no easy way to detect and stop attacks between peers in the network.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Probably the biggest challenge within peer-to-peer networks is the moderation of content being posted. More data privacy also means less control over the kind of data that is shared in the network. With a centralized architecture it is much easier to find and block illegal content. There is also usually an organization that can be held accountable if they don’t have measures in place to block illegal contents. In a P2P network, there is often no central authority and legal disputes have to be held with the network members directly [8]. Additionally, it is much harder to detect illegal content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Decentralized social networks exist \u2013 Why aren\u2019t more people using them?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
A lot of efforts have been made to create a decentralized social network that will finally surpass the big players in the field. Possibly the most well-known representative is the decentralized Twitter clone Mastodon. Mastodon is an open source decentralized social network that is connected to other social networks as part of the so-called ‘Fediverse’. It was created in 2016 by German programmer Eugen Rochko [13]. The term Fediverse refers to a network of similar platforms that makes it possible to connect with users of all platforms without creating an account for each of those networks [12]. Mastodon is based upon a federated model of servers where each server owner pays for its own costs [10]. This way the network is not dependent on profits while still being able to moderate the contents that are shared inside the network. Other, less successful examples are the platforms Diaspora or Ello (https:\/\/diasporafoundation.org\/<\/a> and https:\/\/ello.co\/<\/a>). So far, the big switch over to more sustainable social networks hasn’t happened yet. But the situation is getting better. The number of people that are using the more privacy conscious WhatsApp alternatives Telegram and Signal are constantly rising. After Elon Musk announced that he wants to buy Twitter, Mastodon gained tens of thousands of new users [3]. But it will either take a few more privacy scandals from big corporations or just a long time until people will eventually adapt to these alternative solutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe web that many connected to years ago is not what new users will find today. What was once a rich selection of blogs and websites has been compressed under the powerful weight of a few dominant platforms. This concentration of power creates a new set of gatekeepers, allowing a handful of platforms to control which ideas and opinions are seen and shared.\u201d<\/em><\/p>Tim Berners Lee [11]<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Tim Berners Lee, the creator of the World Wide Web fittingly stated in an open letter that the internet is in a difficult place right now. Solutions must be found to reduce the power that a handful of corporations have over humanity. But decentralized solutions have not really arrived at the center of society yet. Creating a platform that will convince enough people to turn their backs on the big players like Facebook, Twitter and Co. might seem like a herculean task. But I’m convinced that the future of social networks lies in decentralization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n [1] Instagram Engineering. 2015. Instagration Pt. 2: Scaling our infrastructure to multiple data centers. Instagram Engineering<\/em> (Nov. 2015).<\/p>\n\n\n\n [2] Mazdak Hashemi. 2022. The Infrastructure Behind Twitter: Scale<\/em> (August 2022). Retrieved August 22, 2022 from https:\/\/\u200bblog.twitter.com\u200b\/\u200bengineering\/\u200ben_us\/\u200btopics\/\u200binfrastructure\/\u200b2017\/\u200bthe-infrastructure-behind-twitter-scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\nIs the future of social networks decentralized?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
References<\/h2>\n\n\n\n