DFPR: The Blueprint for Digital Friendship Protection Regulation
I would like to introduce my proposal for solving the problem of losing social connections on online platforms. This idea has been developing in my mind since 2018, and I strongly believe that we need to take a step forward after the implementation of GDPR. Originally, I planned to publish this proposal on arXiv, but I decided to use Medium instead. My intention is to reach as many people as possible and make them aware of this issue. I hope that this proposal will gain traction and be widely accepted, as it is crucial to take control of our digital identities and friendships in the online world.
This isn’t a complete product description, but rather a theoretical proposal or design document for Digital Friendship Protection Regulation (DFPR) that I’d like everyone to take into account. Before I proceed with my proposal, I’d like to highlight some of the issues we encounter regularly on social media platforms.
Problem #1
The issue of losing all social connections when you get banned from any social network, despite having spent years building those connections, is a concern. The rules for banning are unclear and can be applied differently to various groups and classes of people, leading to digital capital punishment and discrimination. It’s distressing that social networks like Facebook or Twitter decide the fate of your digital existence, and you are unable to preserve your digital identity, including your connections with followers. While we can easily back up important data on Google Drive, unfortunately, we lack the ability to back up our digital identity and social connections.
I’m not focusing on digital content protection here, as I believe that in the age of AI, the significance of digital content has become less prominent. As I discussed in one of my previous articles, the idea of possessing digital content is becoming outdated. What really matters in the digital world are the relationships between people, which are priceless and irreplaceable.
Problem #2
The next issue I would like to address is the prevalence of bots on social media platforms. These bots are responsible for various fraudulent schemes, including crypto scams and other forms of artificial cheating. Unfortunately, the current process for verifying accounts lacks transparency and varies across different social networks.
Consequently, there is no clear link between a real person and their social media account. Scammers can possess thousands of botted accounts and can easily impersonate the real people you know.
Recently, Twitter introduced Twitter Blue verification, which has only worsened the situation and created new problems. For example, scammers are now willing to pay $8 per month to obtain the blue badge, which they use to deceive users and make thousands of dollars.
Problem #3
Last but not least, your connections — such as followers and followings — are not synchronized between various platforms. Despite having the option to log in via Google on different social networks, the information about your social connections remains unsynchronized. It’s a common scenario where people ask others to subscribe to their channels on different platforms like YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, and so on. Wouldn’t it be more convenient if subscribing to a person’s profile on one platform also meant subscribing to them on all other platforms where they are present?
While some may argue that alternative products like Mastodon offer a solution to these problems, I firmly believe that people should be able to continue using the social networks they prefer while also having the assurance and the right to protect their digital identity and social connections. The major social networks must take responsibility and make these necessary changes, even if it means they are compelled to do so by the government.
How was it solved in the real world?
Let’s take a look at how these issues are addressed in the offline world. There are three key players:
- Individuals (like you and me)
- Authorities (who verify our identities)
- Service providers (such as banks, etc.)
Let’s start with the 2nd problem. In the real world, the authorities issue a document such as a driver’s license or an ID card to verify your identity. You can then present this document to different service providers like banks, etc. to receive services. The key difference here is that there is a clear separation between who verifies you and who provides services. The problem of trust is transferred to the relationship between the authority and the service provider. For instance, you don’t need to have multiple ID cards for different banks, but only one ID card that all banks accept.
To solve Problem #1, our society has banned the death penalty. This means that, in most cases, as long as you are alive, you can maintain your social connections. Although there may be physical distance between you and your friends or restrictions on your freedom imposed by authorities, the relationship between you and your friends remains intact. No third party can deprive you of this connection without your knowledge. For instance, it’s not within a bank’s power to restrict your relationships with other people. Did you grasp the concept?
Problem #3 is not consistent with the real world because there is only one physical world and one corresponding “offline platform”. While some LSD psychonauts might argue that there are multiple realities and dimensions beyond our physical world, in the context of our shared tangible reality, it is safe to say that there is only one “offline platform” in which we all exist.
Do you now have a better understanding of the problem? Social media giants such as Facebook and Twitter, despite being service providers and not authorities, have taken on the role of authorities and wield complete control over your digital identity, based on their own rules that frequently disregard the laws and constitutions of the countries where their users live.
Meet the DFPR!
Whew, now that we’ve laid out the issue at hand, it’s time to delve into a potential solution that’s been brewing in my mind for quite some time. These are merely preliminary blueprints, but they should give you a good understanding of my concept.
Let’s contemplate the environment in which this solution can come to fruition. If we attempt to tackle these issues directly, we’ll be met with an overwhelming number of N authorities * M service providers, resulting in a combinatorial explosion. Therefore, we require a unified “rails” — a sole protocol or format for the exchange of data between individuals, authorities, and service providers.
The very first thing that pops into my mind is the potential of utilizing blockchain technology, cryptocurrencies, NFTs, and smart contracts. These innovative tools won’t just be useful for cryptocurrency scams anymore! In their current state, anyone can make an unlimited number of crypto wallets. However, if we want to instill trust and address all the issues we’ve identified, we need to consider the following process…
Verified Identity Solution
It’s similar to real life, but adapted to the blockchain rails. We could start by selecting an existing eco-friendly Proof-of-Stake blockchain technology that supports NFTs and smart contracts, such as Ethereum, Binance Smartchain, Polygon, or we could develop our own. Within this network, there would be accounts or wallets for individuals, authorities, and service providers.
Let’s take a moment to consider an example. Let’s say it’s the year 2030, and you want to obtain the coveted “correct” Twitter Blue verification. Here’s how you might go about it: first, you create a crypto wallet for free, if you don’t already have one, and make note of its public address. Next, you report the public address of your wallet to the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) in your state, or to a verification provider such as login.gov or id.me. These authorities will verify your identity, and once confirmed, will send a signed account verification NFT (which won’t contain any personal data, but will simply confirm that you are verified) to your wallet.
Once you have the account verification NFT in your wallet, you can link your personal wallet to Twitter. Twitter will see that the account verification NFT, signed by the California DMV (for example), is present in your wallet, and based on this information, will grant you the coveted blue tick.
Mr. Musk, that’s how it was supposed to be.
Importantly, this verification is not tied to a specific social network. Once you are verified, you automatically become verified in all service providers that trust the decisions made by the California DMV. This system assumes that there are many different authorities and service providers (social networks), and that their roles are completely separated, thus avoiding the combinatorial explosion problem that we described earlier. This method provides a complete solution to Problem #2: The problem of bots.
What I find particularly appealing about this design is that social networks have the freedom to choose which state or country authorities they trust, while also having the ability to avoid trusting others. This allows for a decentralized approach to trust, ensuring that social networks no longer hold the power to strip users of their digital identities.
And believe it or not, a working prototype of this system already exists — it’s called the Binance Account Bound (BAB) token. This NFT was introduced in September 2022 and functions within the Binance Smart Chain network. If you have undergone KYC verification on Binance, you can obtain this NFT as proof of your identity (or, as they call it, a soulbound token — SBT — since it cannot be transferred).
The main problem lies in the fact that Binance lacks the necessary trust and credibility to act as a reliable authority. This has resulted in a very small number of service providers who are willing to trust their verification as of 2023.
It’s worth noting that I’ve come across a promising initiative that aims to tackle the issue of decentralized verification. The project in question is tbDEX. Having gone through their design document thoroughly, I can confirm that their proposals for digital identification bear a striking resemblance to my own. However, it’s worth pointing out that they haven’t delved into the crucial issue of preserving digital connections and friendships, which is the primary focus of my proposal.
Social Connections Solution
Let’s focus our attention now on the topic of social connections, specifically followers and followings. Here’s the scoop: every time a user follows or unfollows someone on social media, a blockchain entry will be created to store this information. This ensures that the data regarding who follows whom will be securely stored outside of social networks and synchronized between them.
So, if you happen to get kicked off from Twitter, don’t worry, my friend, because when you join Truth Social, all of your loyal followers will already be there waiting for you! And if you’re a frequent user of multiple social platforms, don’t worry, because all of your followers and followings will be automatically synced up. It’s time for us to take control of our digital friendships, and with this method, we can solve both Problem #1 and Problem #3 at once. Bingo!
Under this design, there is a requirement to pay gas fees every time we follow someone, but that shouldn’t be a major concern. For starters, we can employ a blockchain with very low transaction fees (such as a fraction of a cent per follow on the Polygon network). Additionally, I believe that verified users could be given a certain amount of cryptocurrency by the authorities, which would be sufficient to follow the first 10,000 users when the verification token is issued. Why not? I’m okay with my taxes being allocated towards that.
We must realize that social network executives may not be enthusiastic about this change, as it won’t bring them any financial gain. This proposal is not about profits, but about promoting the rights and well-being of people. Companies like Facebook or Twitter are likely to resist this transformation because they don’t want to relinquish the control they have established through their dominance. However, by embracing this change, we can demonstrate our love and respect for the individual users who make these platforms what they are.
In conclusion, I urge you to spread this proposal as widely as possible. Do you have a large audience or connections in the government? Share this proposal with them. The more people know about it, the greater the chance of it being accepted, like GDPR, in due time. We can regain control of our friendships on online platforms.
As the author of this text, I hereby declare that I am relinquishing all rights to it by licensing it under the CC0 license. This means that you have the legal right to copy and distribute this information without the need for attribution, and you can even choose to patent the technique described within. My primary concern is that these ideas are heard and shared for the betterment of humanity. I offer my prayers for a brighter future!
