MeWe and Social Media

DSNP is designed to support a new way of social networking, one that is open, decentralized, and designed to give users more control and ownership over their data and their relationships.

The Decentralized Social Networking Protocol (DSNP) is more than a good idea. It is a fully-fleshed open protocol with a thriving community and active application development. One such application has been developed by MeWe for use over the Frequency blockchain.

MeWe

MeWe is a social media platform and application that positions itself as an alternative to mainstream social media. It emphasizes privacy and data protection, and is well known for its commitment to not track user data or display ads. In 2022, MeWe announced that it would gradually transition to a Web3, blockchain-based web architecture. In 2023, MeWe integrated with DSNP over Frequency, a Layer-1 Polkadot parachain. Aimed at empowering MeWe users with agency and ownership over their data, this strategic shift positioned MeWe as the first major social network to migrate its technology to DSNP. As of this writing, MeWe has transitioned almost a million of its users to controlling their own social identity using DSNP. MeWe has announced plans to migrate its entire user base and social graph to the DSNP over Frequency platform.

MeWe began the process of educating their user base months in advance—touting important DSNP advantages such as unprecedented levels of privacy and control as well as a growing set of benefits enabled by Frequency and Web3. Users were then asked to migrate using a simple opt-in strategy wherein they agreed to participate and chose a Frequency handle (or username) for themselves. Users didn’t experience any major changes to the MeWe interface they had come to know and love. And users were not required to purchase cryptocurrency tokens or make any other commitments in order to make the move. This is due in part to the delegation models offered by DSNP and Frequency. App developers and technology providers will need to understand the blockchain architecture in use, but most end users won’t want to bother with this.

Frequency offers predictable, low-cost transaction models, addressing the high costs associated with traditional blockchains. Leveraging DSNP over Frequency enables MeWe to offer its users a range of features, including data ownership, the ability to claim a universal handle, and a social media experience characterized by enhanced privacy, increased control, and sharing.

Of key importance is the control MeWe users will have over their social graph–a term which describes the contacts and relationships MeWe users have with others. MeWe users will be able to bring their social graph with them to any other DSNP-enabled social media application. This is in stark contrast to most other social media platforms, where users lose access to and control over their data and their contacts when they move from one platform to another.

While the transition to decentralized social networking was simple for MeWe users, it positions them to participate in a healthier version of the internet. MeWe is using DSNP to set the groundwork to enable users to become part of a decentralized, open-source ecosystem that represents the future of life on the web. This will contribute to a future where applications compete to meet user needs instead of trying to trap users to maintain market share, and create an open market that gives users the ability to freely move from one application to another that aligns with their values and priorities. In addition, using a decentralized social media system encourages users to participate in open discussions and engage in governance efforts where they can help decide the future of the technology, the platform, and the community.