Research Article
SocialChain: A Decentralized Social Media Platform on the Blockchain
@INPROCEEDINGS{10.1007/978-3-031-66044-3_14, author={Mallellu Sai Prashanth and V. Uma Maheswari and Rajinikanth Aluvalu and M. V. V. Prasad Kantipudi}, title={SocialChain: A Decentralized Social Media Platform on the Blockchain}, proceedings={Pervasive Knowledge and Collective Intelligence on Web and Social Media. Second EAI International Conference, PerSOM 2023, Hyderabad, India, November 24--25, 2023, Proceedings}, proceedings_a={PERSOM}, year={2024}, month={8}, keywords={Social Media Hyper Ledger Smart Contracts Social Chain}, doi={10.1007/978-3-031-66044-3_14} }- Mallellu Sai Prashanth
V. Uma Maheswari
Rajinikanth Aluvalu
M. V. V. Prasad Kantipudi
Year: 2024
SocialChain: A Decentralized Social Media Platform on the Blockchain
PERSOM
Springer
DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-66044-3_14
Abstract
The emergence of blockchain technology has paved the way for innovative solutions in various domains, including social media. This research paper presents the design and implementation of “SocialChain,” a decentralized social media platform built on the Ethereum blockchain using the Solidity programming language. SocialChain aims to address issues related to data privacy, content ownership, and censorship prevalent in traditional social media platforms. The proposed system leverages blockchain’s inherent properties such as immutability, transparency, and decentralization to create a trustless and secure environment for social interactions. The platform allows users to create posts, share content, and engage in discussions while maintaining ownership and control over their data. The underlying blockchain ensures that the history of posts and interactions remains tamper-proof and verifiable. The core components of the SocialChain smart contract include data structures for posts and comments, functions for creating posts and adding comments, as well as mechanisms for retrieving post-related information. Each user’s identity is associated with their Ethereum address, eliminating the need for traditional authentication methods and enhancing user pseudonymity. To ensure efficiency, the contract optimizes data storage by using mappings and arrays, minimizing gas costs and improving scalability. The contract also incorporates modifiers to validate post and comment existence, enhancing security and preventing unauthorized access. The results of this research showcase the feasibility of integrating blockchain technology into social media platforms. However, it is important to note that while the implementation provides a foundational framework, practical deployment requires addressing challenges such as user experience, scalability, and incentivization mechanisms. In conclusion, SocialChain exemplifies the potential of blockchain technology to revolutionize the landscape of social media by offering a decentralized, secure, and transparent platform for communication and content sharing. This research contributes to the growing body of knowledge in blockchain applications and encourages further exploration in the realm of decentralized social networking.
