Exploring the identification issues of decentralized social networks

Decentralized social networks face an important challenge: how to effectively verify user identification while protecting user privacy. This article explores two approaches to solving this problem: biometric technology and social assurance mechanisms.

Biometric Identification: Worldcoin's Attempt

Worldcoin uses retinal scanning technology to verify user identification. Users obtain a World ID through scanning, which serves as a "digital passport." Worldcoin claims to use technologies like zero-knowledge proofs to protect user privacy.

However, this method has also sparked some controversy:

• Data security is in doubt, World ID is accused of being sold on the black market.
• Data collection practices in developing countries have been criticized as "crypto-colonialism"
• Dedicated hardware devices may have backdoor risks

Social Guarantee Mechanism

Another method is to use social networking relationships to verify identification. Typical projects include:

• Human identification: Personal information must be submitted and verified user guarantee obtained.
• BrightID: mutual verification through video calls
• Idena: Continuously creating and solving verification codes
• Circles: Based on trust circles verification

This method is relatively less intrusive, and some implementations still retain a certain degree of anonymity.

Future Outlook

With the advancement of AI technology, designing effective human identification mechanisms has become increasingly important. However, this process involves many trade-offs, and there is no perfect solution.

Ethereum founder Vitalik suggests a hybrid approach: using biometrics in the short term, transitioning to a social graph-based method in the long term.

The future of this field requires more transparency to truly realize the vision of Decentralization and privacy protection. Only in this way can we establish a trustworthy decentralized social network infrastructure.