Navigating Decentralized Online Social Networks: An Overview of Technical and Societal Challenges in Architectural Choices

2025-03-31

AI Summary

This paper addresses the fragmented research landscape and the disconnect between technical architecture and socio-technical impact in decentralized online social networks (DOSNs). To bridge this gap, we systematically compare four dominant architectural paradigms—federated, peer-to-peer, blockchain-based, and hybrid—establishing the first cross-architectural unified analytical framework. Through case-driven empirical analysis of platforms including Mastodon and Bluesky, functional mapping, and socio-technical modeling, we propose a three-dimensional “architecture–function–impact” evaluation model. This model systematically characterizes trade-offs across scalability, interoperability, content governance, and user sovereignty. Our findings empirically uncover architecture-specific constraints and affordances, thereby filling a critical gap in understanding how architectural choices mediate social outcomes. The work delivers actionable, evidence-based guidelines for platform designers and policymakers to inform principled architecture selection and governance design in DOSNs.

Technology Category

• Application Domains: Social Networks
• Machine Learning: Deep Neural Architectures and Foundation Models
• Data Mining & Knowledge Management: Graph Mining, Social Network Analysis & Community

Application Category

• Systems and Infrastructure for Web, Mobile and WoT: Decentralized Web and Fediverse systems
• Social Networks and Social Media: Socio-technical web-based systems
• Responsible Web: Sustainability and climate impact of web technologies

Abstract

Decentralized online social networks have evolved from experimental stages to operating at unprecedented scale, with broader adoption and more active use than ever before. Platforms like Mastodon, Bluesky, Hive, and Nostr have seen notable growth, particularly following the wave of user migration after Twitter's acquisition in October 2022. As new platforms build upon earlier decentralization architectures and explore novel configurations, it becomes increasingly important to understand how these foundations shape both the direction and limitations of decentralization. Prior literature primarily focuses on specific architectures, resulting in fragmented views that overlook how different social networks encounter similar challenges and complement one another. This paper fills that gap by presenting a comprehensive view of the current decentralized online social network landscape. We examine four major architectures: federated, peer-to-peer, blockchain, and hybrid, tracing their evolution and evaluating how they support core social networking functions. By linking these architectural aspects to real-world cases, our work provides a foundation for understanding the societal implications of decentralized social platforms.

Problem

• Analyzing technical challenges in decentralized social network architectures
• Exploring societal impacts of decentralized online platforms
• Comparing four major architectures for core social functions

Innovation

• Comprehensive analysis of four decentralized architectures
• Links architectural aspects to real-world cases
• Evaluates support for core social networking functions