One of the reasons for the popularization of the internet was the concept of allowing anyone to have access to the most diverse types of information and knowledge. This was an attempt to decentralize all data that was previously in the hands of a few. An example of this are classes from famous universities that can now be found on YouTube — it is even possible to find entire undergraduate courses on this video platform.
However, with the advancement of the internet, what happened was that part of this concept of decentralizing knowledge and information was lost. Large corporations, such as Meta, Google and Amazon, concentrated most of this data, and this is reflected in social networks, which, in turn, are also in the hands of the same companies.
After some news about the leakage of user data by various social networks, the blockchain developer community saw in this technology a possible solution to this problem by using blockchain and its decentralization to build social networks that were not centralized or , at least, that didn’t hold their users’ data hostage in the hands of corporations.
Thus, the Lens Protocol was born .
What is Lens Protocol?
Lens is a reimagined version of social media and is based on the blockchain. It is what we call a social network for Web3, as it intends that all its users have control over their information and can monetize it according to their interests.
We can also think of Lens Protocol as a program that provides easy ways to create decentralized platforms or social networks. Currently, there are already several applications that use Lens as a base, and some examples are:
- Lenster : a decentralized social network that allows the sharing of images, texts, videos and audio;
- Lenstube : a kind of decentralized YouTube;
- Orb : A Twitter-like mobile app.
- Lensta : Also a mobile app, but similar to Instagram.
How does the Lens Protocol work?
Perhaps the best way to understand Lens is by comparing it to traditional social media.
The most common social networks use a centralized structure for storing data. Furthermore, this data is restricted and integration with other platforms or social networks is limited. In the case of Lens, it uses open code, which can be freely used by any developer to create new applications, including new social networks.
Interestingly, unlike traditional platforms, the Lens Protocol uses NFTs (non-fungible tokens) to represent profiles and also to define who the user’s followers are. That way, no matter what happens on that social network, you’ll always have your followers regardless of the platform you access.
Because of this open development model, Lens is compatible with other Web3 tools and platforms such as MetaMask, Gnosis, and Argent.
Additionally, Lens provides a modular model that allows developers to build new features and combine them with other Web3 platforms. Users can then have access to information and even the way it is distributed according to each platform and community.
Conclusion
Traditional social networks have brought some controversy, especially when we think about censorship of information. You’ve probably heard of a website, YouTube channel or Instagram account that has been improperly blocked.
Web3 comes up with solutions that promise to solve this problem, giving users the power to choose how their data will be used. In this sense, the Lens Protocol follows the same purpose and promises to have a positive impact not only on the Web3 niche, but on the internet as a whole.