Facebook creator and CEO Mark Zuckerberg is considering using the blockchain in authenticating users of various web services without relying on third parties.
In an interview with Harvard law professor Jonathan Zittrain, Zuckerberg said that at the moment Facebook Connect is a popular user authentication system for third-party sites and services, but a solution using a distributed registry can be an alternative option for these tasks.
“I think about how it would be possible to use the blockchain technology in the authentication processes and in providing access to user data for various services, but at the moment I don’t completely understand the options for implementing this idea,” said Facebook CEO. - The functions that Facebook Connect currently performs can be shifted to something truly distributed. In essence, the user enters his data into a decentralized system and subsequently uses it for authentication, while not resorting to third parties. ”
Zuckerberg also noted that such a system may be of interest to software developers who do not want to trust corporations that can restrict user access to various resources. But there are also disadvantages in the application of a decentralized system - the lack of ability to counteract the attackers.
He recalled last year’s scandal when Cambridge Analytica sold user-provided personal information. “This is a violation of our policies. Access for them was subsequently closed. ”
“If we integrate a truly decentralized system, then, on the one hand, the capabilities of users will significantly expand. However, sometimes it is much easier to regulate accountable large companies. It seems to me that it is an interesting public question, - Zuckerberg noted. - It lies primarily in whether you need a distributed system? Will there be the necessary number of people who want to do without intermediaries? You need to understand that in this case there will be more cases of abuse, and it will be much more difficult to manage resources. ”
The creator of Facebook also said that it would take a lot of effort to implement such an idea, since there are technical obstacles associated with decentralized technologies.
“Undoubtedly, Facebook processes a large amount of data. But a decentralized solution requires even more computation. To conduct them in a distributed registry is more difficult, although in the end the amount of available resources should be enough. ”
Earlier this month, Facebook bought blockchain-startup Chainspace.