MeWe’s chairman and CEO, Jeffrey Edell, recently expressed his views on how the tensions between the US government and China’s TikTok could have been avoided by utilizing blockchain technology.
Edell, leading a social media company with over 20 million users that has successfully made the transition from Web2 to blockchain, holds a unique position to comment on the matter.
The TikTok situation has garnered attention, with reports suggesting that the US is contemplating an outright ban on the Chinese social media platform. There are allegations that ByteDance, the owner of TikTok, has shared sensitive user data with the Chinese government, potentially compromising US security.
In an op-ed for Rolling Stone, Edell emphasized that the core issue with TikTok is user privacy, and this could have been addressed through decentralization. He proposed that “Web 3-based, blockchain technology” could be employed to ensure the security and protection of personal data.
MeWe, as previously reported by Cointelegraph, successfully transitioned to the Frequency blockchain network, a Polkadot parachain, in April 2023. This move demonstrates that it is possible for a social media company to make the switch from Web2 to blockchain.
The argument for blockchain-based user privacy rests on the question of who has access to user data. On traditional social media platforms like X, user data is controlled and accessed through a centralized method, where the company retains ownership of all the data.
In the case of TikTok, this means that ByteDance, and legally, the Chinese government, own all the user data, including that of over 150 million US users.
By utilizing the blockchain and implementing specific privacy controls, a social media network can empower users to have control over their data without compromising the functionality of the platform.
While MeWe’s user base does not match that of TikTok, the company’s successful transition to blockchain proves that it is feasible. In his Rolling Stone article, Edell shared six best practices for other companies considering such a change: understanding the technology, starting with small steps, choosing the appropriate platform, staying informed about regulatory compliance changes, collaborating with stakeholders, and ensuring employees are educated and trained on blockchain.