Blockchain and Social Networking in the Age of Privacy: A New Approach to Data Protection and Transparency

Online social networks (OSNs) have become a significant area of application due to the rapid increase in online interactions. However, the unauthorized exposure of users' private information can lead to severe repercussions, including risks to users' personal safety. Privacy concerns in OSNs have garnered widespread attention. While some research efforts have attempted to address these privacy challenges in recent years, they often overlook the need to maintain essential social network functionalities including data access, retrieval and sharing. Consequently, ensuring the protection of sensitive information for delivering privacy-preserving and efficient services for social network remains a complex challenge.