Vitalik Buterin and Anoma Founders Discuss ZK Potentials in Web3 Social Protocols

During
the
ETHCC[7]
in
Brussels
on
July
9th,
Mask
Network,
in
collaboration
with
Lens
Protocol
and
SendingMe,
hosted
the
Web3
Social
Day
side
event.
The
event
featured
a
panel
titled
“Exploring
ZK
Potentials
on
Social
Protocols,”
which
included
prominent
figures
like
Vitalik
Buterin
(co-founder
of
Ethereum),
Chris
Goes
(Founder
of
Anoma),
Shumo
Chu
(Founder
of
Nebra
Labs),
and
Elias
Tazartes
(Co-Founder
of
Kakarot),
moderated
by
Joshua
Davila,
the
Blockchain
Socialist.

Key
Insights
on
Zero-Knowledge
Proofs

The
panelists
engaged
in
a
detailed
discussion
on
Zero-Knowledge
Proofs
(ZKPs),
their
limitations,
and
their
potential
to
transform
decentralized
social
networks.
Shumo
Chu,
who
has
worked
with
ZK
pioneer
Silvio
Micali,
described
ZK
as
“an
encryption
on
computation,”
emphasizing
its
dual
benefits
of
privacy
and
efficiency.

Chu
elaborated
that
ZK
allows
for
selective
disclosure
of
information,
adding
privacy
to
computational
inputs
and
outputs.
This
is
particularly
valuable
for
decentralized
social
networks,
where
privacy
and
selective
information
sharing
are
crucial.

Scalability
and
Efficiency

Elias
Tazartes
highlighted
the
transaction
efficiency
of
ZK,
noting
its
significance
for
networks
handling
large
transaction
volumes.
He
mentioned
Lens
Protocol’s
new
chain
that
uses
a
ZK
stack
for
compression,
enhancing
scalability
and
integrity.

Chris
Goes
discussed
“information
flow
control,”
explaining
that
ZKPs
offer
granular
choices
in
information
disclosure,
contrasting
with
the
negative
connotations
of
“privacy”
as
hiding
information.
He
emphasized
that
ZKPs
enable
better
theoretical
frameworks
for
reasoning
about
data
disclosure
in
digital
systems.

Combating
Deepfakes
and
Enhancing
Trust

Shumo
Chu
introduced
the
concept
of
ZK
cryptography
as
a
defense
mechanism
against
deepfakes.
He
cited
a
ZK
microphone
developed
during
a
hackathon,
which
attaches
a
digital
signature
to
verify
authenticity.
Chu
also
discussed
the
need
for
improved
developer
tools
and
proof
aggregation
infrastructure
to
enhance
Ethereum’s
ZK
processing
power
and
reduce
gas
fees.

Elias
Tazartes
reminisced
about
the
evolution
of
ZK
terminology,
noting
that
terms
like
“validity
roll-ups”
did
not
stick
as
well
as
ZK
Proofs.
Chris
Goes
remarked
that
ZK
had
become
a
meme
term
used
for
funding
applied
cryptography,
suggesting
a
need
for
more
precise
language
in
the
future.

Vitalik
Buterin’s
Perspective

Vitalik
Buterin
made
a
notable
entrance
despite
stormy
weather
and
shared
his
thoughts
on
“information
flow
control.”
He
suggested
that
the
term
aims
to
make
ZK
technology
sound
less
intimidating
while
being
more
precise.
Buterin
emphasized
that
decentralized
social
networks
should
enable
unique
front-end
experiences
and
specialized
content
filtering,
citing
examples
like
Farcaster
and
Firefly.

Challenges
and
Future
Directions

The
panelists
acknowledged
challenges
in
user
experience
and
the
need
for
better
education
on
the
benefits
of
data
ownership.
Vitalik
Buterin
stressed
the
importance
of
letting
users
preview
data
disclosures
before
committing
actions
and
whitelisting
trusted
applications.
Chris
Goes
added
that
UI
improvements
are
crucial
for
clearly
showing
data
disclosure
and
restricting
application
access.

The
discussion
concluded
with
a
focus
on
making
ZK
proofs
user-friendly
and
emphasizing
the
importance
of
privacy
by
default.
Panelists
agreed
that
better
stories
are
needed
to
highlight
why
privacy
matters
to
the
average
web
user.

Wrap-up

This
thought-provoking
panel
discussion
offered
a
glimpse
into
the
potential
of
Zero-Knowledge
Proofs
to
revolutionize
social
media.
While
ZKPs
offer
exciting
possibilities
for
privacy,
selective
disclosure,
and
network
efficiency,
the
panelists
acknowledged
challenges
in
user
experience
and
the
need
for
better
education
around
the
value
of
data
ownership.

Here
are
the
key
takeaways:

Beyond
Privacy:
ZKPs
offer
more
than
just
privacy;
they
enable
granular
control
over
information
disclosure
and
verification
of
data
authenticity.

Improved
User
Experience:
Simplifying
interfaces
and
permission
settings
is
crucial
for
wider
adoption.
Designated
verifier
ZK
proofs
can
help
with
targeted
disclosure.

Education
is
Key:
Highlighting
the
benefits
of
data
ownership
and
control
over
information
flow
will
be
essential
for
user
adoption.

Despite
some
challenges,
the
panelists
seem
to
believe
ZKPs
hold
the
potential
to
create
a
future
where
users
can
control
their
data
and
social
experiences,
free
from
centralized
gatekeepers
and
algorithmic
manipulation.
The
ability
to
create
unique
social
protocols
that
feature
specialized
content
may
pave
the
way
for
a
more
diverse
and
user-centric
social
media
landscape.

For
more
details,
visit
the

Mask
Network.

Image
source:
Shutterstock