Tim Berners-Lee, the creator of the World Wide Web, aims to decentralise the web by offering a private cloud solution that would give internet users the chance to take back control of their data. What is at stake? Are there other alternatives? We explain everything!
An open-source private cloud in order to decentralise the web
Because of the speculation around it, the exploitation of users’ personal data is being called into question more and more. In response to this, we are seeing the emergence of innovative solutions aimed at decentralising the web — but what does that actually mean?
Decentralising the web consists of giving internet users back “power” over their personal data and, at the same time, allowing them to “negotiate” that data. Yes, this really is about freeing internet users from the hold exerted by certain platforms such as Facebook, Google and Amazon, which exploit users’ data commercially. This initiative was taken by Tim Berners-Lee, the creator of the World Wide Web, who, through his Solid project, states that he wants to decentralise the web. According to him, “data should empower everyone without exception” — which would be an important element for the future of the web.
Data store and data pods: how does it work?
In collaboration with the company Inrupt, the inventor of the WWW uses Solid to offer its users a data store that makes it possible to manage personal data pods online. A genuine wrapper around your data, these pods allow you to give a completely different dimension to the use of your personal data. Indeed, in this way it is you who chooses whether or not to grant read or write permission to your data pods. You will therefore no longer be obliged to grant permission for your data to be exploited on the pretext that a third party is hosting it!
A private cloud — but to host which data?
This is where it gets really interesting! This project aims higher than current cloud solutions. It is not just a matter of virtualising your media files and text documents while giving them a sharing or collaboration option! This open-source private cloud solution allows you to be the absolute master of ALL your data. Yes, every comment, every like and even every interaction with the web would no longer be stored on centralised data platforms, but rather in your personal space — because after all, it is only fair that you should be the one who benefits from that data! So if a third party wants to access it, they will have to obtain your permission!
The option of creating your own Solid server
To have control over your data, Solid offers you two ways of managing it. The first, and the one that seems most logical if you really want to own your data, is to self-host! How? Documentation dedicated to creating a Solid server is provided by the private cloud solution. Never fear: according to the guide, you will be able to create your own hosting server in less time than it takes to devour a box of spring rolls during your lunch break. If you want to install a Solid server, the various instructions for doing so are available from the GitHub repository. On the other hand, if you don’t feel ready to take the plunge, or quite simply don’t have the resources to self-host, Solid allows you to host your data in a GDPR-friendly way through partner hosting providers 😉
Other private cloud solutions?
There are also other alternative solutions that offer self-hosting. We have not listed them all, but we have singled out the following two for the rather distinctive way they complement each other.
Cozy Cloud: the storage service aiming to be a digital home
Following Solid’s philosophy, Cozy Cloud offers a storage service that aims to be ethical, meaning that your data is not exploited. The icing on the cake is that Cozy Cloud is also open source and likewise makes self-hosting possible! The service is made up of several tools, including Cozy Drive, which lets you synchronise your data with your personal space, in the manner of Dropbox or the Google Drive application. A second useful tool on offer is Cozy Collect, a feature that frees you from the tedious task of collecting files! You simply need to enter your username and password for the service whose files you want to retrieve automatically, and there you go, it’s synchronised! You can therefore arrange, for example, for all the invoices from your energy or internet provider and others to be filed in a dedicated folder in your remote personal space. The only shame is that this connection with other third-party platforms cannot be made more securely using
REST APIs.
A screenshot of the cozy-store platform interface was shown here in the French version and needs to be re-attached.
Seafile, the encrypted private cloud solution
Seafile is — guess what — yes, another open-source cloud storage platform! The synchronisation tool was developed in Python and C, which makes it a lightweight tool. Like Cozy Cloud, Seafile makes it possible to host your data without exploiting it, and to self-host it. Where Seafile stands out is in its end-to-end encryption, which is based on SSL/TLS encryption. From that encryption flows a whole host of options for locking down your data. You can therefore lock your files, and authenticate yourself to your personal space with two factors. You can access your data in three different ways, via:
- the web application
- a synchronisation client (available on Windows, Mac and Ubuntu)
- Android and iOS
If you want to find out a little more about the tool and get to grips with it, Seafile documentation translated into French has been published online by the University of Strasbourg. Worth knowing: Seafile offers a paid version aimed more at companies, with collaborative Office tools. As you will have gathered, decentralising the web is an important subject, both for the data market and for respecting users’ personal data. On that subject, it is important to recall the strict framework governing the exploitation of personal data introduced by the GDPR. If you want to find out more about the changes brought about by this regulation, don’t hesitate to read our article on the topic!
