Definition: A social graph protocol is a set of data structures and rules for representing relationships among accounts—such as follows, unfollows, and sometimes group membership—so applications can read or act on those relationships. Some protocols let multiple apps use a shared graph; the exact storage, identity, and access rules depend on the protocol.
What Is a Social Graph?
A social graph models accounts as nodes and their relationships as edges. A follow is one kind of edge; replies, mentions, or group membership may be represented separately. The graph can help an app decide whom to show in a feed or how to recommend accounts, but it is only one input to that experience. Each app can use different ranking, moderation, and discovery rules.
How Protocols Share Relationships
Implementations vary. Farcaster describes a message graph in which users add or remove relationships with signed messages. Hubs synchronize those messages so independent apps and services can build from a shared protocol state. Lens documents global and app-level graphs that can be deployed as onchain contracts, with rules that let apps define how connections work.
These are examples of different designs, not a single standard. A shared graph may be stored onchain, in signed records replicated by network services, or through a hybrid arrangement. The protocol determines what is authoritative; indexers and apps determine how users search, browse, and interact with the data.
What Portability Does—and Does Not—Mean
If an account’s identity and relationships are available through a protocol, a compatible app may be able to use them without asking the user to rebuild every connection from scratch. That does not mean every app displays the same feed or supports every account, post, or relationship. Identity recovery, permissions, data availability, indexing, and app support all affect what can actually move between services.
Likewise, calling a graph decentralized does not by itself guarantee censorship resistance or uninterrupted access. A protocol can distribute data while particular clients, indexers, hosting providers, or governance processes still shape what users see or can do.
Tradeoffs and Risks
Shared social data can make new apps easier to start and let users choose among clients. It can also make spam, unwanted profiling, moderation, and privacy harder to manage. Public relationship data may reveal interests or associations even when message content is stored elsewhere. Users should check what is public, who can update or remove records, and which services an app relies on.
Social Media Sentiment
A May 2026 discussion in r/ethereum shows disagreement about Farcaster’s governance and decentralization. One commenter identifying as a former engineer gives a first-person account, while other commenters offer competing interpretations. This is one discussion, not a representative survey; its personal claims are not independently verified here.
Last updated: 2026-10
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Sources
- Farcaster Protocol — Overview — Describes accounts and relationships as a message graph, signed updates, Hub synchronization, and the protocol’s design limits.
- Lens Documentation — Graph — Explains Lens global and app-level graphs, follow relationships, and configurable graph rules.