Frequently asked questions about RootlessNet.
RootlessNet is a decentralized protocol for censorship-resistant human expression. It's not a platform or company—it's infrastructure anyone can build on.
No central root of trust. No root administrator. No rooted ownership. Power is distributed, not concentrated.
No. RootlessNet is a protocol like email or HTTP. Social networks can be built on top of it.
- You own your identity — keys live with you
- You own your data — take it anywhere
- No central moderation — local choices only
- No single point of failure — distributed by design
No. Identities are key-based. You can use any pseudonym or remain fully anonymous with ephemeral identities.
Not at the protocol level. Individual clients or zones can block you locally, but your identity persists.
Set up recovery before this happens:
- Social recovery (trusted contacts)
- Hardware backup
- Seed phrase
- Public content: Anyone
- Zone content: Zone members
- Private messages: Only recipients
- Encrypted content: Only key holders
No global deletion exists. You can:
- Hide your own content
- Request zones remove it
- Revoke encryption keys
But others may have copies.
- Clients can filter known hashes
- Zones can set moderation rules
- Users can report and block
- Legal liability falls on those who host/share
Moderation is local, not global:
- Users choose their filters
- Clients set defaults
- Zones set community rules
- No one controls everything
Yes, at the client level. They can still exist; you just won't see them.
- Ed25519 for signatures
- X25519 for key exchange
- XChaCha20-Poly1305 for encryption
- BLAKE3 for hashing
Not yet. Post-quantum migration is planned for 2025-2026.
Nodes gossip content to peers. When you connect, you sync what you're subscribed to.
Yes! Full nodes require moderate resources. Light clients work on any device.
- Desktop (Windows, macOS, Linux)
- Mobile (iOS, Android)
- Web browser
- CLI
A Zone is a social context with shared norms—like a subreddit or Discord server, but decentralized.
Yes. Zones are permissionless.
Zone creators set initial rules. Governance models include:
- Single owner
- Council voting
- Full democracy
- Reputation-weighted
Not by the protocol. If zone content is replicated across nodes, it persists.
Yes. All private messages use end-to-end encryption.
No. Group chats use MLS (Message Layer Security). No one outside the group can read messages.
By default, yes. Ephemeral messages with auto-delete are available.
No native token currently. Future economics are intentionally open.
- Users run their own nodes, or
- Use hosted services (potentially paid), or
- Community/volunteer nodes
The protocol specification is a public good. Implementations vary.
Yes. MIT license for most components.
See CONTRIBUTING.md:
- Code contributions
- Documentation
- Bug reports
- Feature ideas
The protocol source code is available on GitHub.
Safety is contextual. RootlessNet provides:
- Strong encryption
- Anonymity options
- Local filtering
But cannot prevent:
- Content you choose to view
- Bad actors existing
- Social conflicts
Use blocking, filtering, and zone moderation. No global solution exists by design—local control means local responsibility.
Global deletion requires global authority. That authority can be captured, corrupted, or coerced. Local choices preserve freedom.
The same tools that protect dissidents protect others. The design prioritizes structural freedom over perfect outcomes.
You do, for yourself. Zones do, for their communities. No one does, globally.
More questions? Reach out to the contributors.
Last Updated: December 2024