Overview:
Peergos is a peer-to-peer encrypted global filesystem designed to give users control over their data and online privacy. It functions as a secure file storage and sharing platform with built-in encrypted messaging, email, and a private social network. The system uses end-to-end encryption and fine-grained access control to protect data content, metadata (like file sizes and directory structures), and social connections (friendship graphs) from surveillance. It is a self-hostable, serverless platform aimed at individuals and organizations who want to move away from centralized, data-collecting web services.
Core Features:
Peer-to-peer filesystem: A global, encrypted filesystem with IPFS-based data storage.
Fine-grained access control: Cryptographic sharing of files with other users, via secret links, or publicly.
Encrypted communication: Includes a secure messenger, encrypted email client and bridge, and a private social network.
Self-hostable: Users can run a Peergos server on their own machine for storage, file access, and social communication.
Client-side encryption: Strong encryption (TweetNaCl) is applied on the user's device; private keys never leave the client.
Secure web interface and CLI: Accessible via a web interface (over TLS or localhost) and a command-line interface for file operations.
Use Cases:
Individuals who want to store and share files privately without relying on centralized cloud storage providers.
Developers and system administrators who want a self-hosted, peer-to-peer solution for their own data and communication.
Users who wish to run web apps directly from a secure, sandboxed storage environment with user-granted permissions.
Security-conscious users who want to control exactly where their data is stored and who has access, even from potentially compromised servers.
Why It Matters:
Peergos is an open-source project that provides a practical and secure alternative to centralized cloud services by putting data ownership and access control back into the user's hands. Its peer-to-peer architecture, client-side encryption, and self-hosting capabilities offer a high degree of technical control and privacy for data storage, file sharing, and communication. The system's design explicitly resists surveillance of data content and social connections, addressing core privacy concerns often absent from mainstream alternatives.
