Your Questions Answered.
- What does ’Private by design’ mean?
- All your data is encrypted locally on your device before being sent and stored on the network. This ensures that your information remains private and protected from unauthorized access, even from us. We’ve designed the system from the ground up with privacy as a fundamental principle rather than an afterthought.
- How is Sovereign Workspace different from other platforms?
- Sovereign Workspace is fundamentally different because it’s designed with user sovereignty at its core. You are the only one with encryption keys and control of your data store. Unlike traditional platforms where companies have access to your data, we’ve built a system where you maintain complete ownership and control of your information. Additionally, our distributed ledger technology provides censorship resistance, ensuring that no single entity can arbitrarily remove you or your content.
- What does ’censorship-free’ mean in practice?
- Our platform utilizes distributed ledger technology, which means your content isn’t stored on centralized servers controlled by a single entity. Instead, it’s distributed across a network, making it impossible for any individual, organization, or government to unilaterally censor or remove your content. This creates a resilient environment where freedom of expression is protected by design. However, this doesn’t mean there are no community standards — you retain control over what content you see and who can interact with you.
- What should I know about the Beta testing phase?
- The current access to Sovereign Workspace is in ’beta’ or pre-release stage. During this phase, the service is still in development and may contain bugs, errors, or incomplete features. It may change significantly before commercial launch or may never be commercially released. While our production blockchain servers will be permanent and robust, this beta app runs on a testnet (sandbox) that may experience frequent downtime and resets, potentially resulting in data loss. We recommend using this beta exclusively for testing purposes and not for storing critical information.
- How does authentication work in Sovereign?
- Sovereign uses Web3 authentication based on cryptographic keypairs. Unlike traditional Web2 logins where a company stores your password, we generate a private key from your username and password locally on your device. This creates a 24-word seed phrase from which your primary private key is derived. Your public key is then derived from this private key through a one-way process. This approach means there’s no need for third parties to store your credentials, eliminating the risk of central database breaches while providing a familiar login experience.
- What happens if I forget my password?
- Due to our decentralized authentication system, there is no ’password reset’ function. If you forget both your username and password, and you haven’t saved your 24-word seed phrase, you will be permanently locked out of your account. This is a fundamental difference from Web2 applications and reflects our commitment to true data sovereignty — only you control access to your data. For this reason, we strongly recommend securely storing your seed phrase in a safe location that only you can access. That said, we recognise that this familiar benefit may be essential to Web2 users, so we are also developing a decentraslied, custodial key storage service, which will enable you to change your password if it gets compromised.
- What is a ’pseudonymous’ username?
- Your Sovereign username is ’pseudonymous’, meaning it’s unique but not tied to any other identifier like your phone number, email address, or payment method. This preserves the legitimate privacy of your identity while still providing you with a consistent identifier within the platform. It allows you to build a reputation and engage with others without revealing personal information that could compromise your privacy across different contexts.
- How secure is my data on Sovereign Workspace?
- Your data is heavily encrypted locally, in transit and then stored anonymously on distributed ledgers. Your encryption keys are generated from your credentials and exist only on your device during your session, disappearing when you log out. This means that even if the network were compromised, your data would remain encrypted and inaccessible without your private keys. Additionally, the distributed nature of the storage provides redundancy against data loss and resistance to targeted attacks.
- Can I control who sees my content?
- Yes, Sovereign Workspace is designed to give you complete control over your social interactions. You can determine who can see your content and who can interact with you. Unlike traditional platforms where algorithms and platform policies dictate your experience, Sovereign puts these controls directly in your hands. This allows you to create a safer, more personalized environment while still benefiting from the censorship-resistance of the underlying technology.
- Are there any legal restrictions on using Sovereign?
- You should not use Sovereign if it breaches data privacy and protection regulations in your jurisdiction. While we’ve designed the platform to provide high levels of privacy and security, we respect that different jurisdictions have different legal frameworks regarding data protection. It’s your responsibility to ensure that your use of Sovereign complies with local laws and regulations. If you’re uncertain, we recommend consulting with a legal professional familiar with data protection laws in your jurisdiction.