Extended U+F Social Network Protocol: Interoperability, reusability, data protection and indirect relationships in Web Based Social Networks

• We propose a protocol for interoperability of data between Web Based Social Networks (WBSNs).
• The protocol also enables reusability of access control policies in those systems.
• The considered architecture takes into account indirect relationships between users.
• The protocol protects data from being accessed by WBSN providers.
• We assess the feasibility with a prototype. Workload is acceptable but higher than current WBSNs.

An interconnected world is what current technologies look for, being Web Based Social Networks (WBSNs) a promising development in this regard. Four desirable WBSN features are identified, namely, interoperability, reusability, protection against WBSNs providers and indirect relationships. A protocol, called U+F, addressed interoperability and reusability of identity data, resources and access control policies between different WBSNs. In order to address the remaining couple of features, that is, achieving the protection of data against WBSNs providers and indirect relationships management across different WBSNs, this paper presents eU+F, an extension of U+F. A prototype is developed to verify the feasibility of implementing the proposed protocol in a real environment, as well as to compare its workload regarding three well-known WBSNs, Facebook, MySpace and LinkedIn.