Web Real-time Communications (WebRTC) receives its fair share of focus and attention due to its ability to integrate audio, video and text communication within a web or mobile application. An often-overlooked feature, however, is the ability to use WebRTC to facilitate content sharing. Below, we’ll explore the benefits of using WebRTC for this purpose.

Why WebRTC for Content Sharing?

Because WebRTC is a peer-to-peer (P2P) technology, by its very nature it eliminates three of the biggest issues with content sharing via the traditional client/server model: accessibility, security, and scalability.

Accessibility

WebRTC does not require end-users to install any new software or browser plugins. This makes the entire process of initiating data transfers without user consent easier, as products can leverage WebRTC’s data channel in the same way they use WebSockets or HTTP.

Security

Because a client/server model relies on a single point of entry — the server — this model is vulnerable to being compromised at that single point. Once the server is compromised, any data transfers originating from or involving that server are immediately suspect. In contrast, WebRTC allows P2P connectivity that can be leveraged to build a decentralized content sharing platform, which enforces the use of strong encryption in the data plane between all components. However, a signaling protocol is not specified within WebRTC, ergo developers must implement their own choice of protocol. So long as they make use of a proper, secure signaling protocol, one can build true end-to-end encryption atop the existing WebRTC stack.

Scalability

Just like security, the client/server model’s reliance on a single point of entry makes scalability a much bigger issue. Each server can only handle so many requests before it begins to bog down and degrade the experience for everyone, requiring server upgrades or the addition of more servers. Alternatively, WebRTC allows developers to leverage the network of existing end-users to deliver content, thus offloading the traffic from the servers and providing scalability. This creates a system where the bottleneck is determined by the exchange throughput between peers.

Privacy Concerns

WebRTC offers some level of privacy for end-users, as encrypted information can be transferred directly between peers without the need for a third party server. However, this may be negated by the potential for a disruption of privacy by other peers assisting in transmitting data. Though the packets are encrypted, the peer receiving the stream may now know which IP addresses are also part of the cluster, and those nodes that have recently consumed or are consuming the data. This is not typically the case for traditional client/server models. Since the data comes from a server, the end-user is not capable of knowing who or how many clients have consumed the data. The WebRTC method could pose privacy issues for individuals, especially if an individual does not realize the privacy implications.

Harnessing the Power of WebRTC and Content Sharing

The above factors make WebRTC an appealing option for any company looking to integrate content sharing into their web or mobile applications, all without relying on specific third-party servers or the need for browser plugins, extensions, or installations.

WebTorrent is an example of a powerful streaming torrent client for the web browser and desktop, built with WebRTC for peer-to-peer transport when possible. In fact, it is the first torrent client that works in the browser, thanks in part to WebRTC. It connects users together to create a decentralized network built for file transfer. Since it uses WebRTC, it is naturally available on the browser, and additionally via an Electron app on the desktop and a React Native app on mobile.

Streamroot, and Peer5 are peer-to-peer content delivery networks (CDN) built to offload the traffic from the video content servers to end-users. WebRTC enables them to create a truly seamless and robust P2P content delivery network that can be massively distributed, infinitely scalable, and geographically ubiquitous.

Zyptonite is an example of peer-to-peer, mesh-based messaging platform that uses proprietary signaling similar to P2PSIP for establishing connectivity between untrusted nodes. It is built with WebRTC to provide secure, encrypted communication, including content sharing, across platforms and devices over insecure networks.

The Future of WebRTC and Content Sharing

WebRTC offers a completely new way to approach content sharing. Rather than relying on methods that introduce security, scalability, and accessibility concerns into the equation, WebRTC offers a robust, scalable and encrypted method of sharing data where the possibilities for innovation are virtually endless.

Other WebRTC Use Cases

This post is the fifth in a series dedicated to WebRTC use cases. In this series, we explore several use cases of WebRTC. To read the first post in the series, please check it out here.

WebRTC and IoT

The second post in this series is dedicated to WebRTC and the internet of things. The internet of things device industry has expanded significantly in the past several years, and only has more room to grow. Using WebRTC with IoT devices is a natural fit, and can have a positive impact on communication between these devices. To read the second post in this series, please check it out here.

WebRTC and P2P Video Calls

The third post in this series is dedicated to WebRTC and P2P Video Calls. 66% of CXOs consider mobile video and real-time information sharing to be critical aspects of their daily communication. In this post, we explore how WebRTC is changing the video call landscape and making real-time video calls more accessible. To read the third post in this series, please check it out here.

WebRTC and P2P Messaging

The fourth post in this series is dedicated to WebRTC and P2P Messaging. P2P messaging is huge right now, popularized through apps like WhatsApp and Slack. What does WebRTC bring to the table, and where is it all headed? In this post, we discuss how WebRTC has improved P2P messaging, and what it holds for the future. To read more about how WebRTC is driving successful P2P messaging, check out this post.