Abstract
The exponential growth of data on the internet has made it increasingly challenging to prove and control the ownership of intellectual property. This challenge is compounded by the use of Artificial Intelligence, which often generates content by amalgamating ideas from various sources, leading to issues such as those highlighted during the 2023 writers’ strike. This project aims to address the critical need for data privacy and ownership control by developing a secure file sharing service for encrypted files. This newly developed web application allows users to share their intellectual property securely and selectively. The Secure File Sharing web application ensures data privacy through end-to-end encryption, preventing unauthorized access even from the cloud servers hosting the files. By leveraging technologies such as Python, SQLite, and Google Firebase, the web application facilitates encrypted storage and transfer of files. The encryption and decryption processes occur on the client-side, ensuring that the keys and actual content are never exposed to the web application or cloud storage.
Users can upload, search, and request files using metadata added during the upload process. While metadata remains visible, the files themselves are securely encrypted. This approach not only safeguards the files from unauthorized access but also retains user control over file sharing. The use of a client-side SQLite database for key management and the integration of WebSocket for real-time communication further enhance the application's security and efficiency.
This project provides a practical solution to the current gap in secure digital content sharing. It ensures that users retain ownership and control over their data, thereby protecting intellectual property in an increasingly digital and AI-driven world.