A social graph is a visual representation of the relationships and connections between individuals or organizations in a social network. It is typically used to represent the structure of a social network and to identify patterns of interactions and relationships within the network.

A social graph typically includes nodes, which represent the individual entities in the network, and edges, which represent the relationships or connections between the entities. The nodes and edges can be labeled with information about the entities and their relationships, such as the type of relationship, the strength of the relationship, or other relevant data.

The social graph can be used for a variety of purposes, such as studying the structure and dynamics of social networks, identifying influential individuals or groups, or predicting the spread of information or ideas within the network. It is a valuable tool for researchers and practitioners in fields such as sociology, anthropology, and computer science.

An important chunk of data that we’re giving up to centralized Web2 social media are our social relations, who we’re connected to and how. Based on these individual connections, social media giants such as Facebook are able to create a social graph, a global mapping of connections, some of which we might not even be able to trace. For example, John’s mother’s sister-in-law’s niece is Jane’s husband’s friend’s wife, or Donald’s uncle’s eldest grandson is dating Daisy’s colleague’s daughter, etc. You get the idea. In the current era of Web2, companies spend lavishly to acquire such data and build their own dispersed social graphs - walled gardens, which are, ironically, deemed the most valuable asset and quintessential to their ad-driven business model.