Firefox Extension Promises Private P2P

AllPeers released a beta Thursday of what it called the most ambitious Firefox extension to date, a peer-to-peer application that would allow friends and family to share files and content between one another in a private setting.

Unlike the major P2P networks, AllPeers allows the sharing of files securely and privately.

The application has been released on Firefox's extensions Web site, and is compatible with Windows, Mac OS and Linux. The AllPeers backend uses BitTorrent in combination with what is calls a "darknet," where the computer user will remain anonymous while transferring files.

Its decentralized nature, however, will likely give the RIAA and MPAA fits, as the two groups have spent much of the last several years focusing on shutting down P2P networks. Without a centralized server on which to target, it could be near impossible to track what is being traded via AllPeers unless the groups infiltrate the small networks of individuals.

AllPeers project head and CEO Cedric Maloux stressed that the application was for private transfer only. "AllPeers is for sharing privately with friends and family; not for massively distributing files amongst strangers," he said.

The beta version still has several features missing that would make it into the final release of the software, including chat, comments, tagging, and support for external torrents. Maloux said bugs may be found across the service, which the developers would work out before the official launch.

"I am using AllPeers everyday and have stopped attaching files to email (this is soooo 2005)," Maloux wrote in a blog post describing the product. "I also love our ability to drag and share any picture off the web but my favorite feature has to be the ability to send a webpage to my friends just by drag and drop."

Those interested in the product can learn more by taking a product tour on the AllPeers Web site.