remove dead Architecture B code (topic bloom, filter_table, peer_filters)

readme: document trust circle design

readme: tone down trust circle language to match existing style

remove forum_enabled toggle: subscribing IS trusting, no intermediate state

README.md

@@ -36,12 +36,21 @@ Enable it on TinyWeb's `/style` page under "Forum".
 - Threads are auto-pruned after 30 days (configurable, or set to 0 to keep everything)
 - Moderation is local: block authors, mute threads, keyword filters, and gossip block lists with peers (auto-block after 3 peer reports)
 
+### Trust circle
+
+Content exchange is gated by a trust graph derived from your TinyWeb subscriptions:
+
+- Only peers you subscribe to (with forum enabled) are trusted sources of content
+- Content from trusted peers propagates transitively: you see posts from their trusted peers, and theirs, and so on — no hop limit
+- New identities have no trust path until a trusted peer vouches for them or you subscribe
+- Trust is seeded from TinyWeb's subscription page — each subscribed peer's forum content (and their transitive trust network) enters your view automatically.
+
 ## Moderation
 
 All moderation is local — it controls what you see:
 
-- **Block author** — hides all content from that identity
-- **Auto-block** — when 3+ of your peers have blocked the same identity, it blocks for you too
+- **Block author** — hides all content from that identity and cascades: the blocked peer's downstream trust network (peers they vouched for) is also removed from your view. If a downstream peer has an alternate trust path from another source you trust, they survive the cascade.
+- **Auto-block** — when 3+ of your peers have blocked the same identity, it blocks for you too (with cascade)
 - **Mute thread** — hides a thread from the listing
 - **Keyword filters** — hides threads matching keywords
 - **Instance sync** — choose which peers to sync with; unsync at any time
@@ -71,6 +80,7 @@ All moderation is local — it controls what you see:
 - Retractions are voluntary — peers can ignore them
 - Block gossip can be gamed (requires collusion by 3+ peers on Reticulum)
 - Threads prune after 30 days by default
+- Discovery is through the subscription graph rather than topic-based blooms
 - Best-effort maintenance
 
 ## Security
@@ -79,3 +89,4 @@ All moderation is local — it controls what you see:
 - **Retractions are voluntary** — Retracting a thread or post sends a signal to peers, but any peer can ignore it. "Retract" is a polite request, not a guaranteed delete.
 - **Block gossip can be gamed** — Auto-block triggers after 3 peer reports. On Reticulum this requires 3+ real instances to collude, which is impractical at mesh scale, but is not cryptographically enforced.
 - **No rate limiting** — Forum POST endpoints have no throttling. Low risk since the HTTP port is localhost-only by default.
+- **Trust circle** — Blocking a peer removes their downstream trust network from your view. A peer with multiple independent trust paths may survive a single block.

tinyweb_forum/__init__.py

@@ -1,8 +1,14 @@
+import os
+import sqlite3
+import threading
+import time
+
 from tinyweb_forum.db import ForumDB
 from tinyweb_forum.handlers import ForumHandlers
 from tinyweb_forum.sync import ForumSync
 
 FORUM_ENABLED_KEY = "forum_enabled"
+TRUST_REFRESH_INTERVAL = 120
 
 
 class ForumPlugin:
@@ -16,19 +22,52 @@ class ForumPlugin:
         self.identity = identity
         self.reticulum = reticulum
         self._started = False
+        self._data_dir = data_dir
+        self._core_db_path = os.path.join(data_dir, "index.db")
+        self._trust_refresh_thread = None
 
     def is_enabled(self):
         return self.fdb.get_setting(FORUM_ENABLED_KEY, "0") == "1"
 
+    def _seed_trust_from_subscriptions(self):
+        my_hash = self.identity.hash.hex() if self.identity else "local"
+        if not os.path.exists(self._core_db_path):
+            return
+        try:
+            core = sqlite3.connect(self._core_db_path)
+            rows = core.execute(
+                "SELECT dest_hash FROM subscriptions"
+            ).fetchall()
+            core.close()
+            for row in rows:
+                self.fdb.add_trust_source(row[0], my_hash, 0)
+        except Exception:
+            pass
+
+    def _trust_refresh_loop(self):
+        while self._started:
+            try:
+                self._seed_trust_from_subscriptions()
+            except Exception:
+                pass
+            for _ in range(TRUST_REFRESH_INTERVAL):
+                if not self._started:
+                    return
+                time.sleep(1)
+
     def enable(self):
         self.fdb.set_setting(FORUM_ENABLED_KEY, "1")
         if not self._started:
+            self._seed_trust_from_subscriptions()
             self.sync.start()
             self._started = True
+            self._trust_refresh_thread = threading.Thread(
+                target=self._trust_refresh_loop, daemon=True
+            )
+            self._trust_refresh_thread.start()
 
     def disable(self):
         self.fdb.set_setting(FORUM_ENABLED_KEY, "0")
-        # Keep sync running so we still receive content — disable just hides UI
 
     def handle(self, method, path, query, body, cookies=None):
         return self.handlers.handle(method, path, query, body, cookies)

tinyweb_forum/db.py

@@ -4,8 +4,6 @@ import threading
 import time
 from datetime import datetime, timedelta
 
-from tinyweb_forum.bloom import BloomFilter
-
 FORUM_DB = "forum.db"
 
 
@@ -91,20 +89,24 @@ class ForumDB:
             "  PRIMARY KEY (content_id, content_type)"
             ")"
         )
-        db.execute(
-            "CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS peer_filters ("
-            "  peer_hash TEXT PRIMARY KEY,"
-            "  bloom_bytes BLOB,"
-            "  bloom_size INTEGER DEFAULT 2048,"
-            "  bloom_hashes INTEGER DEFAULT 3,"
-            "  tag_count INTEGER DEFAULT 0,"
-            "  last_seen REAL NOT NULL"
-            ")"
-        )
         try:
             db.execute("ALTER TABLE synced_instances ADD COLUMN consecutive_failures INTEGER DEFAULT 0")
         except Exception:
             pass
+        db.execute(
+            "CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS forum_trust_sources ("
+            "  instance_hash TEXT NOT NULL,"
+            "  source_hash TEXT NOT NULL,"
+            "  hops INTEGER NOT NULL,"
+            "  PRIMARY KEY (instance_hash, source_hash)"
+            ")"
+        )
+        db.execute(
+            "CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS forum_trust ("
+            "  instance_hash TEXT PRIMARY KEY,"
+            "  min_hops INTEGER NOT NULL"
+            ")"
+        )
         db.commit()
         db.close()
 
@@ -611,70 +613,107 @@ class ForumDB:
 
     # --- Filter Table (Architecture B: Bloom Gossip) ---
 
-    def store_peer_filter(self, peer_hash, bloom_bytes, bloom_size, bloom_hashes, tag_count):
+    # --- Forum Trust ---
+
+    # --- Forum Trust ---
+
+    def add_trust_source(self, instance_hash, source_hash, hops):
         db = self.get_db()
         try:
             db.execute(
-                "INSERT OR REPLACE INTO peer_filters "
-                "(peer_hash, bloom_bytes, bloom_size, bloom_hashes, tag_count, last_seen) "
-                "VALUES (?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?)",
-                (peer_hash, bloom_bytes, bloom_size, bloom_hashes, tag_count, time.time()),
+                "INSERT OR IGNORE INTO forum_trust_sources "
+                "(instance_hash, source_hash, hops) VALUES (?, ?, ?)",
+                (instance_hash, source_hash, hops),
             )
+            existing = db.execute(
+                "SELECT hops FROM forum_trust_sources "
+                "WHERE instance_hash=? AND source_hash=?",
+                (instance_hash, source_hash),
+            ).fetchone()
+            if existing and hops < existing["hops"]:
+                db.execute(
+                    "UPDATE forum_trust_sources SET hops=? "
+                    "WHERE instance_hash=? AND source_hash=?",
+                    (hops, instance_hash, source_hash),
+                )
+            self._recompute_trust_view(db)
             db.commit()
         finally:
             self.return_db(db)
 
-    def get_peer_filter(self, peer_hash):
+    def remove_trust_source(self, source_hash):
+        db = self.get_db()
+        try:
+            rows = db.execute(
+                "WITH RECURSIVE cascade(h) AS ("
+                "  VALUES(?)"
+                "  UNION ALL"
+                "  SELECT fts.instance_hash FROM forum_trust_sources fts"
+                "  INNER JOIN cascade c ON fts.source_hash = c.h"
+                ") SELECT h FROM cascade",
+                (source_hash,),
+            ).fetchall()
+            cascade_hashes = [r["h"] for r in rows]
+            placeholders = ",".join("?" for _ in cascade_hashes)
+            db.execute(
+                f"DELETE FROM forum_trust_sources WHERE source_hash IN ({placeholders})",
+                cascade_hashes,
+            )
+            self._recompute_trust_view(db)
+            db.commit()
+        finally:
+            self.return_db(db)
+
+    def remove_by_hash(self, instance_hash):
+        self.remove_trust_source(instance_hash)
+        db = self.get_db()
+        try:
+            db.execute(
+                "DELETE FROM forum_trust_sources WHERE instance_hash=?",
+                (instance_hash,),
+            )
+            self._recompute_trust_view(db)
+            db.commit()
+        finally:
+            self.return_db(db)
+
+    def is_trusted(self, instance_hash):
         db = self.get_db()
         try:
             row = db.execute(
-                "SELECT * FROM peer_filters WHERE peer_hash = ?", (peer_hash,)
+                "SELECT 1 FROM forum_trust WHERE instance_hash=?", (instance_hash,)
             ).fetchone()
-            if row:
-                return dict(row)
-            return None
+            return row is not None
         finally:
             self.return_db(db)
 
-    def get_all_filters(self):
-        """Return all stored peer filters (for filter table gossip)."""
+    def get_trust_hops(self, instance_hash):
         db = self.get_db()
         try:
-            return [dict(r) for r in db.execute(
-                "SELECT * FROM peer_filters ORDER BY last_seen DESC"
-            ).fetchall()]
+            row = db.execute(
+                "SELECT min_hops FROM forum_trust WHERE instance_hash=?", (instance_hash,)
+            ).fetchone()
+            return row["min_hops"] if row else None
         finally:
             self.return_db(db)
 
-    def get_filtered_peers_by_tag(self, tag):
-        """Return peer hashes whose bloom filter might contain the given tag."""
-        tag = tag.strip().lower()
+    def get_all_trusted_hashes(self):
         db = self.get_db()
         try:
-            matches = []
-            for r in db.execute("SELECT * FROM peer_filters").fetchall():
-                bf = BloomFilter.from_bytes(r["bloom_bytes"], r["bloom_size"], r["bloom_hashes"])
-                if bf.might_contain(tag):
-                    matches.append(r["peer_hash"])
-            return matches
+            return [
+                r["instance_hash"] for r in db.execute(
+                    "SELECT instance_hash FROM forum_trust"
+                ).fetchall()
+            ]
         finally:
             self.return_db(db)
 
-    def prune_peer_filters(self, max_age_days=7):
-        db = self.get_db()
-        try:
-            cutoff = time.time() - max_age_days * 86400
-            db.execute("DELETE FROM peer_filters WHERE last_seen < ?", (cutoff,))
-            db.commit()
-        finally:
-            self.return_db(db)
-
-    def get_peer_filter_count(self):
-        db = self.get_db()
-        try:
-            return db.execute("SELECT count(*) FROM peer_filters").fetchone()[0]
-        finally:
-            self.return_db(db)
+    def _recompute_trust_view(self, db):
+        db.execute("DELETE FROM forum_trust")
+        db.execute(
+            "INSERT INTO forum_trust (instance_hash, min_hops) "
+            "SELECT instance_hash, MIN(hops) FROM forum_trust_sources GROUP BY instance_hash"
+        )
 
     # --- Peer Liveness ---
 

tinyweb_forum/handlers.py

@@ -190,12 +190,10 @@ class ForumHandlers:
         topics = self._get_subscribed_topics()
         topics_str = ", ".join(topics) if topics else "everything"
         peer_count = len(self.fdb.get_synced_instances())
-        filter_count = self.fdb.get_peer_filter_count()
         return (
             f'<div style="font-size:0.85rem;color:#606060">'
             f'subscribed: {esc(topics_str)}'
             f' · {peer_count} peers'
-            f' · {filter_count} filters'
             f'</div>'
         )
 
@@ -721,6 +719,7 @@ class ForumHandlers:
         blocked = self._blocked_instances()
         blocked.add(instance)
         self.fdb.set_setting("blocked_instances", ",".join(blocked))
+        self.fdb.remove_by_hash(instance)
         self._set_flash(f"Blocked {instance[:16]}...")
         return self._redirect("/forum/moderation")
 
@@ -744,6 +743,7 @@ class ForumHandlers:
                 self.fdb.clear_peer_block(instance)
             else:
                 blocked.add(instance)
+                self.fdb.remove_by_hash(instance)
             self.fdb.set_setting("blocked_instances", ",".join(blocked))
             auto = set(h.strip() for h in self.fdb.get_setting("auto_blocked_instances", "").split(",") if h.strip())
             auto.discard(instance)
@@ -839,75 +839,24 @@ class ForumHandlers:
         incoming_threads = data.get("threads", [])
         incoming_posts = data.get("posts", [])
         incoming_upvotes = data.get("upvotes", [])
-        peer_topics = data.get("my_topics", [])
-        peer_tag_cloud = data.get("my_tag_cloud", [])
         peer_bloom_data = data.get("content_bloom")
         peer_tag_bloom_data = data.get("tag_bloom")
-        peer_filter_table = data.get("filter_table", {})
-        scoped_query_tag = data.get("scoped_query", "")
 
         blocked = self._blocked_instances()
         my_topics = self._get_subscribed_topics()
         from_hash = data.get("from_hash", "")
 
-        # Store peer's tag bloom filter (Architecture B discovery)
-        if peer_tag_bloom_data and from_hash:
-            self.fdb.store_peer_filter(
-                peer_hash=from_hash,
-                bloom_bytes=bytes(peer_tag_bloom_data),
-                bloom_size=data.get("tag_bloom_size", 2048),
-                bloom_hashes=data.get("tag_bloom_hashes", 3),
-                tag_count=len(peer_topics),
-            )
-
-        # Merge filter table gossip (transitive peer discovery)
-        if peer_filter_table and from_hash:
-            for ph, entry in peer_filter_table.items():
-                if isinstance(entry, dict):
-                    bb = entry.get("bloom_bytes")
-                    if bb:
-                        self.fdb.store_peer_filter(
-                            peer_hash=ph,
-                            bloom_bytes=bytes(bb) if isinstance(bb, list) else bb,
-                            bloom_size=entry.get("bloom_size", 2048),
-                            bloom_hashes=entry.get("bloom_hashes", 3),
-                            tag_count=entry.get("tag_count", 0),
-                        )
-
-        # Handle scoped query: find peers whose bloom might contain the queried tag
-        scoped_query_results = []
-        if scoped_query_tag and from_hash:
-            scoped_query_results = self.fdb.get_filtered_peers_by_tag(scoped_query_tag)
-
-        # Store peer's topics for future routing (backward compat)
-        if peer_topics and from_hash:
-            self.fdb.set_setting(f"peer_topics_{from_hash}", ",".join(peer_topics))
-        if peer_tag_cloud and from_hash:
-            self.fdb.set_setting(f"peer_tag_cloud_{from_hash}", json.dumps(peer_tag_cloud))
-
-        # Build our tag bloom filter to send back
-        peer_tag_bs = data.get("tag_bloom_size", 2048)
-        peer_tag_bh = data.get("tag_bloom_hashes", 3)
-        my_tag_bloom = BloomFilter.from_tags(my_topics or [], peer_tag_bs, peer_tag_bh)
+        # Merge trust gossip from requester
+        if from_hash:
+            self.sync._merge_trust_gossip(data.get("trust_list", []), from_hash)
 
         # Build our content bloom filter for dedup
         our_existing = set()
+        peer_topics = data.get("my_topics", [])
         for t in self.fdb.get_threads_by_topics(peer_topics) if peer_topics else []:
             our_existing.add(t["id"])
         our_bloom = BloomFilter.from_items(list(our_existing), data.get("bloom_size", 2048) if data else 2048, data.get("bloom_hashes", 3) if data else 3)
 
-        # Build filter table gossip from our stored filters
-        all_filters = self.fdb.get_all_filters()
-        filter_table_gossip = {}
-        for f in all_filters[:20]:
-            if f["peer_hash"] != from_hash:
-                filter_table_gossip[f["peer_hash"]] = {
-                    "bloom_bytes": list(f["bloom_bytes"]),
-                    "bloom_size": f["bloom_size"],
-                    "bloom_hashes": f["bloom_hashes"],
-                    "tag_count": f["tag_count"],
-                }
-
         # Parse peer's content bloom for dedup
         peer_bloom = None
         if peer_bloom_data:
@@ -920,7 +869,10 @@ class ForumHandlers:
         # Merge incoming content, filtered by bloom and topics
         if incoming_threads:
             for t in incoming_threads:
-                if t.get("author_instance", "") in blocked:
+                author = t.get("author_instance", "")
+                if author in blocked:
+                    continue
+                if author and not self.fdb.is_trusted(author):
                     continue
                 if peer_bloom and peer_bloom.might_contain(t["id"]):
                     continue
@@ -932,7 +884,10 @@ class ForumHandlers:
                         self.fdb.merge_thread(t)
         if incoming_posts:
             for p in incoming_posts:
-                if p.get("author_instance", "") in blocked:
+                author = p.get("author_instance", "")
+                if author in blocked:
+                    continue
+                if author and not self.fdb.is_trusted(author):
                     continue
                 if peer_bloom and peer_bloom.might_contain(p["id"]):
                     continue
@@ -963,8 +918,6 @@ class ForumHandlers:
 
         my_blocks = list(blocked)
         my_peer_blocks = self.fdb.get_peer_block_list()
-        my_tag_cloud = self.fdb.get_tag_cloud(50)
-        my_tag_list = [t for t, _ in my_tag_cloud]
 
         threads, posts, upvote_threads = [], [], []
         if since:
@@ -981,12 +934,14 @@ class ForumHandlers:
                 posts = [dict(r) for r in posts_list]
                 upvote_threads = up_list
 
+        # Filter outgoing content by requester's trust list
+        requester_trust = set(data.get("trust_list", []))
+        if requester_trust:
+            threads = [t for t in threads if t.get("author_instance", "") in requester_trust]
+            thread_ids = set(t["id"] for t in threads)
+            posts = [p for p in posts if p.get("thread_id") in thread_ids]
+
         known_peers = [h for h in self.fdb.get_all_known_hashes() if h != from_hash]
-        peer_topics_map = {}
-        for ph in known_peers[:100]:
-            pt = self.fdb.get_setting(f"peer_topics_{ph}", "")
-            if pt:
-                peer_topics_map[ph] = [t.strip() for t in pt.split(",") if t.strip()]
 
         retracted = [{"id": cid, "type": ct, "author": ai, "at": ra}
                      for cid, ct, ai, ra in self.fdb.get_raw_retractions()]
@@ -1001,18 +956,10 @@ class ForumHandlers:
                 "blocks": {"mine": my_blocks, "peers": my_peer_blocks},
                 "retractions": retracted,
                 "known_peers": known_peers,
-                "peer_topics": my_tag_list,
-                "peer_tag_cloud": my_tag_cloud,
                 "content_bloom": list(our_bloom.bytes),
                 "bloom_size": data.get("bloom_size", 2048),
                 "bloom_hashes": data.get("bloom_hashes", 3),
-                "peer_topics_map": peer_topics_map,
-                # Architecture B additions
-                "tag_bloom": list(my_tag_bloom.bytes),
-                "tag_bloom_size": peer_tag_bs,
-                "tag_bloom_hashes": peer_tag_bh,
-                "filter_table": filter_table_gossip,
-                "scoped_query_results": scoped_query_results,
+                "trust_list": self.fdb.get_all_trusted_hashes(),
             }),
             "headers": {},
         }

tinyweb_forum/sync.py

@@ -12,11 +12,7 @@ REQUEST_TIMEOUT = 60
 GOSSIP_FANOUT = 20
 BLOOM_SIZE = 2048
 BLOOM_HASHES = 3
-TAG_BLOOM_SIZE = 2048
-TAG_BLOOM_HASHES = 3
-FILTER_TABLE_GOSSIP = 20
 MAX_PEER_FAILURES = 5
-FILTER_TABLE_TTL_DAYS = 7
 
 
 class _ForumAnnounceHandler:
@@ -50,21 +46,23 @@ class ForumSync:
         raw = self.fdb.get_setting("topic_subscriptions", "")
         return [t.strip().lower() for t in raw.split(",") if t.strip()]
 
-    def _build_tag_bloom(self, topics=None):
-        if topics is None:
-            topics = self._get_subscribed_topics()
-        return BloomFilter.from_tags(topics or [], TAG_BLOOM_SIZE, TAG_BLOOM_HASHES)
-
-    def _topics_overlap(self, my_topics, their_topics):
-        if not my_topics or not their_topics:
-            return True
-        return bool(set(my_topics) & set(their_topics))
-
-    def _topics_overlap_bloom(self, my_topics, peer_bloom):
-        """Check overlap using bloom filter instead of topic list."""
-        if not my_topics or peer_bloom is None:
-            return True
-        return any(peer_bloom.might_contain(t) for t in my_topics)
+    def _merge_trust_gossip(self, trust_list, source_hash):
+        source_hops = self.fdb.get_trust_hops(source_hash)
+        if source_hops is None:
+            return
+        my_hash = self.identity.hash.hex() if self.identity else "local"
+        blocked = set(
+            h.strip()
+            for h in self.fdb.get_setting("blocked_instances", "").split(",")
+            if h.strip()
+        )
+        for peer_hash in trust_list:
+            if peer_hash in blocked or peer_hash == my_hash:
+                continue
+            new_hops = source_hops + 1
+            existing = self.fdb.get_trust_hops(peer_hash)
+            if existing is None or new_hops < existing:
+                self.fdb.add_trust_source(peer_hash, source_hash, new_hops)
 
     def start(self):
         self.destination = RNS.Destination(
@@ -99,43 +97,17 @@ class ForumSync:
         random.shuffle(instances)
         count = 0
         my_topics = self._get_subscribed_topics()
-        my_tag_bloom = self._build_tag_bloom(my_topics)
         for inst in instances[:GOSSIP_FANOUT]:
             if not self._running:
                 break
-            pfilter = self.fdb.get_peer_filter(inst["instance_hash"])
-            if pfilter:
-                pbloom = BloomFilter.from_bytes(pfilter["bloom_bytes"], pfilter["bloom_size"], pfilter["bloom_hashes"])
-                if not self._topics_overlap_bloom(my_topics, pbloom):
-                    continue
-            else:
-                peer_topics = self._peer_tag_topics(inst["instance_hash"])
-                if not self._topics_overlap(my_topics, peer_topics):
-                    continue
             try:
-                self._sync_with(inst["instance_hash"], my_topics, my_tag_bloom)
+                self._sync_with(inst["instance_hash"], my_topics)
                 count += 1
             except Exception as e:
                 self.fdb.record_sync_result(inst["instance_hash"], False)
                 print(f"[forum] sync error with {inst['instance_hash'][:16]}: {e}")
         return count
 
-    def scoped_query(self, tag):
-        """Ask known peers if they know anyone with the given tag."""
-        tag = tag.strip().lower()
-        instances = self.fdb.get_synced_instances()
-        random.shuffle(instances)
-        results = set()
-        for inst in instances[:GOSSIP_FANOUT]:
-            if not self._running:
-                break
-            try:
-                matches = self._scoped_query_peer(inst["instance_hash"], tag)
-                results.update(matches)
-            except Exception:
-                continue
-        return list(results)
-
     def _start_sync_loop(self):
         if self._thread and self._thread.is_alive():
             return
@@ -173,22 +145,12 @@ class ForumSync:
             try:
                 instances = self.fdb.get_synced_instances()
                 my_topics = self._get_subscribed_topics()
-                my_tag_bloom = self._build_tag_bloom(my_topics)
                 random.shuffle(instances)
                 for inst in instances[:GOSSIP_FANOUT]:
                     if not self._running:
                         break
-                    pfilter = self.fdb.get_peer_filter(inst["instance_hash"])
-                    if pfilter:
-                        pbloom = BloomFilter.from_bytes(pfilter["bloom_bytes"], pfilter["bloom_size"], pfilter["bloom_hashes"])
-                        if not self._topics_overlap_bloom(my_topics, pbloom):
-                            continue
-                    else:
-                        peer_topics = self._peer_tag_topics(inst["instance_hash"])
-                        if not self._topics_overlap(my_topics, peer_topics):
-                            continue
                     try:
-                        self._sync_with(inst["instance_hash"], my_topics, my_tag_bloom)
+                        self._sync_with(inst["instance_hash"], my_topics)
                     except Exception as e:
                         self.fdb.record_sync_result(inst["instance_hash"], False)
                         print(f"[forum] sync error with {inst['instance_hash'][:16]}: {e}")
@@ -202,10 +164,6 @@ class ForumSync:
                     self.fdb.prune_old_content(days)
                 except Exception:
                     pass
-                try:
-                    self.fdb.prune_peer_filters(FILTER_TABLE_TTL_DAYS)
-                except Exception:
-                    pass
                 try:
                     for dead in self.fdb.get_dead_peers(MAX_PEER_FAILURES):
                         self.fdb.remove_synced_instance(dead)
@@ -216,84 +174,7 @@ class ForumSync:
                     return
                 time.sleep(1)
 
-    def _peer_tag_topics(self, instance_hash):
-        raw = self.fdb.get_setting(f"peer_topics_{instance_hash}", "")
-        return [t.strip().lower() for t in raw.split(",") if t.strip()] if raw else []
-
-    def _store_peer_filter(self, peer_hash, data):
-        tag_bloom_data = data.get("tag_bloom")
-        if tag_bloom_data:
-            self.fdb.store_peer_filter(
-                peer_hash=peer_hash,
-                bloom_bytes=bytes(tag_bloom_data),
-                bloom_size=data.get("tag_bloom_size", TAG_BLOOM_SIZE),
-                bloom_hashes=data.get("tag_bloom_hashes", TAG_BLOOM_HASHES),
-                tag_count=len(data.get("peer_topics", [])),
-            )
-
-    def _merge_filter_table_gossip(self, filter_table):
-        if not filter_table:
-            return
-        for ph, entry in filter_table.items():
-            if isinstance(entry, dict):
-                bb = entry.get("bloom_bytes")
-                if bb:
-                    self.fdb.store_peer_filter(
-                        peer_hash=ph,
-                        bloom_bytes=bytes(bb) if isinstance(bb, list) else bb,
-                        bloom_size=entry.get("bloom_size", TAG_BLOOM_SIZE),
-                        bloom_hashes=entry.get("bloom_hashes", TAG_BLOOM_HASHES),
-                        tag_count=entry.get("tag_count", 0),
-                    )
-
-    def _scoped_query_peer(self, peer_hash, tag):
-        dest_hash = bytes.fromhex(peer_hash)
-        if not RNS.Transport.has_path(dest_hash):
-            RNS.Transport.request_path(dest_hash)
-            elapsed = 0
-            while not RNS.Transport.has_path(dest_hash) and elapsed < 15:
-                time.sleep(0.5)
-                elapsed += 0.5
-            if not RNS.Transport.has_path(dest_hash):
-                return []
-        server_identity = RNS.Identity.recall(dest_hash)
-        if server_identity is None:
-            return []
-        destination = RNS.Destination(
-            server_identity,
-            RNS.Destination.OUT,
-            RNS.Destination.SINGLE,
-            FORUM_APP,
-        )
-        link = RNS.Link(destination)
-        elapsed = 0
-        while link.status == RNS.Link.PENDING and elapsed < 15:
-            time.sleep(0.25)
-            elapsed += 0.25
-        if link.status != RNS.Link.ACTIVE:
-            return []
-        try:
-            my_hash = self.identity.hash.hex() if self.identity else "local"
-            request_data = {
-                "scoped_query": tag,
-                "from_hash": my_hash,
-            }
-            receipt = link.request("/forum", data=request_data, timeout=REQUEST_TIMEOUT)
-            elapsed = 0
-            done = (RNS.RequestReceipt.READY, RNS.RequestReceipt.DELIVERED, RNS.RequestReceipt.FAILED)
-            while receipt.get_status() not in done and elapsed < REQUEST_TIMEOUT:
-                time.sleep(0.1)
-                elapsed += 0.1
-            if receipt.get_status() in (RNS.RequestReceipt.READY, RNS.RequestReceipt.DELIVERED):
-                resp = receipt.get_response()
-                if isinstance(resp, dict) and resp.get("status") == 200:
-                    data = json.loads(resp["body"])
-                    return data.get("scoped_query_results", [])
-            return []
-        finally:
-            link.teardown()
-
-    def _sync_with(self, instance_hash, my_topics=None, my_tag_bloom=None):
+    def _sync_with(self, instance_hash, my_topics=None):
         success = False
         dest_hash = bytes.fromhex(instance_hash)
         if not RNS.Transport.has_path(dest_hash):
@@ -341,25 +222,8 @@ class ForumSync:
 
             if my_topics is None:
                 my_topics = self._get_subscribed_topics()
-            if my_tag_bloom is None:
-                my_tag_bloom = self._build_tag_bloom(my_topics)
 
-            # Build filter table gossip: share a subset of our known peer filters
-            all_filters = self.fdb.get_all_filters()
-            filter_table_gossip = {}
-            for f in all_filters[:FILTER_TABLE_GOSSIP]:
-                if f["peer_hash"] != instance_hash and f["peer_hash"] != my_hash:
-                    filter_table_gossip[f["peer_hash"]] = {
-                        "bloom_bytes": list(f["bloom_bytes"]),
-                        "bloom_size": f["bloom_size"],
-                        "bloom_hashes": f["bloom_hashes"],
-                        "tag_count": f["tag_count"],
-                    }
-
-            threads, posts = [], []
-            upvotes = []
-            my_tag_cloud = self.fdb.get_tag_cloud(50)
-            my_tag_list = [t for t, _ in my_tag_cloud]
+            threads, posts, upvotes = [], [], []
 
             # Only build content if we have a since timestamp (incremental sync)
             if since:
@@ -389,11 +253,6 @@ class ForumSync:
                          for cid, ct, ai, ra in self.fdb.get_raw_retractions()]
 
             known_peers = [h for h in self.fdb.get_all_known_hashes() if h != instance_hash and h != my_hash]
-            peer_topics_map = {}
-            for ph in known_peers[:100]:
-                pt = self.fdb.get_setting(f"peer_topics_{ph}", "")
-                if pt:
-                    peer_topics_map[ph] = [t.strip() for t in pt.split(",") if t.strip()]
 
             request_data = {
                 "query": {"since": [since]} if since else {},
@@ -405,16 +264,10 @@ class ForumSync:
                 "retractions": retracted,
                 "known_peers": known_peers,
                 "my_topics": my_topics,
-                "my_tag_cloud": my_tag_cloud,
                 "content_bloom": list(content_bloom.bytes),
                 "bloom_size": BLOOM_SIZE,
                 "bloom_hashes": BLOOM_HASHES,
-                "peer_topics_map": peer_topics_map,
-                # Architecture B additions
-                "tag_bloom": list(my_tag_bloom.bytes),
-                "tag_bloom_size": TAG_BLOOM_SIZE,
-                "tag_bloom_hashes": TAG_BLOOM_HASHES,
-                "filter_table": filter_table_gossip,
+                "trust_list": self.fdb.get_all_trusted_hashes(),
             }
 
             receipt = link.request("/forum", data=request_data, timeout=REQUEST_TIMEOUT)
@@ -432,52 +285,10 @@ class ForumSync:
                     except (json.JSONDecodeError, KeyError):
                         data = {}
                     success = True
-
-                    # Store peer's tag bloom filter
-                    self._store_peer_filter(instance_hash, data)
-
-                    # Merge filter table gossip from peer
-                    self._merge_filter_table_gossip(data.get("filter_table", {}))
-
-                    # Store peer topics (backward compat)
-                    peer_topics = data.get("peer_topics", [])
-                    if peer_topics:
-                        self.fdb.set_setting(f"peer_topics_{instance_hash}", ",".join(peer_topics))
-                    peer_tag_cloud = data.get("peer_tag_cloud", [])
-                    if peer_tag_cloud:
-                        self.fdb.set_setting(f"peer_tag_cloud_{instance_hash}", json.dumps(peer_tag_cloud))
-
-                    # Check tag overlap using bloom filter
                     my_blocks = set(h.strip() for h in self.fdb.get_setting("blocked_instances", "").split(",") if h.strip())
 
-                    peer_tag_bloom_data = data.get("tag_bloom")
-                    peer_tag_bloom = None
-                    if peer_tag_bloom_data:
-                        peer_tag_bloom = BloomFilter.from_bytes(
-                            bytes(peer_tag_bloom_data),
-                            data.get("tag_bloom_size", TAG_BLOOM_SIZE),
-                            data.get("tag_bloom_hashes", TAG_BLOOM_HASHES),
-                        )
-
-                    # If no tag overlap, skip content sync but still store the filter
-                    if my_topics and peer_tag_bloom is not None:
-                        if not self._topics_overlap_bloom(my_topics, peer_tag_bloom):
-                            success = True
-                            now = time.strftime("%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%S")
-                            self.fdb.set_last_sync(instance_hash, now)
-                            self.fdb.record_sync_result(instance_hash, True)
-                            return
-
-                    # Fall back to topic list overlap check if no bloom
-                    if peer_tag_bloom is None:
-                        incoming_topics = data.get("peer_topics", [])
-                        if my_topics and incoming_topics:
-                            if not self._topics_overlap(my_topics, incoming_topics):
-                                success = True
-                                now = time.strftime("%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%S")
-                                self.fdb.set_last_sync(instance_hash, now)
-                                self.fdb.record_sync_result(instance_hash, True)
-                                return
+                    # Merge trust gossip from peer
+                    self._merge_trust_gossip(data.get("trust_list", []), instance_hash)
 
                     # Check content bloom for dedup
                     peer_bloom_data = data.get("content_bloom")
@@ -490,20 +301,28 @@ class ForumSync:
                         )
 
                     for t in data.get("threads", []):
-                        if t.get("author_instance", "") not in my_blocks:
-                            if peer_bloom and peer_bloom.might_contain(t["id"]):
-                                continue
-                            if not my_topics:
+                        author = t.get("author_instance", "")
+                        if author in my_blocks:
+                            continue
+                        if author and not self.fdb.is_trusted(author):
+                            continue
+                        if peer_bloom and peer_bloom.might_contain(t["id"]):
+                            continue
+                        if not my_topics:
+                            self.fdb.merge_thread(t)
+                        else:
+                            t_tags = [tag.strip().lower() for tag in t.get("tags", "").split(",") if tag.strip()]
+                            if set(my_topics) & set(t_tags):
                                 self.fdb.merge_thread(t)
-                            else:
-                                t_tags = [tag.strip().lower() for tag in t.get("tags", "").split(",") if tag.strip()]
-                                if set(my_topics) & set(t_tags):
-                                    self.fdb.merge_thread(t)
                     for p in data.get("posts", []):
-                        if p.get("author_instance", "") not in my_blocks:
-                            if peer_bloom and peer_bloom.might_contain(p["id"]):
-                                continue
-                            self.fdb.merge_post(p)
+                        author = p.get("author_instance", "")
+                        if author in my_blocks:
+                            continue
+                        if author and not self.fdb.is_trusted(author):
+                            continue
+                        if peer_bloom and peer_bloom.might_contain(p["id"]):
+                            continue
+                        self.fdb.merge_post(p)
                     for tid in data.get("upvote_threads", []):
                         self.fdb.merge_upvote(tid, instance_hash)
 
@@ -524,13 +343,6 @@ class ForumSync:
                         if peer_hash and peer_hash != my_hash and peer_hash != instance_hash:
                             self.fdb.add_known_peer(peer_hash)
 
-                    my_topics_set = set(my_topics)
-                    for ph, pt in data.get("peer_topics_map", {}).items():
-                        if ph and ph != my_hash and ph != instance_hash:
-                            pt_set = set(t.lower() for t in pt)
-                            if not my_topics or my_topics_set & pt_set:
-                                self.fdb.add_known_peer(ph)
-
                 now = time.strftime("%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%S")
                 self.fdb.set_last_sync(instance_hash, now)
                 self.fdb.record_sync_result(instance_hash, success)
@@ -546,6 +358,7 @@ class ForumSync:
             if h not in blocked and h not in auto_blocked and count >= 3:
                 blocked.add(h)
                 auto_blocked.add(h)
+                self.fdb.remove_by_hash(h)
                 changed = True
         if changed:
             self.fdb.set_setting("blocked_instances", ",".join(blocked))