[wp-trac] [WordPress Trac] #15467: Multisite with separate users table

[WordPress Trac]

#15467: Multisite with separate users table
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 Reporter:  fale                       |       Owner:  (none)
     Type:  feature request            |      Status:  closed
 Priority:  normal                     |   Milestone:
Component:  Networks and Sites         |     Version:  3.0.1
 Severity:  normal                     |  Resolution:  wontfix
 Keywords:  needs-codex needs-testing  |     Focuses:  multisite
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Changes (by johnbillion):

 * status:  reopened => closed
 * resolution:   => wontfix
 * milestone:  Awaiting Review =>


Comment:

 I think privacy and data protection regulation is an argument ''against''
 implementing this feature. If you're managing multiple separate client
 sites on one multisite installation of WordPress, with one database that
 shares some tables (eg. `wp_blogs`) but not others, then you're setting
 yourself up for data protection concerns and maintenance overhead that
 will not be solved by using separate users tables. It may even introduce a
 false sense of security or privacy that is not achieved via separate
 database tables.

 Privacy and data protection regulations that apply to a site where users
 are contained within one table will still apply to a site where users are
 contained within multiple tables in the same database.

 The WordPress and hosting ecosystem is quite different to how it was back
 in 2010 when multisite was merged into WordPress and when this ticket was
 opened, as are privacy and data protection regulations. Storage space is
 cheap and tools such as WP-CLI and services such as ManageWP allow
 multiple sites to be managed with greater ease. Data protection and
 security concerns are strong arguments against using shared architecture
 for sites administered by separate organisations. Allowing a multisite
 network to use separate users tables doesn't address those concerns.

 I'll close this ticket off again. As usual, conversation can continue on
 the closed ticket but I can't see this feature ever being considered.

-- 
Ticket URL: <https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/15467#comment:38>
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