Meta Sees Fediverse as the Future of Social Media: A New Direction

Meta’s Puzzling Move into the Fediverse: Embracing Open Protocols or Preparing for Domination?

The tech giant Meta, known for its proprietary social media platforms like Facebook, has recently made a surprising move by venturing into the open social web, also known as the fediverse. This decision has left many wondering about the company’s true intentions and the potential impact on the decentralized social media landscape.

Possible Scenarios

Some speculate that Meta may see open protocols as the future of social media, while others fear that the company might employ the notorious “embrace, extend, and extinguish” strategy. This approach involves initially embracing an open platform, only to later shut it down and shift users back to proprietary services, potentially decimating startups in the process. Another concern is whether Meta will introduce its advertising empire to the currently ad-free fediverse.

Insights from Meta Employees

In a recent podcast hosted by Flipboard CEO Mike McCue, two Meta employees working on the company’s fediverse-compatible app, Threads, shed some light on the situation. Rachel Lambert, Director of Product Management, and Peter Cottle, a software engineer, addressed concerns about Meta’s involvement in the fediverse.

Lambert emphasized that abandoning the fediverse would come at a high cost for Meta, as it would damage the company’s trust-building efforts with other open-source communities. She highlighted Meta’s ongoing open-source projects, such as the release of large language models like Llama, as evidence of the company’s commitment.

Pulling the rug on its fediverse work would come at a very high cost for the company, since it would be detrimental to Meta’s work trying to build trust with other open source communities.

The Purpose of Threads

When questioned about Meta’s motivation for engaging with the fediverse, given its already massive user base across its social apps, Lambert explained that Threads serves as a platform for real-time public conversations. Connecting to the fediverse, she suggested, would help users find a broader audience beyond Threads’ user base.

However, it’s worth noting that Threads has already become a dominant app in the fediverse, boasting 150 million monthly active users. In comparison, the wider fediverse has an estimated 7.5 million users, according to FediDB.

The Future of the Fediverse

As Meta continues to develop Threads and integrate with the fediverse, the future of decentralized social media remains uncertain. Will Meta’s involvement lead to the growth and mainstream adoption of open protocols, or will it ultimately undermine the principles of decentralization and user control?

Only time will tell how Meta’s move into the fediverse will shape the landscape of social media. As users and developers alike watch closely, the tech giant’s actions will undoubtedly have far-reaching consequences for the future of online communication and interaction.

Meta’s Threads Joins the Fediverse: Exploring the Implications

In a surprising move, Meta’s popular app Threads has announced its intention to join the fediverse, a decentralized network of social media platforms. While Threads boasts an impressive user base of over 100 million sign-ups, this decision raises questions about Meta’s true motives, as the fediverse’s largest app, Mastodon, has seen its monthly active users dip below 1 million since Threads’ launch.

Empowering Creators in the Open Social Web

According to Meta employees, joining the fediverse presents an opportunity for creators on Threads to “own their audiences in ways that they aren’t able to own on other apps today.” This move could potentially allow creators to leave Meta’s walled garden while still maintaining their follower base on Threads.

“You could imagine an extension to the protocol eventually — of saying like, ‘I want to support micropayments,’ or…like, ‘hey, feel free to show me ads, if that supports you.’ Kind of like a way for you to self-label or self-opt-in. That would be great.”

Cottle, a Meta employee, suggests that the fediverse could evolve to support creator monetization through micropayments or opt-in advertising. This model could resemble platforms like Patreon, where creators offer exclusive content to paying subscribers. Evan Prodromou, a fediverse advocate and co-editor of ActivityPub, has already experimented with this concept by creating a paid Mastodon account (@[email protected]) accessible for a monthly fee of $5.

Bringing Moderation Expertise to the Fediverse

Another potential area where Meta could contribute to the fediverse is through its moderation expertise. Currently, fediverse users have limited options for filtering content and behavior, such as blocking users or entire servers. Meta employees suggest that developing more granular moderation tools at the protocol level could enhance user safety and personalization.

While Meta wouldn’t expect the entire fediverse to adopt its moderation toolkit, making these tools available as an option could be a compelling path forward. This approach aligns with Bluesky’s concept of stackable moderation services, where third parties offer moderation solutions that users can opt into.

The Future of Threads in the Fediverse

As Threads prepares to join the fediverse, it remains to be seen how Meta will navigate this decentralized landscape. Will the company find ways to monetize its presence in the fediverse, or will it focus on empowering creators and enhancing moderation tools? Only time will tell, but one thing is certain: Meta’s entry into the fediverse is bound to shake things up in the world of social media.

The Future of Social Media Moderation: Bluesky’s Potential Impact

As Bluesky, the decentralized social network protocol backed by Twitter, continues to gain traction, it has the potential to revolutionize the way moderation services are offered across the social media landscape. With its open-source nature, Bluesky enables a wide range of possibilities for individuals, communities, and even commercial entities to develop and provide moderation solutions.

Independent Moderation Projects

One exciting aspect of Bluesky is the opportunity for individuals and communities to create their own moderation services. These independent projects can be tailored to specific needs and preferences, allowing for a more diverse and customized approach to content moderation. Whether it’s a group of volunteers dedicated to maintaining a safe and inclusive environment or a specialized team focusing on a particular niche, Bluesky’s open architecture facilitates the development of unique moderation solutions.

Paid Subscription Moderation Services

In addition to independent projects, Bluesky also opens the door for the emergence of paid subscription-based moderation services. Companies or organizations with expertise in content moderation can offer their services to users or communities within the Bluesky ecosystem. This model not only provides a new revenue stream for these entities but also ensures that users have access to high-quality moderation options that align with their values and requirements.

Meta’s Potential Role

Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, may also see an opportunity in this evolving landscape. With its extensive experience and established moderation capabilities, Meta could potentially offer its services as a subscription product across the wider open social web. By leveraging its expertise and resources, Meta could play a significant role in shaping the future of moderation within the decentralized social media ecosystem.

Enhanced User Experience

Bluesky’s federated architecture also presents an opportunity to improve the user experience when it comes to following conversations across multiple servers. As Christine Lambert, a key figure in the development of Bluesky, explained:

“I think that in combination with the tools that allow you to personalize that experience will….help people feel more safe and in control.”

By providing users with the ability to easily track and engage with discussions spanning different servers, Bluesky aims to create a more seamless and user-friendly environment. This, coupled with the personalization tools mentioned by Lambert, empowers users to curate their social media experience according to their preferences, ultimately fostering a greater sense of safety and control.

As Bluesky continues to evolve and gain adoption, it has the potential to reshape the social media landscape, particularly in terms of moderation services. With the rise of independent projects, paid subscription offerings, and the possible involvement of established players like Meta, the future of social media moderation looks promising. By prioritizing user safety, control, and personalization, Bluesky is poised to usher in a new era of decentralized social networking.