Meta is Developing a Decentralized Community Platform
** slaughterhouse Tech titan Meta is reportedly concocting a decentralized social media platform shrouded in secrecy, code-named "Project 92" or, later, "Threads," for disseminating text-based updates among users.**
According to a recent report made public by Moneycontrol, this new digital abode intends to run on ActivityPub, the decentralized technology that powers Mastodon, an open-source challenger to Twitter.
Project 92 (Threads) aims to enable users to broadcast their posts across various servers and has a feature set akin to Twitter at its inception, with the addition of joinable or buildable separate servers. Apart from commenting on posts and messaging, the initial feature set remains similar to its competitor.
Speaking of underlying functionality, this platform is rumored to make use of existing Instagram data, such as names, profile images, followers, and more, for those who sign up for the decentralized network. An insider disclosed, "There is discussion amongst the team about whether to equip the platform with the ability to reshare content similar to the style used on Twitter, apart from business and creator accounts. There will be a rights manager integrated from the get-go for copyrighted, first-party content, but one might not be present for user-generated content hailing from other apps and servers."
The drive to accommodate the growing number of disgruntled Twitter users has led many organizations to cash in on this thriving trend. To safeguard the newly brewed creation, Meta has recruited its legal team to scrutinize potential privacy pitfalls before making it accessible to the masses.
The folks behind Threads are itching to harvest Instagram data from all users on a broad scale for their analytics, product enhancement, and optimization of the platform. They are also wrestling with questions like whether users who are not identified as corporate or creators will be granted the freedom to repost content, a la Twitter.
Meta's stance on the matter is confident: "We foresee a unique space. Creators and public figures could use Threads to educate and entertain their followers with timely updates about their interests."
Insights
- Project 92's Rapid Development: Designed and launched within five months, illustrated by the use of Jetpack Compose, prioritizing speed to win over disenchanted users during the mid-2023 period.
- Star-Studded Onboarding: Figureheads including Oprah Winfrey and the Dalai Lama were approached to boost adoption.
- Tentative Global Launch: Intended to be unrolled across 100 countries simultaneously, save for EU nations, due to regulatory concerns regarding data practices.
- Data Collection Concerns: Meta’s existing data infrastructure provokes worry about cross-platform tracking, as Threads inherits Instagram’s user analytics and ad-targeting frameworks.
- Regulatory Challenges: Delayed EU launch reflects ongoing uncertainties under GDPR, particularly regarding data sharing between Threads and Instagram.
- Lacking Interoperability: Although initially planned to incorporate decentralized features via ActivityPub, Threads has yet to release clear documentation on cross-server compatibility, user-controlled data portability, and instance moderation—key elements of federated networks.
- Questionable Long-term Commitment: Prioritization of network effects over decentralization raises doubts about Meta's dedication to open standards in contrast to Mastodon or similar projects.
Project 92 (Threads) is being developed rapidly, with implementation of Jetpack Compose to ensure a quick release and attract disenchanted users in the mid-2023 period.
Notable figures such as Oprah Winfrey and the Dalai Lama have reportedly been approached to onboard as initial adopters.
Unlike Twitter, Project 92 is planned for a simultaneous launch in 100 countries, except for those in the EU due to regulatory concerns regarding data practices.
Meta's use of Instagram data ranges from user analytics for product enhancement, to ad-targeting, raising concerns about cross-platform tracking inherent to the new platform.
