Facebook’s Meta Confirms Development Of Decentralized Social App
Meta, the company formerly known as Facebook, has confirmed that it is developing a decentralized, text-based social networking app, codenamed P92. The app is still in development, and no official release date has been given.
Meta, the parent company of Facebook, said it is exploring a standalone decentralized social network for sharing text updates, code-named P92, overseen by Instagram head Adam Mosser, which may be similar to a Twitter alternative or a Mastodon competitor. It is currently uncertain… https://t.co/a0Q73SAygV
— Wu Blockchain (@WuBlockchain) March 10, 2023
Separate Space for Timely Updates
Meta has stated that it sees an opportunity for a separate space where creators and public figures can share timely updates about their interests. The app is part of Meta’s attempt to build a Twitter alternative or a Mastodon competitor.
According to documents seen by MoneyControl, the app will let users log-in through their Instagram credentials. This may be a concern for some users who may not want to share their Instagram data with another Meta app. The project will be overseen by Instagram head Adam Mosseri, and Meta is already involving its legal department to address privacy concerns before the app is public.
Interoperability with Mastodon
Meta plans to support the ActivityPub protocol, which will make it easier to connect with other instances like Mastodon. Decentralization is not limited to this protocol, and Jack Dorsey-backed Bluesky recently launched its iOS app in beta.
Former Twitter engineer Blaine Cook believes that interoperability between ActivityPub and Bluesky won’t be difficult, and the only thing preventing interoperability between Twitter and Facebook’s timeline has been protectionist policies by those companies.
Meta’s Checkered Past
It’s important to remember that Meta has tried to create new apps and experiences that haven’t always taken off. In the past few years, it has killed experiments like the anonymous teen app tbh, Cameo-like app Super, Nextdoor clone Neighborhoods, couples app Tuned, student-focused social network Campus, video speed dating service Sparked, and TikTok clone Lasso.
Meta’s development of a decentralized, text-based app is still in progress, and there is no release date yet. The app is part of Meta’s attempt to build a Twitter alternative or a Mastodon competitor, and it plans to support the ActivityPub protocol. Meta is involving its legal department to address privacy concerns before the app is public. However, Meta’s history of experimenting with new apps and experiences that haven’t taken off means that it won’t be surprising if the new decentralized experience shuts down in a couple of years after the launch.
