Meta is a danger to the fediverse and we have to be prepared
#modern-stuff #fediverse
Back in March 2023, we heard about Meta’s plans to join the fediverse for the first time after they confirmed that they are working on a Twitter-like alternative using the ActivityPub protocol. Codename: Project 92.
Great! Now we can connect with even more people using our familiar apps! But there’s a catch.
In the last couple of days, new rumors appeared.
According to various sources, some fediverse admins had secret meetings with Meta under NDAs.
Talking about an open network like the fediverse with a huge company behind locked doors is an incredibly bad idea. I think the fact that they don’t want to publically discuss what Meta’s plans for the fediverse are proves that they most certainly won’t care about openness or federation.
Sure, they will connect to the existing network. But what if their platform gains enough traction so that a substantial amount of users switch over to their instance? At this point, they only have to lock down their network again. Or maybe they propose changes to ActivityPub that implement a recommendation algorithm. Or an ad platform.
Meta doesn’t care about the users. They care about their company and increasing value for their sharesholders. Always remember that the users are nothing but a source of revenue for them.
If we want the fediverse to survive as it is right now, we have to step in right at the beginning. We shouldn’t federate with them. We should once and for all prove that social media platforms run by big corporations are nothing but a failed experiment and a relic from the past.
Be vigilant.
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