Meta’s new Threads app has the potential to upend the way we perceive social networks. The integration of Meta’s decentralized protocol, ActivityPub, into Threads could be a game-changer for the technology. Currently, the app hints at this integration through the “threads.net” URL on each user’s profile, which leads to a message indicating that users will soon be able to follow and interact with people on other fediverse platforms, such as Mastodon. This development could expose more people to the power and potential of decentralized social networks.
Decentralized platforms, like Mastodon, offer a more open web compared to mainstream social media platforms. They are open-source and not controlled by a single entity, allowing users to interact with each other’s content, regardless of its origin. Just as email exchanges messages seamlessly between different servers, decentralized social media enables the exchange of social media content, images, likes, and replies. Currently, this experience is limited to niche platforms within the fediverse, but larger, more mainstream platforms are starting to experiment with ActivityPub.
For example, Tumblr has plans to implement ActivityPub, while blogging platform Medium offers membership to its premium subscribers through its Mastodon instance. Even Mozilla has invested in its own Mastodon instance as a long-term investment in the future of social media. The BBC and Flipboard have also announced initiatives involving Mastodon. These efforts highlight the growing interest in decentralized social media and its potential to create a more connected and open online environment.
The idea of the fediverse and protocol-based, decentralized social media is not new. The ActivityPub protocol was established in 2018, but it wasn’t until Elon Musk expressed interest in taking over Twitter that decentralized social media gained widespread attention. Following Musk’s bid, new users flocked to Mastodon, and the service now has over 2 million active users. Similarly, Bluesky, a decentralized platform that operates independently from Twitter, has garnered hundreds of thousands of users in its closed beta. While Bluesky is developing its own federated protocol, its goals align with ActivityPub’s principles.
Although the user base of the federated social web is still relatively small compared to mainstream platforms, smaller and mid-sized companies are investing in the protocols and platforms to enhance their own communities. They believe that embracing the concept of interoperability would provide better experiences for their users and access to a larger reader pool.
For Meta, which already operates dominant social networks, the integration of ActivityPub into Threads could have different motivations. While Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has emphasized “interoperability”, the company hasn’t historically been friendly towards potential competitors. Nevertheless, Meta has expressed enthusiasm about the fediverse’s potential and hopes that Threads will usher in a diverse and interconnected network of compatible apps.
However, Meta’s integration of ActivityPub comes with technical challenges and moderation concerns. Ensuring interoperability while maintaining content policies and keeping out harmful or inappropriate content poses significant hurdles. Meta will need to navigate these challenges to make Threads compatible with the fediverse without compromising its own rules and norms. Additionally, Meta’s stricter content policies may have led some fediverse supporters to be wary of the company’s involvement.
Despite the challenges, the integration of ActivityPub into Threads signals a step forward for the decentralized social media movement. It provides an opportunity for users locked into exploitative platforms to switch to more user-centric providers. This puts pressure on large platforms to improve their services and offers a clear victory for the decentralized social media cause.
In the end, Meta’s Threads app could be a catalyst for broader adoption and understanding of decentralized social networks. By introducing more users to the power and potential of the fediverse, Meta has the potential to reshape the social media landscape and create a more open and connected online community.
