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In support of alternative social media projects

Now that a tech-controlled oligarchy is firmly in place, can social media ever be useful again?

Jason McIntyre
Tuesday, January 21, 2025, 2:15pm
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The events of the past week (the Tik Tok ban and resurrection, the rise of Red Note, the political interference) have shown that social media, in its current form, is too centralized. There is too much power and influence in too few hands, so it’s time for the Internet to do its thing and fix these problems.

Twitter Alternatives

The site formerly known as “Twitter” has become a wasteland since its new owner took control. With content moderation and fact checking disappearing from the site, there is a huge opening for a properly curated, decentralized alternative. At this point, Bluesky seems to be leading the pack. If you are tech inclined, you can even run your own instance.

One thing that Bluesky is currently dealing with: bots. I get followed frequently by accounts that are not real people. 

TikTok Alternatives

Some of the projects build on the AT Protocol that has made BlueSky so popular. Others build on a similar protocol called ActivityPub. There are a couple of new interesting projects taking shape that could potentially fill the void created by a TikTok ban:

  • skylight.social — A recent entry in the lead up to the TikTok ban. They are coming together quickly and are sending beta invitations out now.
  • loops.video — Started by the people who gave us Pixelfed, this one can be sideloaded on your Android today. Also, very early in development.
  • Neptune — The Neptune app is not based on a specific decentralized protocol like the AT Protocol or ActivityPub. Instead, it is designed as a social video platform with features similar to TikTok, including an endless-scroll video feed, customizable algorithms, and monetization options for creators.

Instagram Alternatives

  • Pixelfed — This app is a bit more established. It is based on the ActivityPub protocol. Pixelfed is a decentralized, federated photo-sharing platform that serves as an ethical alternative to traditional social media apps like Instagram.

At this point, I’m really liking the decentralized projects most. Of those, the AT Protocol is my favorite because of its simplicity. Right now, I’m just waiting for some of these apps to mature a bit before jumping all in.

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Jason McIntyre

Jason is an IT specialist and systems engineer who stares frequently at screens of various sizes, often with a puzzled expression on his face. He presses buttons with letters and numbers on them until tiny dots illuminate on a flat screen in front of him and appear in a manner and order that he (or someone who is paying him) finds pleasing.

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