Reclaiming Social Media from Billionaire Control: The Free Our Feeds Initiative
The ever-evolving landscape of social media, heavily influenced by figures like Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg, is witnessing a new wave of resistance. A coalition of international tech entrepreneurs and advocates has launched a campaign dubbed “Free Our Feeds” to shield social media from the grasp of powerful billionaires. This initiative is centered around protecting the underlying technology of Bluesky, known as the AT Protocol, with a vision to create an unrestricted social media ecosystem free from the dominance of any single entity, including Bluesky itself.
The Vision for an Open Social Media Ecosystem
Free Our Feeds envisions establishing a public-interest foundation that would fund the development of interoperable social networks operating on the AT Protocol. This endeavor aims to ensure that even if Bluesky falls under billionaire control, independent infrastructure will support these new platforms. The campaign’s launch coincides with Meta’s announcement of relaxed content moderation rules and the discontinuation of its fact-checking program. Despite being publicly traded, Meta remains firmly under Mark Zuckerberg’s control due to his ownership of super-voting shares, making it challenging for activist shareholders to effect changes.
“If you think of our road network, if all the roads were owned by one or two billionaires, and they could tax anything, decide who’s allowed to go where, etc., then we would be in trouble,” explains Robin Berjon, an independent technologist and one of Free Our Feeds’ nine custodians. “Digital infrastructure works in exactly the same way. It has the exact same dynamic, the exact same concentration of power.”
— Robin Berjon
Support from Prominent Figures and the Path Forward
The Free Our Feeds movement boasts support from notable personalities such as actor Mark Ruffalo, director Alex Winter, writer Cory Doctorow, Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales, and Mozilla Foundation president Mark Surman. Berjon sheds light on the initiative’s inception as a result of discussions exploring ways to reform social media and digital infrastructure.
Despite sharing similar values with Bluesky, Free Our Feeds recognizes the susceptibility of Bluesky to venture capital pressures. Hence, they advocate for alternative options backed by independent infrastructure should Bluesky fall under billionaire ownership. The team has engaged with Bluesky and notes that the decentralized network aligns with their mission to safeguard the AT Protocol against monopolistic control.
Funding and Future Prospects
Free Our Feeds aims to raise $30 million over three years, with an immediate target of $4 million to establish a small team and build independent infrastructure. “The goal of operating infrastructure is to make sure that the AT protocol that underlies Bluesky can remain open,” says Berjon. By offering countervailing power against Bluesky’s monopoly, they intend to ensure a diverse presence in this digital space.
- Develop new interoperable social networks.
- Create independent infrastructure compatible with Bluesky.
- Fund other innovative applications using AT Protocol.
Currently utilized primarily for building BlueSky, the AT Protocol holds potential for diverse social applications. “Using the same infrastructure, you could build an Instagram analog, a Facebook analog, a TikTok analog, or even innovations yet to be conceptualized,” Berjon elaborates.
The Road Ahead for Free Our Feeds
Free Our Feeds plans to have its independent foundation operational by year-end. If fundraising falls short, Berjon assures contributors that funds will be returned. With a mission grounded in maintaining digital infrastructure as a public good governed in public interest, Free Our Feeds seeks to transform how we engage with social media in today’s digital landscape.
