Meta’s entry into the open social web, known as the fediverse, raises questions about its intentions. Is Meta embracing open protocols as the future, or will it exploit the fediverse before shutting it down and redirecting users to its proprietary platforms? Will Meta introduce its advertising empire to the fediverse, disrupting the ad-free environment maintained by platforms like Mastodon?
Insight into Meta’s involvement in the fediverse can be gleaned from a conversation between Meta employees working on Threads and Flipboard CEO Mike McCue. McCue’s podcast featured discussions with Meta leaders about the implications of Meta’s entry into the fediverse and the potential impact on the ecosystem.
Meta’s Director of Product Management Rachel Lambert highlighted Meta’s commitment to open source efforts, suggesting that abandoning the fediverse would be detrimental to the company’s trust-building initiatives within open source communities.
Furthermore, Lambert believes Meta can foster trust in the fediverse by releasing features and achieving milestones, such as enabling Threads users to publish their posts across the wider fediverse, including platforms like Mastodon.
Despite having 3.24 billion users on its social apps, Meta’s focus on the fediverse through Threads indicates a strategic shift towards fostering public conversations and connecting with a broader audience. This move aligns with Meta’s goal of supporting creators on its platform and empowering them to cultivate direct relationships with their audiences.
Image Credits: Meta
By joining the fediverse, creators on Threads have the opportunity to own their audiences in ways not possible on other apps. This move signifies a potential shift towards decentralization and the democratization of content distribution within the social media landscape.
Monetization and Moderation on the Fediverse
Meta’s engagement with the fediverse also opens up possibilities for creators to explore new revenue streams and monetization models. Creators could potentially leverage micropayments or paid subscription services within the fediverse, offering content exclusivity to their supporters.
Furthermore, Meta’s expertise in content moderation could enhance the safety and personalization options for fediverse users, potentially setting a standard for improved moderation tools at the protocol level.
Image Credits: Automattic
Meta’s plan to introduce stackable moderation services aligns with Bluesky’s vision, allowing third parties to offer moderation tools within the fediverse ecosystem. This approach could lead to a more diverse and user-centric moderation landscape across the open social web.
Leveraging its existing technology and policies, Meta aims to enhance user safety and control without imposing its toolkit as the standard for moderation within the fediverse.
Overall, Meta’s foray into the fediverse reflects a broader shift towards empowering creators, improving content moderation, and fostering a more inclusive and secure user experience across decentralized social platforms.
