Meta plans to introduce decentralized Social App.

Meta, previously named Facebook and also owned Instagram, is planning to build a standalone text-based content app that will support ActivityPub. An open decentralized social networking protocol based on Pump.io's ActivityPump protocol also powers Twitter rival Mastodon and other federated apps.

MoneyControl was first to report that Meta has been exploring a text-based network. The app is codenamed P92 and will allow users to log in through their existing Instagram credentials, the outlet reported.

Meta confirmed this development but didn’t give out any specific details about when it plans to release the app. Also, the news in the air is that Adam Mosseri will be leading the project.

🚨 BREAKING 🚨@Meta confirms that it’s building a decentralized, text-based social network

Adam Mosseri (@mosseri) will be leading the project

2023 is really heating up...
— Bankless (@BanklessHQ) March 10, 2023

A Meta spokesperson said, “We’re exploring a standalone decentralized social network for sharing text updates. We believe there’s an opportunity for a separate space where creators and public figures can share timely updates about their interests,”.

The upcoming app will be Instagram branded and will allow users to register/login to the app through their Instagram credentials. According to the documents, the app will let users log-in through their Instagram credentials. This could annoy users who might not want to share that data with another Meta app.

Details about the project are yet not revealed as the product is still in its earliest stages. But legal and regulatory teams have already started to investigate potential privacy concerns around the app so they can be addressed before launch.

The most important aspect to notice about the project is that Meta plans for the network to be decentralized. While the company would not elaborate beyond its statement, in a decentralized network individual users are typically able to set up their own, independent servers and set server-specific rules for how content is moderated.

The diversity of protocol is important, as is the diversity of the applications built on top of the protocols. Interoperability between ActivityPub and Bluesky won’t be difficult. The only thing preventing, for example, interoperability between Twitter and Facebook’s timelines has been protectionist policies by those companies.

When the app will launch, users can transfer all their bio-data from Instagram and share data between accounts. Over time there will be a “fork” where the two apps disconnect from each other. This could allow Meta to launch with a privacy policy and moderation teams already in place. Instagram also operates globally, making it a more attractive alternative to Twitter than competitors like Mastodon.

As of now, Meta has not revealed the plan yet. But everyone is eagerly waiting for this new project.