Launched by a global coalition of tech entrepreneurs and advocates, Free Our Feeds is a pioneering effort toward protecting social media from billionaire domination—and Bluesky will be the first to benefit from it.
The campaign has the endorsement of prominent individuals such as actor Mark Ruffalo, Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales, and Mozilla Foundation president Mark Surman as it strives for the long-term independence of Bluesky’s AT Protocol and to promote an open, interoperable social media ecosystem.
The Vision Behind Free Our Feeds
Free Our Feeds Initiative to Establish Bluesky’s Public-Interest Foundation, Away
Free Our Feeds/GoFundMe
The heart of this initiative is a commitment to decentralizing control over digital platforms. The campaign will establish a public-interest foundation to fund the creation of new social networks powered by the AT Protocol. This strategy aims to protect users’ interests even if Bluesky were to fall under the influence of billionaires or venture capital pressures.
Robin Berjon, one of the initiative’s custodians, said that digital infrastructure should be treated as a public good. He explained how social media was like public roads, where if control was concentrated in the hands of a few, it would cause immense harm to society.
“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,” Berjon told TechCrunch.
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Why the Campaign is Important Now
Unveiled on the cusp of this watershed moment in social media, Free Our Feeds is also timely in a way that transcends the political landscape.
Just recently, Meta relaxed its policies on content moderation and fact-checking, and Elon Musk’s platform, X (formerly Twitter), has come under fire for supporting divisive political causes. These actions call for the creation of decentralized, billionaire-proof alternatives.
Bluesky has gained more adherents dissatisfied with X and shares the ideals of Free Our Feeds, but it understands that it would be subject to external influence; therefore, creating independent infrastructure could ensure that the AT Protocol is still open.
Creating a Decentralized Future
Free Our Feeds aims to raise $30 million over three years with a first target of $4 million, which will go towards funding the hiring of a dedicated team and the building of independent infrastructure compatible with Bluesky.
Free Our Feeds has created alternative networks and applications that utilize the AT Protocol to ensure no single entity takes control of the ecosystem. It will have its independent foundation functional by the end of the year.
Addressing the power concentration in the digital space is what Free Our Feeds sets out to create a fairer, more balanced online environment.
For more reports about social media, you can check your latest comparison article about X vs Thread vs Bluesky. In this guide, we will show you how they differ from one another and what microblogging platform should you use this year.
It’s important to try each one of them so you can immediately what’s fit and what’s not fit according to your needs. From here, you can also check their various features and if they are aligned with your tasks or interests.
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