Zuck Vs. Elon: Facebook May Build a Platform to Compete with Twitter

Mark Zuckerberg and his team at Facebook (now known as Meta) are reportedly considering developing a text-based, decentralized social media network that could compete with Elon Musk’s Twitter. The move is a surprise for Zuckerberg given how obsessed with the metaverse concept he has become.

CNBC reports that Facebook (now known as Meta) is considering developing a text-based, decentralized social network to compete with Twitter. The project, which has been code-named P92, would be a standalone app that allowed users to log in using their Instagram credentials, according to tech newsletter Platformer. The move might be aimed at leftists who are outraged at Musk after he changed the Twitter platform.

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

Adam Mosseri, the CEO of Instagram, is in charge of the project, which would broaden Facebook’s product offerings beyond its main platform, WhatsApp, and Instagram and into a market dominated by Twitter. Decentralized social networks avoid centralized content control and potential censorship by relying on individual servers that follow a standard protocol. This system is currently used in platforms such as Mastodon or the Jack Dorsey-backed Bluesky.

It is unknown how long Facebook has been developing the product or if the business has started the development phase. The story was first broken by Moneycontrol, which cited a source familiar with the matter who said the idea was still a “work-in-progress.” According to Moneycontrol, Facebook is reportedly looking into ways to integrate with already-existing social networks like Twitter or Mastodon, in part by utilizing a protocol called ActivityPub.

The entry of Facebook into the decentralized social network space is a significant development because it may jeopardize Twitter’s dominance in the short-form text-based social media market. The success of Zuckerberg’s P92 project is still up in the air, though, as the company will be up against opposition from other decentralized social networks like Mastodon and Bluesky.

The move might also be viewed as a way for Facebook to diversify its product offerings and lessen its reliance on its main platform, which has come under increasing scrutiny and criticism for issues like data privacy and “misinformation.” Zuckerberg may hope to draw in new users and create new revenue streams by developing a decentralized social network.

Read more at CNBC here.

Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship. Follow him on Twitter @LucasNolan