The logo of Meta, the operator of the Facebook and Instagram social networks, at the company's headquarters in Menlo Park, California.
Menlo Park (USA) – The operator of social networks Facebook and Instagram is considering launching its own version of Twitter, which is in trouble under new boss Elon Musk. Meta told the media that internal discussions are about a “decentralized” platform “for sharing text messages.” It was not clear when the company could introduce the new service.
Advertisement'; }
CNN summarized the statement in its headline by saying that Meta is considering a new network whose description “sounds a lot like Twitter”. The platform, which was taken over by billionaire Musk in the fall, has struggled to retain advertisers and is making large layoffs, which media say is weakening its ability to enforce rules against objectionable content, including child pornography, among other things. At the same time, several competing players are trying to benefit from the chaos in Twitter.
“We are in the business of a self-contained, decentralized text messaging social network. We believe there is an opportunity for a separate space where creators and personalities can exchange timely messages about their interests,” Meta said.
< p>
The aforementioned discussions have apparently been going on within the technology company for a long time. The New York Times reported in December that Meta employees were brainstorming “virtual brainstorming ideas” in November about “how to build the next Twitter.” However, the Web Platformer said on Friday, citing its sources, that the project is still in a very early stage of development.
If Meta really launched a decentralized platform, it would mean a fundamental difference compared to Facebook or Instagram. It would be a model closer to networks like Reddit, Discord or Mastodon, where users can create their own communities or “servers” with their own rules. Mastodon has seen a surge in user numbers in recent months following Twitter leadership changes.
The news of Meta's plans comes at a time when Facebook is losing popularity among young users, Reuters notes. “Instagram is also facing tough competition, with content creators and popular influencers leaving the platform for Tiktok,” he adds.
