After the launch of Threads in Europe on December 14, 2023, Mark Zuckerberg plans to integrate his new social network into Fédivers. But what exactly is behind this name? Explanations.
If, like millions of curious people, you have decided to try Threads, Meta’s new social network, you have probably read this message displayed when opening the app: “We plan to integrate Threads into Fédivers, a social network composed of different servers operated by third parties”. At first glance, one might think that the Fediverse is a social network unknown to the battalion. This is not the case.
As perfectly summarized by La Quadrature du Net in an article on the subject, behind this name lies the contraction of Federation and Universe. More precisely, the Fediverse presents itself as “a set of social media made up of a multitude of platforms and software, where some communicate with each other using a common protocol”. To illustrate, we can say that The Fediverse is like the social network of social networks.
Also read: Threads arrives in France, how to create an account on the replacement for X (Twitter)
The Fédivers, for an interoperable web
In fact, the Fediverse therefore allows users of a platform, X (Twitter) for example, to communicate with other users present on another social network such as Instagram for example. Contrary to what one might think, the Fediverse is not new. In fact, this system has existed since 2008 and it has enabled many services to become interoperable. It is thanks to Fedivers that ardent defenders of Gmail can send emails to recipients on Outlook or Yahoo.
Despite its 15 years of existence, Fédivers is still struggling to attract support from the most popular platforms and services, some are still too attached to their functioning in isolation. However, this interoperability enabled by the Fédivers is a principle defended body and soul by associations which campaign for a fairer Web, such as Quadrature du Net.
“We believe that this is an alternative response to the problem of regulating online content. Faced with racist, anti-Semitic, xenophobic content, etc. put forward by certain large platforms, allowing their users to leave without cutting themselves off from their friends allows more virtuous alternatives to emerge, with a different economic model. ensures organization.
Meta is not welcome in the Fediverse
However, the idea of seeing Meta arrive in the Fediverse is far from enthusing its main players. In particular, they fear that the American giant implements a hackneyed strategybut effective: that of Adopt, Expand and Exterminate (Embrace, Extend and Exterminate). To put it simply, this tactic consists of adopting a particular protocol (in this case the Fedivers ActivityPub), extending it and modifying it with specific characteristics (which benefit the company) before returning the original protocol obsolete to dominate the sector and get rid of the competition.
“The arrival of Facebook on the Fediverse resembles the strategy of taking the lead, of acting while there is no supervision yet, in order to cannibalize the Fediverse by taking advantage of the circumstance of the collapse of Twitter. , estimates the Quadrature of the Net. Critics of the Meta integration have already chosen to join forces with the Fedipact. Via this agreement, the signatories undertake to block Meta’s services on their own platform.
Source: Le Figaro