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Meta is exploring a new decentralized text-based social network that could compete with Elon Musk’s Twitter.
Platformer’s technical bulletin said the project, codenamed P92, will be built as a standalone app, but users will log in using their Instagram credentials. The move could help Meta attract some Twitter users looking for alternatives after Musk took over and changed some of the site’s rules.
“We are exploring an autonomous, decentralized social network for sharing text updates,” a Meta spokesperson told CNBC on Friday. “We believe there is an opportunity to create a separate space where creators and public figures can share timely information about their interests.”
Meta’s efforts would expand its offerings beyond Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram and into a space dominated by Elon Musk’s Twitter. The project is led by Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri, Platformer reports.
Decentralized social networks like Mastodon or Bluesky backed by Jack Dorsey rely on individual servers that use a single protocol, avoiding centralized content control and possible censorship.
It’s unclear how long Meta has been working on the P92 product or whether the company has moved into the development process. Moneycontrol, which first broke the story, cited a person familiar with the matter who said the idea was still “in development.”
Meta is also exploring integration with existing social networks such as Twitter or Mastodon, relying in part on a protocol called ActivityPub, according to Moneycontrol.
