Threads, ActivityPub, and Open Protocols

Meta's Twitter challenger, Threads, has shattered records as the most swiftly adopted app in history.

This meteoric rise owes much to its seamless integration with the widely popular Instagram, also under Meta's ownership, enabling users to seamlessly transfer their profiles and followings from the photo-sharing giant.

The Threads launch, however, signifies more than just a triumphant debut; it offers a glimpse into the future of social media. This future revolves around the adoption of open software protocols, a shared infrastructure accessible to a variety of applications, fostering a multi-application ecosystem.

Threads and ActivityPub

Threads, while not presently an open ecosystem, aspires to embrace ActivityPub, an open social media protocol.

ActivityPub, which powers Mastodon, a decentralized social media platform, would allow users to port their followings and social media personas across numerous apps. Simultaneously, forward-thinking entrepreneurs are designing social media products as open protocols from the outset, encouraging third-party developers to innovate on top of them.

The transition to protocol-based social media carries substantial implications for both users and companies. Users could soon enjoy a unified social media identity across different applications, liberating them from the confines of individual platforms when they wish to switch. For companies, the protocol model could ignite third-party developer ecosystems, sparking innovation in social media content and network architecture.

The Predicament of Walled Gardens in Social Media

Current social media giants, like Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn, are essentially "walled gardens." These self-contained ecosystems lock users' data within their platforms and tightly control access. While users can export their content, there's no simple mechanism to migrate it elsewhere, creating a disincentive to switch. This cements the dominance of these platforms and hinders competition.

Content creators and developers who rely on these platforms face additional challenges. They can invest years building an audience or a business, only to see it disappear due to platform decisions. Moreover, platforms can alter API pricing or revoke access, leaving developers at their mercy.

Open Protocols: Bridging the Divide

Open protocols promise solutions to these problems. By making data interoperable across platforms, they enable cross-platform content consumption and reputation building. Developers can experiment with new feed algorithms and content delivery methods. Protocols are the inner workings of platforms, and they become accessible to the public, often through blockchains, allowing users to connect a single social account to multiple platforms.

A unified digital identity becomes portable, offering content creators and consumers flexibility. Users could syndicate content to various platforms while sharing statistics like views and likes. This shift aligns with the broader Web3 movement, giving users control over their digital assets and fostering interoperability.

The Impact of Open Protocols

Open protocols change the dynamic between users and platforms. If a platform falters or a better one emerges, users can easily transfer data and audiences to a competitor. This fosters competition and quality improvements. However, widespread adoption requires addressing user education challenges, as mainstream users are more familiar with traditional platform-based models.

Threads, though not fully open, offers a glimpse of the potential of protocol-based social media. If it delivers on its promise to enable user data export, it could be a catalyst for decentralized social media adoption. The most successful applications will leverage protocol interoperability, allowing creators to experiment with content formats across various clients. With multiple clients feeding into one protocol, users can rapidly build unified identities across the ecosystem.

A Future of Portable Digital Identities

A future powered by open protocols promises portable digital identities and a thriving landscape of competing applications. Users will choose the best apps freely, unburdened by switching costs, raising the bar for innovation. This vision holds the potential for a more open and transparent social media landscape where users can truly connect and engage across various platforms. As we spend more of our lives online, this transition could redefine the way we experience the digital world.