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Meta explores a new decentralized text-based social network that could rival Elon Musk’s Twitter.
The Tech Platformer newsletter reports that 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 an alternative after Musk took over and changed some of the site’s rules.
“We are exploring independent decentralized social networks to share text updates,” a Meta spokesperson told CNBC on Friday. “We believe there is an opportunity for a separate space where creators and public figures can share timely updates about their interests.”
Meta’s efforts will expand its offering beyond Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram, and into the space already dominated by Elon Musk’s Twitter. The project is led by Instagram head Adam Mosseri, Platformer said.
Decentralized social networks, like Mastodon or Bluesky backed by Jack Dorsey, rely on individual servers that use a uniform 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 the works.”
Meta is also exploring integration with existing social networks like Twitter or Mastodon, partly relying on a protocol called ActivityPub, Moneycontrol reported.
