DistantNews
Support us
🇻🇪 Venezuela /Technology

New European Social Network 'W' Launches in Beta to Challenge X

From El Nacional · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • A new European social network called 'W' has launched in beta, aiming to compete with X (formerly Twitter).
  • W is built on the AT-Protocol, the same decentralized standard used by Bluesky.
  • The platform emphasizes technological sovereignty, with European infrastructure and data hosting, and requires user verification to combat disinformation.

A new European social network, 'W', has officially begun its beta testing phase, positioning itself as a challenger to X (formerly Twitter) and emphasizing technological sovereignty for the European Union.

Founded by a Swedish firm, W operates entirely within Europe, utilizing European infrastructure and data centers. Its operations are governed by European law, and only European citizens can be shareholders. CEO Anna Zeiter highlighted this European focus during the project's presentation in Brussels, following an earlier preview at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

The platform utilizes the AT-Protocol, an open, decentralized standard also employed by Bluesky, a project co-founded by Twitter's former CEO Jack Dorsey. W's business model is transparent, relying on advertising regulated under the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA) and data protection regulations (GDPR), alongside optional user micropayments.

We are based in Europe, we have the infrastructures and data centers in Europe, we operate under European law and only Europeans can be shareholders.

— Anna Zeiterexplaining the European foundation of the W social network

A key differentiator for W is its aggressive stance against disinformation and automated accounts. The network requires users to verify their identity through an independent application, ensuring they are real humans without compromising personal data. While anonymous reading is permitted, interaction requires verification. The algorithm will also prioritize posts from users who choose to use their real names.

The initiative has garnered significant political backing, with prominent EU figures like Ursula von der Leyen, Christine Lagarde, and António Costa launching official profiles on its first day. Costa stated, "Today I join W, where data is hosted entirely in Europe, the fight against disinformation is a priority, and users are real people." This launch aligns with Brussels' regulatory push to promote local cloud services and chip production, aiming to reduce the continent's technological dependence on U.S. and Chinese corporations.

Today I join W, where the data is hosted entirely in Europe, the fight against disinformation is a priority and the users are real people.

— António Costaannouncing his presence on the new platform
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by El Nacional in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog