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New Social Media Platform W Social Courts EU Commission, Moves Code Offline
🇳🇱 Netherlands /Culture & Society

New Social Media Platform W Social Courts EU Commission, Moves Code Offline

From NRC Handelsblad · () Dutch

Translated from Dutch, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • A new social media platform called W Social, founded by Ingmar Rentzhog, has drawn attention for its use of AT Protocol technology, similar to Bluesky.
  • Unlike other alternative social media, W Social has focused on networking with politicians and investors, proposing the use of a new EU age verification app for access.
  • The European Commission has reportedly moved its Bluesky accounts to W Social's server, and the platform's previously open-source code is no longer available on Github, raising concerns in the alternative social media community.

A new social media platform, W Social, has emerged, founded by Swedish entrepreneur Ingmar Rentzhog. While many platforms attempt to replicate the success of giants like Instagram or TikTok, W Social's approach has raised eyebrows due to its unique strategy and technological underpinnings. The platform utilizes the AT Protocol, the same technology behind Bluesky, which is open-source and freely available. However, instead of engaging with the typical open discussions prevalent in alternative social media circles on platforms like Mastodon and Bluesky, Rentzhog has reportedly focused his efforts on building connections with Brussels-based politicians and financiers.

He said a number of things that, for example, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, would find music to her ears.

— Elena RossiniElena Rossini, an Italian filmmaker and publicist, noted Rentzhog's successful networking with influential figures.

One of W Social's proposed features, which has garnered attention from figures like European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, is the potential integration with a new EU age verification app for user access. This move has been met with scrutiny, particularly from Italian filmmaker and publicist Elena Rossini, who has been closely following the platform's development. Rossini reports that the European Commission has transferred its Bluesky accounts to W Social's server, bypassing non-profit alternatives like Eurosky.

The European Commission has moved its Bluesky accounts to W Social's server.

— Elena RossiniRossini reported on the European Commission's actions regarding its social media presence.

Further fueling speculation, the source code for W Social, initially available on Github, has been removed, rendering it no longer open-source. This development is considered significant within the niche community of alternative social media platforms, which typically value transparency and open development. The shift away from open-source principles and the close ties with political entities suggest a different trajectory for W Social compared to its contemporaries.

And the (source) code behind W Social has since been removed from Github. It is no longer open source.

— Elena RossiniRossini highlighted the change in W Social's code availability.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by NRC Handelsblad in Dutch. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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