Jan 14, 2025 15:31:00

'Free Our Feeds' campaign launched to protect social media from billionaires

Following

the acquisition by Elon Musk , X (formerly Twitter) has transformed into something completely different. A campaign called ' Free Our Feeds ' has been launched to protect social media from this situation.

Free Our Feeds
https://freeourfeeds.com/

'Free Our Feeds' campaign aims to billionaire-proof Bluesky's tech | TechCrunch
https://techcrunch.com/2025/01/13/free-our-feeds-campaign-aims-to-billionaire-proof-blueskys-tech/

Social media was expected to be a global public space that stimulates creativity, but at the time of writing, it is under the control of a few billionaires and is used to promote the billionaires' political objectives and business. Free Our Feeds was launched to protect social media from this situation. Free Our Feeds explains that the reason for starting the campaign is that ' Mark Zuckerberg has acted exactly the same as Elon Musk , and we feel that we can no longer let billionaires dominate the digital public square.'

Free Our Feeds explained that they feel Bluesky has succeeded in establishing a foothold as an entirely new type of social media, noting that it will be the foundation for creating a society in which all users have more say, choice and control. However, to make Bluesky's underlying technology, the AT Protocol , more powerful than a single app, it needs independent funding and governance. In addition, it needs to build an entire ecosystem of interconnected apps and companies that put the interests of users first. The campaign to make this happen is Free Our Feeds.

Free Our Feeds explains that the purpose of the campaign is 'not just to empower one new social media platform, but to provide a path towards an open, healthy social media ecosystem that is not controlled by any corporations or billionaires.'

Free Our Feeds is soliciting donations on the crowdfunding site GoFundMe , and at the time of writing, it has succeeded in raising over $22,000 (approximately 3.5 million yen) from 342 people, but the current situation is that it is still far from the target amount of $4 million (approximately 630 million yen). Anyone can donate from the following page, and there is no minimum donation amount, so users are free to donate any amount they like.

Fundraiser by Free Our Feeds : #FreeOurFeeds - help secure the future of social media
https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-us-free-social-media-from-billionaires

Donations to Free Our Feeds will be used for the following purposes:

- Establishment of a public interest foundation to help make Bluesky’s underlying technology (AT Protocol) completely resistant to takeover by billionaires.
- Building an independently hosted infrastructure (a second ' relay ') to ensure that Bluesky's users, developers, and researchers will always have full access to content and data streams, no matter what the company decides in the future.
A larger fundraising goal of $30 million over three years will further the development of AT Protocol, establish a developer fund, build rich social applications on an open protocol, and make social media a healthier and more fun place.