Bridgy Fed Becomes A Non-Profit Entity Aiming To Create A Decentralized Social Web

The way every technology seems to evolve is by becoming more interconnected, accessible and open source. Naturally, this is the way social media is evolving too!

Keeping with this, Bridgy Fed, a free, non-commercial, open-source service is aiming to connect social networks in a fediverse (a decentralized and open social web ecosystem). Now, it has announced its transition to a non-profit entity and a new application, a move that marks a pivotal moment in the journey toward creating a more inclusive and interconnected digital social landscape.

So, what does this mean for the fediverse and the platforms it connects?

Let’s dive in!
 

What Did Bridgy Fed Announce?

 
Bridgy Fed is a project that wants to serve as a bridge between decentralized social platforms like Bluesky and the rest of the fediverse using networks powered by protocols like ActivityPub and AT Protocol. These social platforms may include Mastodon, Meta’s Threads, Bluesky and others.

This decentralized service would allow users to make their profiles visible across platforms, interact seamlessly across channels and engage with content regardless of the underlying protocol or platform.

Built as a free and open-source project, Bridgy Fed prioritizes transparency and decentralization, embodying the ethos of the open social web. So, how does it plan to do this with its new app?
 

What Is Bridgy Fed’s ‘A New Social’?

Bridgy Fed announced it will now be incubated under ‘A New Social’, a newly formed non-profit organization, co-founded by Ryan Barrett, the creator of Bridgy Fed and engineering leader Anuj Ahooja.

This new entity aims to foster collaboration among developers, researchers, social media startups and existing industry leaders to build the necessary infrastructure for an open social web.

With a focus on user-centric design and open protocols, the organization’s mission page says,  “The social web should be centered around people, not platforms and artificial walls should not deny them the relationships they’ve built online.”

Barrett acknowledged the difficulty in defining a clear business model for Bridgy Fed as a commercial entity. Yet, by adopting a non-profit structure, Bridgy Fed can prioritize user advocacy and the development of open social infrastructure over profits.

This vision with ‘ A New Social’ aligns with Bridgy Fed’s goal of creating a more structured and collaborative approach to open social web development.
 

What’s Next For ‘A New Social’?

The organization’s first project will be enhancing the capabilities of Bridgy Fed and fostering cross-platform connections, with ‘A New Social’ actively recruiting a board of directors to guide its efforts.

The non-profit also plans to work closely with major players in the open social web space, including:
 

• Bluesky

• Mastodon

• Meta (via Threads and ActivityPub integration)

• Flipboard

• and many more

Apart from these major names, A New Social will work with another nonprofit, the Social Web Foundation (SWF) that was co-founded by Evan Prodromou, the co-author of the ActivityPub protocol, with a focus on expanding the fediverse. It also plans to work with the Independent Federated Trust & Safety (IFTAS), a nonprofit that volunteers social web content moderators, community managers, administrators, etc., to help A New Social as it grows.

Moreover, A New Social will aim to secure funds through crowdfunding, grants and industry partnerships, enabling sustainable development of its newly announced initiatives.
 

Conclusion

Bridgy Fed exemplifies the possibility of developing a truly interconnected social ecosystem, allowing users to follow, post and engage across traditionally siloed platforms. By uniting developers, brands and social platforms, ‘A New Social’ aims to accelerate innovation and create tools for cross-protocol community building.

Anuj Ahooja, a co-founder and engineering lead at Bridgy Fed, says, “Platforms are making big promises about decentralization and interoperability. Our role is to amplify user voices and ensure those promises are met.”

While the concept of an open social web faces funding challenges and struggles to maintain user trust in decentralized projects, ‘A New Social’s’ focus on interoperability and advocacy positions it uniquely to address these challenges.

Will ‘A New Social’ succeed in creating a truly open and user-centric social web?

Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!