Meta is joining the rush to introduce an alternative to Twitter, as tech companies scramble to poach the blue bird’s users.
Facebook and Instagram’s parent company Meta is keeping quiet about its upcoming social media platform to rival Twitter, but screenshots allegedly showing off the plans have leaked.
Meta confirmed in March that it is “exploring a standalone decentralised social network for sharing text updates”, and the latest leak confirms the platform will be heavily linked with Instagram, labelling it “Instagram’s new text-based app for conversations”.
Mock-ups for the text-based app, reportedly codenamed ‘P92’, show that it will likely share Instagram’s blue-to-yellow colour scheme along with its overall layout, and will allow users to quickly transfer their followed and blocked account lists to the new platform.
Social media consultant Matt Navarra claimed users will also be able to keep use their Instagram handle on the new platform, two-factor verification will roll over between the apps, and users’ Instagram followers will receive a notification to follow them on the new platform once an account is created, making it easier to quickly build a following.
Tweet from @liahaberman
Decentralised platform
Although P92 may have striking similarities to Instagram, its decentralised model would make for a significantly different user experience; a decentralised platform means control is actively shared across servers and users, rather than a single corporate entity such as Meta.
This could mean fewer widespread outages, such as the one that hit Instagram users globally on Monday, but it also means no single authority is in charge of moderating content or banning problematic users.
Unlike Instagram, Twitter-like text-based posts will be prioritised, and will have a 500-character limit – higher than the 280-character limit on regular tweets, but far lower than the 10,000-character limit for Twitter Blue subscribers.
Meta will also ensure P92 would be compatible with Mastodon – a decentralised social media platform that saw its user numbers dramatically rise after Elon Musk’s Twitter takeover saw thousands abandon it.
Mr Navarra said Meta is approaching high-profile influencers and celebrities, with a focus on actors, producers, writers, directors, showrunners, athletes and comedians, to give them early access to P92 for a trial before it’s released to the public.
The app appears to be in the testing stage and details are scant, but Lia Haberman, University of California adjunct instructor in social media and marketing, said it’s possible P92 could be released in June.
