March 13, 2023
P92, a new text-based content app that supports ActivityPub, the decentralized social networking protocol that powers Mastodon and other decentralized apps that compete with Twitter, is set to be released by Meta. The app will be released under the Instagram brand, and users will be able to log in using their existing Instagram credentials.
Meta confirmed this development in a statement but didn’t give out details about when it plans to release the app. “We’re exploring a standalone decentralized social network for sharing text updates. We believe there’s an opportunity for a separate space where creators and public figures can share timely updates about their interests,” a Meta spokesperson said.
In the initial product version, the P92 team intends to take a “fork” approach, with users’ profiles populated with their Instagram account details such as name, username, bio, profile photo, and followers. The app will follow the company’s current privacy policy, but it will also have a supplementary privacy policy and terms of service that specifically address cross-app data sharing, according to the product brief.
Other features planned for the initial versions of the app include tappable links in posts with previews (similar to Twitter), user bio, username, verification badges, images, and videos. It would also allow followers and likes, but it is unclear whether commenting and messaging features would be available in the first version of the product. However, these will be added in the future.
According to the product brief, the app will be made available under Meta’s existing corporate privacy policy, with an additional privacy policy and terms of service particular to the app that will call out the cross-app data sharing.
The sources for this piece include an article in TheRegister.
