Eurosky gives European social media users full control over their data
Life
A new initiative from the Netherlands wants to break the dominance of Big Tech social media platforms. European users are being offered their own alternative. The new platform, Eurosky, was launched on Thursday and promises users full control over their data. That data is also stored securely on European servers and complies with EU regulations.
The new platform comes amid rising tensions between American tech giants and Brussels. Social media companies such as Meta are under fire because their design is said to be addictive. X, Elon Musk’s platform, also received the highest fine ever imposed by the European Commission in December. The company is said to have seriously breached transparency rules.
Eurosky is not a social media platform itself, but offers users a single digital identity. This identity provides access to the AT protocol, the basis for platforms such as Bluesky and other applications. The creators believe that Big Tech has stripped social media of its social aspect, and Eurosky wants to restore this.
Users’ posts, profiles and connections are stored on a personal data server (PDS). As the ecosystem grows, more apps will become available, with the ultimate goal of competing with giants such as Meta, X, Alphabet and ByteDance.
Eurosky is currently still partially dependent on Bluesky’s infrastructure for content moderation. However, they have already outlined plans for full independence. This includes the development of a shared content moderation system that European app developers can use.
Eurosky started offering PDS access in February to pre-registered users. The organisation consists of entrepreneurs, technologists and civil society groups, including Robin Berjon, former data strategist at The New York Times.
Business AM