Meta, formerly known as Facebook, is reportedly working on a new app that will support the decentralized social networking protocol ActivityPub. The new text-based content app, codenamed P92, will be branded by Instagram and allow users to log in with their existing Instagram credentials, according to a TechCrunch report. The P92 team plans to follow the “fork” approach in the initial release of the product, with user profiles populated with their Instagram account details such as name, username, bio, profile photo, and followers.

The move comes as tech companies and startups look to take advantage of the growing trend of Twitter users seeking alternative platforms. In recent months, several rival platforms such as Mastodon, Post.news, and T2 have launched or gained ground in their efforts to attract these users. The new Meta app is expected to compete with these platforms and provide an alternative for users looking for a decentralized social networking experience.

The current plan for the minimum viable product (MVP) is to allow users to broadcast posts to people on other servers. However, it has not yet been decided whether users can follow and view other people’s content on other servers. The initial version of the app will include tapable links on post previews, user bios, usernames, verification badges, shareable images and videos. It will also have features like followers and likes, but it’s unclear if commenting and messaging features will be included in the first version of the product.

The development team is also discussing the possibility of allowing content to be shared like Twitter, but only for business and creator accounts. The MVP will integrate a rights manager for its own content from the beginning, but not for third-party content from other applications and servers. The app will adhere to the company’s current privacy policy, but will also have a supplemental privacy policy and terms of service that specifically address data sharing between apps.

Meta’s move to support ActivityPub is a significant development in the decentralized social media space. ActivityPub is an open standard that allows users to share content across different platforms, creating a more decentralized and interoperable social media experience. Mastodon, a decentralized social networking platform, is one of the most popular platforms using ActivityPub.

The new Meta app is expected to provide users with a decentralized social networking experience while leveraging Instagram’s existing user base. The app will allow users to broadcast their posts to people on other servers, creating a more interconnected and interoperable social media experience. The initial version of the app will include basic features like followers and likes, but it remains to be seen if more advanced features like comments and messages will be included in future versions.

Overall, Meta’s move to support ActivityPub is a significant development in the decentralized social media space. The new app, codenamed P92, will provide users with a decentralized social networking experience while leveraging Instagram’s existing user base. With the increasing trend of users looking for alternative platforms, the new app is expected to compete with other decentralized social media platforms and provide users with an alternative social media experience.