The author is a cyber security expert at ADEO Cyber Security, based in the Turkish capital Ankara

ISTANBUL

For a long time, the term "social media" instantly brought to mind popular platforms like X, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. These digital spaces, where billions of people produce, consume, and interact with content, are in reality highly centralized systems. In other words, the companies behind these platforms hold the power to decide what users see, which content gets prioritized, and, at times, what ends up censored.

In recent years, a new concept has emerged, challenging this dominance and established order: decentralized social media. The term has gained even greater prominence with the announcement of Türkiye's homegrown platform, Next Sosyal.  

What does decentralization mean?

Decentralized social media refers to platforms built on distributed networks, free from the absolute control of any single company or central authority. These platforms typically run on open protocols, such as ActivityPub, which allow greater transparency and flexibility. Notable examples include Mastodon and Bluesky, the latter founded by Twitter’s former CEO, Jack Dorsey.

On these networks, content isn't stored in a single central hub. Instead, control is distributed across servers located anywhere in the world. This gives server administrators and communities full authority over their own data. Decentralized platforms stand out as a compelling alternative in the social media ecosystem, differing from traditional platforms through greater user control over data, stronger content freedom, and transparent algorithms. Unlike traditional social media platforms, services like Mastodon are built to function without a central authority, operating on a protocol known as ActivityPub. This framework lets users share content free from centralized control while giving third-party developers the flexibility to build their own applications and algorithms.

Next Sosyal, built on the Mastodon framework, is open source, meaning its software can be accessed and improved by external developers. Open source ensures that the platform's code is fully visible, copyable, and modifiable by anyone. This approach not only strengthens security but also gives users the ability to examine how the platform operates in detail. In this way, Mastodon provides a structure that avoids storing user data on centralized servers, instead granting individual servers and their communities greater control over their own information. The Mastodon framework also lets users customize their content feeds through filters set by each community or server, rather than imposing rigid, fixed algorithms. This approach promotes transparency and personalization in how content is displayed. Next Sosyal is built and operates on this very principle.  

Key features of decentralized platforms

Centralized social media platforms developed by companies like X, Meta, and ByteDance maintain full control over user data, typically using it for targeted advertising or algorithm-driven content manipulation. In contrast, decentralized platforms keep data on the servers where it originates. For instance, X can freely manipulate all user data stored on a single central server. Meanwhile, networks built on Mastodon can consist of thousands of servers, with each server owner solely responsible for storing and protecting their users' data. Content moderation and similar functions are managed locally by individual administrators. And because these platforms don't rely on ad targeting, they require only minimal personal information from users.

Decentralized platforms are inherently designed to resist censorship and filtering policies. In contrast, companies such as X and Meta often censor content arbitrarily, sometimes to comply with government demands and other times based on internal decisions, filtering out words or phrases they consider "objectionable." They achieve this easily by tweaking their algorithms. On decentralized platforms, however, such practices aren't possible. Open-source code ensures complete transparency around how algorithms function.  

What sets Next Sosyal apart from X and similar platforms

Next Sosyal, powered by the Mastodon framework, currently runs on a single server. Through this setup, users can engage in topic-based discussions, similar to X, or share personal content within the network. While it may appear similar to X at first glance, its underlying infrastructure and algorithmic approach set it apart in significant ways. Here’s a breakdown of those differences:

• On X, content policies are set by the company and can change arbitrarily at any time. In contrast, platforms built on Mastodon’s infrastructure, like Next Sosyal, allow each server to establish its own community rules.
• Platforms like X often suppress certain content algorithmically or hide it through measures such as "shadow banning" (limiting the visibility of specific posts). For instance, Meta's shadow bans on Turkish users in the past led to widespread content censorship and account closures. With Next Sosyal, such practices are impossible because there is no centralized authority or hidden algorithmic system in place.
• On platforms like X and Meta, content is often removed at the request of certain governments, such as the US or Israel, due to corporate structures and behind-the-scenes agreements, something we’ve witnessed repeatedly. In contrast, platforms like Next Sosyal make such practices structurally impossible.
• Moreover, foreign-owned platforms such as X frequently fail to take adequate measures against cybercrime or digital offenses targeting users in Türkiye and sometimes even complicate legal proceedings. Since Next Sosyal operates entirely within Türkiye, these legal challenges simply do not arise.
• Another key difference is user authenticity. While platforms like X grapple with fake accounts, bots, and anonymity issues, Next Sosyal eliminates these problems altogether. Every user is verified, creating a safer environment that prevents cybercriminals or bad actors from engaging in harassment or abusive behavior.

In short, social media platforms built on Mastodon-like infrastructures provide users with far greater freedom of expression and a more secure online experience. Unlike X and other similar platforms, networks such as Next Sosyal are not subject to the legal challenges and obstacles that often arise elsewhere.  

Can decentralized social media challenge the hegemonic X?

When talking about Next Sosyal, we must also question how long the current system – in which global giants like X, Meta, and ByteDance attempt to control what we discuss and how we share – can endure. Over the past six years, decentralized social networks have emerged as a promising alternative. But can they really dismantle the entrenched order these corporations have built?

It’s too soon to give a definitive answer, but success for platforms like Next Sosyal, BlueSky, Mastodon, and even Truth Social will depend on their ability to generate significant momentum and attract large global user bases. As long as centralized giants like X and Meta persist in limiting freedom of thought and expression through algorithmic control, decentralized social media is likely to gain even more traction in the years ahead.

In the near future, many governments are expected to take stronger, more decisive steps toward developing their own domestic social media platforms. This issue isn't just about user safety or freedom of expression, it also raises serious national security concerns when data is transmitted abroad. Recent moves by countries like France, South Korea, Russia, China, and Iran to restrict or block foreign-owned apps and platforms underscore the magnitude and urgency of this challenge.

*Opinions expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect Anadolu's editorial policy.