Meta has confirmed that it is investigating the launch of a new decentralized text-based social network that could rival billionaire Elon Musk's Twitter.
According to Platformer, the project, called P92, is being developed as a standalone app, but users log in with their Instagram credentials.
The move is meant to help Meta attract some Twitter users looking for an alternative after Musk took over and changed some of the platform's rules.
"We are exploring a stand-alone decentralized social network for exchanging text updates," a Meta spokesperson told the outlet. "We believe in creating a central space where content creators and public figures can share their interests at the right time," he added.
Meta's efforts are seen as expanding its offering beyond Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram into a space once dominated by Elon Musk's Twitter. The platform (Platformer) said that the leader (Adam Mosseri) from (Instagram) leads the project.
Backed by Twitter co-founder and former CEO Jack Dorsey, decentralized social networks like Mastodon or Bluesky rely on independent servers that use a standardized protocol to avoid centralized content control and potential censorship.
It's unclear how long Meta has been working on its new product or if it's already in development. But Moneycontrol, which first reported the story, quoted a person familiar with the matter as saying the idea was a "work in progress."
In addition, Meta plans to integrate the product with existing social networks like Twitter and Mastodon, based in part on a protocol called ActivityPub, according to the site.