Public Service Social Media as a Democratic Safeguard

The Launch of the European Social Association

Social media’s impact on society and citizens clearly shows the need for change. European social media companies and civil society are joining forces to move away from large monopolistic platforms to establish a diverse and resilient infrastructure for information and social connection in Europe, keeping more jobs and revenue generated with social media circulating in Europe. For the first time, the organisations and people building Europe’s open social technologies have aligned behind one declaration, backed by 12 Founding Signatories, 100+ organisations and 600+ individuals. On 4 November the coalition becomes an organisation: the European Social Association, a charitable association based in Germany, and led by civil society. At the launch event, we will lay out European Social´s path towards common projects on moderation, bridging and other infrastructure elements, policy approaches, advocacy and fundraising based on common values and principles that shape the Open Social Web. Curious and interested to support? Please join in. **Schedule** 10.00 **Check-In and Get-Together** 10.30 **The launch of the European Social Association** with founding members Michael Foster (Newsmast Foundation), Sophie Bloemen (Commons Network), Jantien Borsboom (PublicSpaces), Björn Staschen (Save Social – Networks For Democracy), Felix Hlatky (Mastodon), Sebastian Vogelsang(Eurosky), Cathleen Berger (Co-Initiator Open Social Web Alliance) 11.00 **The platforms: The state of the Open Social Web** Panel discussion with Felix Hlatky (Mastodon), Sebastian Vogelsang (Eurosky) Moderation: Björn Staschen (Save Social) 11.30 **Civil Society: The need for an Open Social Web** Panel discussion with Sophie Bloemen (Commons Network), Jantien Borsboom (PublicSpaces), Cathleen Berger (Co-Initiator Open Social Web Alliance) Moderation: Michael Foster (Newsmast Foundation) 12.00 - 12.30 Coffee, Tea & Soft Drinks **Location:** Room "Mosaik" at Wikimedia Deutschland (thanks for hosting us!) **→ Please let us know if you can attend, places are limited:** https://savesocial.eu/eulaunch

Scaling sustainable social networks in the public interest | Heinrich Böll Stiftung | Brussels office - European Union

This policy paper identifies five key challenges for scaling a public-interest social web: infrastructure, governance, funding, attractiveness, and public mandate. It outlines a roadmap for overcoming these challenges and building the Open Social Web Alliance into a relevant force within months — starting in Germany.

🇪🇺🌐 The future of social media may be decided in Europe

A survey of European AT Protocol projects, including 4 mini case-studies

Democratic digital infrastructure for civil society · Theta

How civil society and Danish foundations can support digital democracy

European Commission (@EUCommission@ec.social-network.europa.eu)

Attached: 1 image A strong Europe needs independent digital spaces. We believe true digital sovereignty thrives on a competitive, contestable, open ecosystem where diverse platforms co-exist. Today, we’re expanding our presence to W, the new social media. By being on W, we want to boost alternatives and support all efforts toward a decentralised web. And we continue to invest into our presence on the Fediverse!

W-Social: What does sovereignty mean for social media? – Open Future

The European Commission’s move to W-Social frames it as a European alternative to X, but its closed-source code and reliance on Bluesky’s infrastructure show that sovereign social media requires open infrastructure—not European ownership alone.

The Eurosky Identity Platform is now a Digital Public Good - Eurosky

Eurosky is a European initiative to build and operate sovereign social web infrastructure

W Social, public institutions and the theater of European digital sovereignty | Hacker News

And weirdly, there was never a peep about this in the press - while the W Social launch was on national news and a bunch of high-profile EU politicians immediately joined. What's going on here?

Eurosky dawns – Open Future

The Eurosky initiative is building European social media infrastructure on the ATProtocol, representing a new step in Europe's digital sovereignty agenda as policymakers seek alternatives to Big Tech platforms that serve public interest rather than commercial imperatives.

Eurosky – The social internet, rebuilt in Europe

Eurosky is a European initiative to build and operate sovereign social web infrastructure

Europe's W Social Bet Tests its Vision of Digital Sovereignty

The European Commission has joined W Social, a closed-source platform. Megan Kirkwood asks what that reveals about Europe's digital sovereignty agenda.

Fractured reality

The report examines the evolving impact of digital technologies on European democracy. In an era of a global struggle to control the information space, this report offers critical insights into the fracturing of perceived realities, the rise of the ‘fantasy-industrial complex’, and the systemic risks posed by the attention economy. It exposes how platforms algorithmically prioritise engagement over accuracy, reinforcing ideological echo chambers and amplifying mis- and disinformation that erode democratic resilience. The report highlights how structural incentives and foreign control of the most important players in the information space undermine information integrity, collective knowledge and civic discourse. In response, the report presents a number of recommendations from fostering alternative public spaces and crowd-sourced knowledge systems to reforming business models, restoring user agency, and advancing EU digital sovereignty through decentralised infrastructure

Latinsky

Decentralized social media built for community power, culture, and collective freedom.