Save Social – Networks For Democracy, an organisation based in the Netherlands, has launched an initiative for a “European Social Stack” in collaboration with the UK-based Newsmast Foundation. The manifesto, published today in Amsterdam, highlights the importance of bolstering European social platforms and protocols to protect the continent’s digital autonomy. Signatories include Mastodon, Eurosky, Matrix and Peertube, as well as other stakeholders in the European Open Social Web.
The “European Social Stack” aims to overcome dependence on monopolistic foreign platforms and build a resilient, decentralised information infrastructure in Europe. The initiative highlights eight key principles, including digital autonomy, decentralisation, and open standards. It calls on governments, public media organisations, and civil society institutions to prioritise publishing content on open European platforms, and to invest in developing European technologies.
It regards existing technologies such as ActivityPub (Fediverse), AT Protocol (Atmosphere) and Matrix/XMPP (private messaging) as complementary solutions that work together to create a diverse and resilient digital landscape.
The signatories declare their willingness to strive for closer cooperation in the future. This will include projects such as the ‘Eurobridge’, which will connect Fediverse servers to the Atmosphere. Other projects will focus on developing digital identities with a focus on data protection and interoperability, creating moderation infrastructure that complies with the DSA and DMA, and integrating multiple protocols into existing services to ensure maximum flexibility for users and developers.
Voices
Europe has a historic opportunity to regain its digital sovereignty. Through the European Social Stack Initiative, we are showing that an alternative to the current monopolies is both possible and necessary. The signatories are jointly declaring their commitment to shaping an ecosystem that prioritises diversity, transparency, and European values. Rather than pitting one protocol against another, we are working together to create a better, open social web for everyone.
The following organisations have signed up to the European Social Stack to date:
- A New Social (Anuj Ahooja, Ryan Barrett)
- Eurosky (Sherif Elsayed-Ali, Sebastian Vogelsang)
- Framasoft (Peertube) (Booteille)
- Lemmy (Felix Ableitner)
- Mastodon (Hannah Aubry, Renaud Chaput, Felix Hlatky)
- Modal Foundation (Robin Berjon, Ivan Sigal)
- New_Public (Catherine Tait)
- PublicSpaces (Jantien Borsboom)
- Save Social – Networks For Democracy (Björn Staschen)
- Social Web Foundation (Mallory Knodel, Evan Prodromou)
- The Newsmast Foundation (Michael Foster)
- The Matrix.org Foundation (Amandine Le Pape, Matthew Hodgson)
About Save Social
Save Social – Networks For Democracy is committed to promoting open, decentralised social networks in Europe. The organisation is working to put control of digital infrastructure back in European hands and to establish a sustainable, democratic alternative to the current platform monopolies.
Contact
- Co-founder Save Social – Networks For Democracy Björn Staschen bjoern@savesocial.eu
