#Tag · Bolhaverso

#WSocial will open up their beta program today… and I have a SCOOP for you: it appears that they have quietly gone closed-source!

This is ironic, considering that the @EUCommission just unveiled their Tech Sovereignty Package, emphasizing the importance of #OpenSource. And yet they have migrated their main ATproto accounts to W Social - whose code can no longer be inspected!

My full article - with a great analysis by @aral:

🔗: https://blog.elenarossini.com/w-social-public-institutions-and-the-theater-of-european-digital-sovereignty/

#FOSS #DigitalSovereignty #BigTech

Elena Rossini

W Social, Public Institutions and the Theater of European Digital Sovereignty

European public institutions are betting big on digital sovereignty and open source software. And yet they recently moved their Bluesky accounts to W Social, a private, for profit network owned by Swedish entrepreneurs that has quietly gone closed-source.

⁂

More from

Elena Rossini

European Commission

@EUCommission@ec.social-network.europa.eu · 2 days ago

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!

Luis Suarez

@elsua54@mastodon.social replied · 2 days ago

@EUCommission RE: "And we continue to invest into our presence on the Fediverse!" 👈🏻 Phew! Thank you for that!

Please, please, please, don't sacrifice the latter for the former, specially, if you'd want to keep investing with your actions, not just your words, in an "open ecosystem" where we all benefit from open, public conversations 🙏🏻😊

#SovereignByDesign #DigitalAutonomy #DigitalSovereignty

Elena Rossini ⁂

@_elena@mastodon.social · 2 days ago

This was definitely NOT on my bingo card for this year:

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen taking a moment between G7 meetings to promote the launch of the closed-source, for-profit network #WSocial.

🔗 : https://web.archive.org/web/20260617083436/https://www.linkedin.com/posts/rentzhog_kind-of-cool-to-see-ursula-von-der-leyen-ugcPost-7472769475885461504-hwct/

I fear this may be a harbinger of things to come: MANDATORY AGE VERIFICATION for social media across Europe. I hope I'm wrong on this.

#privacy #SurveillanceCapitalism #EUBigTech

Kind of cool to see Ursula von der Leyen warming up the audience for our W launch tomorrow. 😉 Posted between her G7 meetings on Instagram (today). Perfect timing. | Ingmar Rentzhog

Kind of cool to see Ursula von der Leyen warming up the audience for our W launch tomorrow. 😉 Posted between her G7 meetings on Instagram (today). Perfect timing.

Elena Rossini ⁂

@_elena@mastodon.social replied · 2 days ago

Latest SCOOP on #WSocial:

The European Commission Spokesperson for tech sovereignty Thomas Reigner just migrated his ATproto account from Bluesky (open source) to W Social (closed-source). How ironic!

🔗 : https://clearsky.app/thomasregnier.ec.europa.eu/profile

And now excuse me as I go pick up my child from daycare. I'll be intermittently online for the rest of the day. Thank you for all your boosts and comments!

#DigitalSovereignty #OpenWashing #EuropeWashing #SovereigntyWashing

ClearSky

ClearSky - Bringing information closer to you

Elena Rossini ⁂

@_elena@mastodon.social · 2 days ago

#WSocial will open up their beta program today… and I have a SCOOP for you: it appears that they have quietly gone closed-source!

My full article - with a great analysis by @aral:

🔗: https://blog.elenarossini.com/w-social-public-institutions-and-the-theater-of-european-digital-sovereignty/

#FOSS #DigitalSovereignty #BigTech

Elena Rossini

W Social, Public Institutions and the Theater of European Digital Sovereignty

⁂