Meta is Developing Text-Based Social Networking App P92

Facebook parent company Meta Platforms Inc is developing an independent text-based content app codenamed P92 that will support ActivityPub.

ActivityPub is a decentralized social networking protocol that powers Mastodon and other decentralized applications (dApps) that compete with Twitter. This new app is intended to be Instagram-branded and would, therefore, be supervised by Adam Mosseri, Instagram head.

A Meta spokesperson confirmed the veracity of the news “We’re exploring a standalone decentralized social network for sharing text updates. We believe there’s an opportunity for a separate space where creators and public figures can share timely updates about their interests.”

Although the P92 is Instagram-branded, it would possess a microblogging feature like Twitter and Mastodon.

With time, other capabilities like commenting on posts and messages will be added. This comes at a time when netizens are seeking an alternative to Twitter citing its technical glitches amongst many other misgivings. Mastodon has been a major rival to Twitter since Elon Musk assumed ownership of the blue app.

P92 to Leverage Instagram Data

While the text-based content app is still under development, legal experts have been contacted to ransack the app for any potential privacy concerns that may raise chaos before the app is public.

Instagram account holders can log into this new app using the same credential. Once they gain access, their Instagram account details including name, username, bio, profile photo, and followers will be poached over to P92.

For now, it is not known for sure how users may react to the invention, especially those who do not wish for their details to transfer or share their information with another Meta app. However, the social media juggernaut has had some troubles in the past over the exposure of users’ data and other privacy issues. 

Last year, Mark Zuckerberg the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Meta received a letter from a group of Democratic senators requesting to know the efforts which have been put in place to ensure that Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp are free from crypto scams.

Amongst these senators were Ohio’s Sherrod Brown, Massachusetts’ renowned senator Elizabeth Warren, California’s Dianne Feinstein, New Jersey’s Cory Booker, Vermont’s Bernie Sanders, and New Jersey’s Bob Menendez.