There are alternatives to the oligarchs’ networks

This post isn’t meant to be exhaustive, far from it. It’s really a summary meant to make things easier for the people I know should they decide to move out and leave the networks controlled by the oligarchs (I have a piece of advice before you close your X account). I’ve gathered here secure and independent platforms (#Threema or #Signal), decentralised ones (#Mastodon, #Bluesky, #Nostr) or ones that propose a new take on traditional microblogging, as is the case with #Substack.

I have to admit I’m questioning whether social networks are really necessary, at least in the format we’ve grown used to over the last 20 years (Facebook, Instagram and X, etc.). As tends to happen with technological progress, we end up depending on tools that aren’t essential and that, moreover, can be harmful: we’re submerged in noise. Every dependency is a sign of unease, and Miguel Brieva is probably right when he states: “The desirable and possible future has to be without social networks”.

Reasons to leave the oligarchs’ networks

In the debate about whether or not it’s worth leaving the networks of hate, it’s essential to consider these variables:

• Dominant thought and the cultural battle.
• Privacy and data protection.
• Taking power away from the oligarchs and the big corporations.
• Reducing the excess of information and opting for a data ecology.
• Abandonando las Redes Sociales: ¿Qué hacer con el Tiempo Libre?

These days I’m reducing my interactions on the hegemonic social networks to a minimum and trying out alternatives like Nostr, Mastodon, Bluesky and Signal. My aim is to move towards an alternative workflow, minimising the “fragmented” content that the classic networks offer and prioritising “extended” content, such as long reads.

Alternatives to WhatsApp

What about WhatsApp?

WhatsApp uses end-to-end encryption, which means messages are encrypted on your device and can only be decrypted on the intended recipient’s device. So the actual messages are secure on the platform.

But this does nothing to protect your metadata. That’s information about who you communicate with, from where, at what time, how often and from which device.

Since WhatsApp changed its privacy policy in 2021, it now shares its users’ metadata and transactional data with Meta, a company known for disregarding privacy. If you’re still on WhatsApp, it’s time to switch to something more private.

Best WhatsApp alternatives for privacy | Proton

Threema

Threema is my favourite: a secure messaging app focused on privacy. It offers end-to-end encryption without requiring phone numbers or emails to sign up. Based in Switzerland, it prioritises anonymity and doesn’t collect user data, guaranteeing confidential communication.

Signal

Signal is a secure, end-to-end encrypted messaging app designed to protect privacy. It’s open source, free, ad-free, and allows messages, calls and video calls. It’s ideal for confidential and secure communications. The three things that keep it from being my first choice are that its servers are in the USA, it doesn’t allow anonymity, and it doesn’t allow you to use your own servers (as Threema does).

Why Signal and not Telegram?

Signal is considered more secure than Telegram because it offers end-to-end encryption by default on all messages, calls and video calls, whereas Telegram only applies it in secret chats, leaving normal chats stored on its servers without that level of protection. Moreover, Signal is fully open source, allowing independent audits, and it doesn’t collect personal data or keep significant metadata. Telegram, on the other hand, stores some data in the cloud and requires trust in its private infrastructure and proprietary protocol, MTProto. Signal is ideal if privacy is your top priority.

Matrix.org

Matrix.org is an open protocol for decentralised real-time communication. It enables secure messaging, video calls and data transfer across platforms. Designed for privacy and user control, it’s ideal for communities, businesses and independent projects.

0xChat (Nostr)

0xChat is a decentralised messaging platform based on the Nostr protocol. It offers secure, private, intermediary-free communication, allowing real-time chats with encryption and full user control over their data. Ideal for those seeking sovereign alternatives.

Alternatives to X, Threads, Facebook and Instagram

Mastodon

Mastodon is a free, decentralised microblogging social network, created in 2016 by Eugen Rochko. Recently, Rochko announced the transfer of its control to a new non-profit organisation to keep it from being under the command of a single person. Mastodon is a decentralised network, which means it works through independent servers (instances) that connect to one another, forming a federated network. Bluesky uses the AT protocol, another decentralised network, but it still relies on central servers more than Mastodon does.

@[email protected]

Bluesky

Bluesky is another decentralised social network (although it doesn’t reach the decentralisation guaranteed by Mastodon or Nostr) founded by Jack Dorsey, co-founder of Twitter, and currently led by the engineer Jay Graber. It offers an alternative to X (formerly Twitter), with a friendlier environment controlled by its users. Bluesky lets users choose and customise the algorithms that manage their content, offering control over their experience on the platform. The network has grown rapidly, surpassing 20 million users in November 2024.

Jack Dorsey, co-founder of Twitter, fully cut ties with Bluesky in May 2024, resigning from his seat on the board and deleting his account on the platform. Dorsey expressed his disagreement with the direction Bluesky was taking, arguing that it was “repeating all the mistakes” Twitter had made, such as creating a traditional corporate structure and implementing centralised moderation tools. After his departure, Dorsey has turned his attention to Nostr, another decentralised protocol he considers more aligned with his vision of an open social network without centralised control. On this topic, Dorsey’s post on Nostr, “A native internet protocol for social media”, is an interesting read.

@marconoris.com

Nostr

Nostr (short for Notes and Other Stuff Transmitted by Relays) is a decentralised protocol designed for social networks and other communication applications. It’s simple, flexible and built to be resistant to censorship and centralised control. This is the most innovative option. Nostr doesn’t depend on a central server. Users connect through relays (servers that relay messages), but no one controls the whole system. Each user has a private key (to sign their messages) and a public key (which acts as their identity on the network) that works for any application using Nostr (social networks, chats or any kind of communication). Here’s a more detailed explanation.

Here’s a list of applications that work with the Nostr protocol. The friendliest one, closest to what Bluesky can be, is Primal.

[email protected]

Pixelfed (Fediverse, Instagram-like)

If you’re looking for an alternative to Instagram, Pixelfed is a decentralised, ethical platform for sharing photographs, similar to Instagram but with no advertising, intrusive algorithms or data selling. It’s part of the fediverse, allowing total control over your content and connection with independent communities.

Olas (Nostr, Instagram-like)

Olas is an Instagram-like application that works as a Nostr client for iOS and Android. It lets users post and view photos and videos, using the new kind:20 event type for images. It offers features such as multiple-image uploads, dark mode and download optimisation for mobile data. Upcoming updates will include support for private and public communities dedicated to sharing photos and videos.

Alternatives to Gmail and Gdrive

Proton Mail

If you want to manage your email without Google, a very good option is Proton Mail, a secure, end-to-end encrypted email service developed in Switzerland. It prioritises user privacy, avoids surveillance and doesn’t track data. It offers free and paid accounts, with an intuitive design.

Proton Drive

Proton Drive is a secure, private cloud storage service offered by Proton. It guarantees end-to-end encryption, zero data access on the servers’ part, and integration with other Proton services. Ideal for those seeking total privacy.

Communicating without traditional social networks

One way to avoid depending on traditional social networks is to delegate part of the services currently managed through these networks to other platforms. To the services mentioned below, you could add one for email (#Proton Mail), instant messaging (#Threema or #Matrix) and/or communities built around a themed forum, such as, for example, the il Manifesto collective or the Col·lapse / Colapso community.

Are.na

Are.na is a collaborative, minimalist platform for organising ideas, projects and references. It lets you connect visual and textual content in blocks, fostering creativity and networked learning through themed collections, with no algorithms or distractions.

Marco Noris | Are.na

Substack

Substack is the platform I use for my mailing. I like it because it combines long-form publications like newsletters with a microblogging-style notes feature. It lets writers and creators share free or subscription content, interact with readers and build communities around specific topics, integrating diverse formats in a single space.

Marco Noris | Substack

Reader by Readwise

Reader isn’t a social network, it’s an all-in-one tool for reading, organising and highlighting content from articles, blogs, PDFs and more. It’s a good platform for staying informed without needing social networks. Readwise’s Reader makes it easy to organise knowledge, syncs notes and highlights key ideas, optimising the reading and learning experience in an intuitive environment.

And why not a community built around a forum?

Examples of online forums, such as the il collettivo of the Italian newspaper “il manifesto” or Col·lapse / Colapso, a platform dedicated to topics such as collapse, the climate emergency and related themes.

FreeFlarum

FreeFlarum is a free, cloud-based platform built on Flarum, ideal for creating modern forums without the need for self-hosting. It offers customisation through extensions, responsive design, simple setup and an active community for support. Perfect for independent projects.

Groups.io

Groups.io is a communication platform that lets users create and manage groups for discussions, sharing files, calendars and polls. Ad-free, it offers integration with external applications, ideal for communities, work teams and collaborative projects.

Discours

Discours is a platform for creating modern, dynamic discussion forums. It offers a free open-source option for self-hosting and a paid version with managed hosting, ideal for communities seeking customisation, interactivity and scalability.