--- title: "Departed Twitter Founder Jack Dorsey Is Launching a New Social Network" description: "Twitter founder Jack Dorsey claims to be closer to launching Bluesky Social, a new \"decentralized social network\" that allegedly seeks to reclaim user data." date: "2022-10-28" modified: "2022-10-28" authors: - name: "Maggie Harrison Dupré" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/mharrison" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/twitter-founder-jack-dorsey-web3-social-network" categories: - "Future Society" tags: - "bluesky social" - "jack dorsey" - "the digest" - "twitter" --- # Departed Twitter Founder Jack Dorsey Is Launching a New Social Network ![Twitter founder Jack Dorsey claims to be closer to launching Bluesky Social, a new "decentralized social network" that allegedly seeks to reclaim user data.]() *\Image: Chesnot via Getty / Futurism\* ## Bluesky Social Looking for an alternative to the [now Elon Musk-owned Twitter]()? The original Twitter architect himself, Jack Dorsey, might just have something for you: Bluesky Social, a new "decentralized social network" that allegedly seeks to reclaim user data. But before you pack your Twitter bags for a decentralized social future, Bluesky isn't exactly here just yet. The app is currently in [private beta testing](), though [according to a blog post]() should be coming to the public "soon." And on that note, there's not exactly a lot of information available about the app itself, at least as far as features or an actual release date go. But on Tuesday, it [*did* announce]() its new, revamped "AT Protocol" — an improvement, it says, over its previously presented ADX Protocol, and the underlying tech that will actually power the app. "The 'AT Protocol' is a new federated social network," reads the [company's announcement](). "It integrates ideas from the latest decentralized technologies into a simple, fast, and open network." ## New Federation Of course, "federated social network," not to mention pretty much all of the other words used in the Bluesky announcement, does sound a bit like web3 word soup. Dorsey and his team, however, have offered a few of the prime — though still unproven — functionalities of the tech, namely "account portability," "algorithmic choice," "interoperation," and "performance." In short, Bluesky claims that with its ATP Protocol, users will be able to move between a number of social platforms using just one high-quality browser — its app — controlling what you see and how much data you give to those platforms while you're at it. ## Frenemies As for how [longtime Dorsey pal]() and new Twitter daddy Elon Musk might feel about Dorsey's new venture? Thanks to the Musk vs. Twitter court battle, [text messages]() between the pair revealed in court showed Musk claiming to be fine with it, actually — which is probably good for Bluesky, considering that it [got its start]() in the Twitter HQ back in 2019. That being said, when asked if Bluesky is designed to compete with other social sites, Dorsey did have a pretty clear answer. "It's a competitor to any company trying to own the underlying fundamentals for social media," [Dorsey tweeted](), "or the data of the people using it." Which is, well, pretty much every social media platform — Musk's [ad-happy vision for Twitter]() included. **More on social media:** *[Elon Musk, Who Always Hated Ads, Suddenly Says He Loves Ads Now That He Owns a Site That Depends on Them]()* ## Author At Futurism, I've reported extensively on the rise of AI as a cultural and business force shaping the media industry, and more broadly how those dynamics are changing how we all consume and share information and relate to one another. I'm also fascinated by public health policy and ethics, the role of emerging tech in politics and governance — and the powerful people and forces at those intersections — climate change, and the environment. My investigation on Sports Illustrated's use of AI-generated authors with fictional biographies won a 2024 Mirror Award for "Best Story on Media Coverage of Artificial Intelligence in Journalism and the Media" from Syracuse University's SI Newhouse School, I contributed to Niemen Lab's 2025 Predictions for Journalism series, and I've discussed my work for Futurism during appearances on NPR, CNN, the BBC, the CBC, and more. I grew up in rural Pennsylvania and attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where I played Division I field hockey for the Minutewomen as a midfielder. Since then, I've lived in New Orleans, Louisiana and Manhattan, New York. I spend my free time running, reading, perusing archival fashion, and searching for the world’s best negroni. I also have a debonair tuxedo cat, Westley, who's named after "The Princess Bride." ### Author social links [Bluesky]()