We are going to tell you what exactly W Social is, the European social network project that aims to compete with X and Threads. It is not a social network that is going to start from scratch, but rather it will join an open protocol of another existing network, but from European servers.
At the moment, W is just a project announced at the Davos forum, but it is not yet open to the public. Of course, we already have a few important data about it that allow us to know what it will be like. Even so, we will update this article as we know more and as the opening date arrives.
What is W Social
W Social is a project to create a European social network of micromessages. So that you understand, it is like seeking to create an alternative to the old Twitter, and to current networks such as Threads or X, both American.
W Social is not a closed and completely independent social network, but rather it is like a European instance of Bluesky. Therefore, will be based on Bluesky and in the AT Protocol. If you are in, remember that you can follow us on this social network in the account xataka.bsky.social.
Think of this as two networks that speak the same language and they are interconnected with each othersomething similar to the instances of Mastodonbut with another technology. You will be able to access Bluesky accounts and read posts and all content, and users of this network will also be able to follow you.
Bluesky has more than 42 million users, although there is no figure for how many of them are active. In any case, this will mean that W Social will join forces with this alternative network, so it will not start from scratch and its users will not have to deal with an empty timeline.
One of the things that W Social has confirmed to us is that we will be able to completely migrate our existing Bluesky account. Its objective is for us to be able to migrate all our content, comments, interactions, followers and followers, and all other information. But they have not yet clarified the steps, although they assure that they will explain the step by step when this function is available.
Finally, say that W Social wants as its fundamental objectives to be a network based on verified humans, transparency, privacy and freedom of expression. All this, they say, believing that we need a global and reliable social network, and one that is managed, hosted and owned in Europe, with all the benefits that this entails for privacy due to the strictest European regulations in this regard.
What W Social is NOT
W Social It is not a social network created by the European Unionbut by a European company. Yes, a company like Meta or X, but based in the EU and with our rules.
This also means that It is not a decentralized or open network like those that are part of the Mastodon ecosystem. It will be a network belonging to a company, which will be the one that makes the decisions. Come on, just like Instagram, Facebook, Threads or X.
Main features
One of the main characteristics of Bluesky is that it is a social network where You can decide or create the algorithms. By default you only see the content of the people you follow, but you can add your own custom algorithms, whether themed, by language, whatever you want. Although it is still too early to know if W Social will inherit this unique and beneficial function.
But the characteristic that will make W Social different is that Your users must have a verified identity. You will have to send your ID and your account will be linked to your identity.
This measure has something positive as a clear way to end trolls and online abuse and threatssince the user can be identified to expel him or his actions have criminal consequences just as in life outside the Internet. This will promote a less toxic environment and no bots or fake profiles.
All accounts will be real, although this does not mean that you will show your first and last name, because you will be able to choose a username that you want. But this also has a dangerous sidesince there is a danger that this verification turns into surveillance of users, something that would endanger activists and other types of legitimate resistance. We will have to wait to see how they achieve this balance.
The other fundamental pillar of W Social will be moderation. Just as X is a free space, but quite wild and where abuses and misinformation run without any type of effective moderation, W Social will be a more controlled network with clear rulessuch as not being able to insult, avoid coordinated campaigns or the creation of permanent noise.
Moderation is always a delicate topic, although the platform promises neutrality. We will have to wait to see how they carry out these tasks, how much is done by algorithm and how much is done by people. Moderation is important for creating a healthy digital environment, but it can also be dangerous.
How to register on W Social
W Social has not yet opened its doors, although You can now sign up for a waiting list. In it, you will have to add your email, and optionally you can add the username you want to use, your country of residence and your Bluesky or LinkedIn profiles.
It is expected that W Social beta phase starts in March 2026which will be when the first users start receiving invitations.
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