Social Media: Are we really in control? how the AT Protocol could change the rules
Like many people of my generation, I grew up watching social media become an essential part of our everyday lives. Facebook was my first, where I want connect with friends, Instagram became the place to share experiences, and Twitter, now known as X, allowed me to follow news and express opinions. At first, these platforms seemed to offer endless possibilities. We could communicate with anyone, discover new communities and share our lives with people around the world.
But over time, something changed. Social media became much more than a communication tool. Today, when I open Instagram or TikTok, I often find myself scrolling through content selected by algorithms rather than posts from people I actually follow. These platforms have become incredibly effective at capturing our attention, but they also raise an important question: are we really in control of our digital experiences?
During my studies in digital strategy at Grenoble École de Management, I became increasingly interested in how digital platforms operate and generate value. Behind every recommendation, advertisement and interaction, there is a business model. Companies such as Meta and Google have built powerful digital ecosystems where user attention and data play a central role. While these platforms offer tremendous opportunities, they also create a form of dependency that we rarely question.
Imagine spending years building a community on Instagram. You develop relationships with your followers, publish content regularly and perhaps even create a business around your audience. Then, one day, the platform changes its algorithm. Suddenly, your publications reach fewer people, and the community you spent years developing becomes harder to access. You haven’t done anything wrong; the rules have simply changed. And unfortunately, there is very little you can do about it.
This dependence is also something I have encountered from a business perspective. During my professional experiences in digital marketing, particularly in the airline industry, I observed how important online visibility and digital acquisition have become for companies. An airline launching a new destination might invest in social media campaigns to attract passengers, but the success of these campaigns still depends partly on algorithms controlled by external platforms. This made me wonder whether a different model could exist.
That is when I became interested in the AT Protocol, or Authenticated Transfer Protocol, developed by Bluesky Social. Unlike traditional social networks, where one company controls most aspects of the platform, the AT Protocol aims to create an open and decentralised infrastructure. Its objective is to allow different social applications to communicate while giving users greater control over their digital identities and connections.
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A simple comparison helps explain this idea. If I use Gmail and a friend uses Outlook, we can exchange emails without needing accounts on the same service. The AT Protocol aims to bring a similar principle to social networking. Imagine being able to change your social media provider without losing your identity or having to rebuild your entire community. Although this portability has technical limitations, it represents an interesting alternative to the closed ecosystems we use today.
Bluesky is currently one of the best-known applications built on this protocol. At first glance, it resembles X, allowing users to publish messages, follow accounts and interact with communities. However, its underlying technology is different. One feature I find particularly interesting is the possibility of choosing custom content feeds. Instead of depending entirely on one recommendation algorithm, users can select feeds dedicated to specific interests, such as aviation, technology or business.
From a digital strategy perspective, this could create new opportunities. Companies might eventually develop communities that are less dependent on individual platforms, while developers could build innovative applications using shared infrastructure. For example, an airline could potentially create a specialised social experience for travellers and aviation enthusiasts while remaining connected to a broader network. This could change how brands interact with customers and encourage more competition between digital services.
However, decentralisation is not a perfect solution. Important challenges remain, particularly regarding content moderation, misinformation and economic sustainability. Operating a social network requires significant resources, and decentralised platforms must find ways to finance their infrastructure. There is also the question of adoption. Most people choose social networks because their friends and favourite creators are already there, not because of the technology behind them.
Despite these challenges, I believe the AT Protocol represents an important evolution in how we think about the internet. Its greatest potential may not be replacing Instagram, TikTok or X, but demonstrating that social media does not necessarily have to be controlled by a small number of companies. It introduces the possibility of a more open digital environment where users, developers and businesses have greater freedom of choice.
When I look at how social media has evolved over the past decade, I find it fascinating that we are still questioning who should control our online identities and connections. Perhaps decentralised networks will become a major part of the future internet, or perhaps they will remain alternatives for smaller communities. Either way, the AT Protocol raises a question worth considering:
If social media is supposed to connect us, shouldn’t we have more control over how those connections work?
“The web is for everyone and collectively we hold the power to change it. It won’t be easy. But if we dream a little and work a lot, we can get the web we want.”
- Tim Berners-Lee — Inventor of the Web
