The Federated Internet: Take Back Your Data
The federated internet envisions a world where users own and control their data through decentralized, open-standard networks instead of relying on Big Tech’s centralized platforms.
Big Tech owns the internet. Meta, Google, Amazon—they run the show, trading “free” services for your data. They get rich, you get ads that know way too much about you. We didn’t get here by accident. The internet evolved into a corporate playground, where we’re the product, not the customer.
But what if things had gone another way? Imagine if, back when home PCs took off, we’d also gotten home servers. Instead of tossing our personal data into the cloud (aka someone else’s computer), we kept it on our own machines. Our photos, posts, messages—all stored at home, under our control.
The Alternate Timeline
Picture this: In the 90s, Dell and Gateway 2000 sell home servers alongside their PCs. Instead of Facebook hoarding everything you post, your server stores it. When you want to share a meme or message a friend, your server talks directly to theirs using an open standard called ActivityPub. Facebook still exists, but they’re not storing your data—they’re selling you the tools to run your own piece of the internet. Maybe they offer subscription DevOps services to keep your setup running smoothly.
Would anyone in this world give Facebook access to every detail of their life for a few extra bucks? Fuck no! The power dynamic flips. Users aren’t the product anymore—they’re actual customers.
The Federated Internet Isn’t Sci-Fi
Think this is a pipe dream? It’s not. You already use a federated system every day: email. No one owns email. Gmail, Outlook, your random ISP email—they all talk to each other because email runs on open protocols (SMTP, IMAP, POP3). Despite Big Tech’s attempts to dominate it, email remains fundamentally decentralized.
Now imagine if social media, messaging, and video sharing worked the same way.
That’s the federated internet. Mastodon is doing it for social media. PeerTube for video. Lemmy for forums. The tech exists—we just need to adopt it and make it easy for people to use.
We Built This Internet—We Can Build the Next One
Tech workers made the internet what it is today, for better or worse. We also have the power to change it. A handful of companies shouldn’t control the digital world. We can build something better—an internet that values privacy, ownership, and freedom over ad dollars.
This isn’t a pipe dream. It’s a choice. The internet our kids inherit is being built right now. Let’s make sure it’s one worth passing down.