Are you on the hunt for a conservative Facebook alternative?While it may seem like a daunting task, you can rest assured you’re not alone. Whether it’s because of hidden terms and conditions, data protection issues, or platform rules and regulations – the reasons for finding an alternative to Facebook are common and more and more users are looking to avoid the Californian social media giant. The market for similar networks is massive, and there’s a large selection of platforms ready to accept Facebook’s digital refugees. In our guide, we’ve already introduced some of the biggest and most important social media platforms around. But regardless of whether you’re using Twitter, Instagram, or Google+: Awareness and consideration about privacy and data protection are also important factors in choosing to use any of the other social media giants.
One common complaint targeted specifically at Facebook is that that Facebook Newsfeed algorithms decide exactly what you do and don’t see. Another problem is personalized advertising, which is of course only possible through accessing and interpreting personal user data. As you can see: the list of criticisms for the social network market leader is long. So it’s good news that there are a few other alternatives to Facebook on the market. Some of these Facebook alternatives are more conservative, offer less advertising, others offer improved data protection, and some even offer extended functions and features that aren’t currently available for Facebook customers. The platform Diaspora is a social world online that puts your data back in your own hands, according to its own slogan.
Its range of functions is similar to those of Facebook. Users can publish status updates, share posts and images, and comment on other people’s posts. And just like on Facebook, you can control who gets to see your own posts as well. Diaspora uses hashtags to order posts, meaning that you can use these to find like minded people who share your interests. Linking Diaspora to your Facebook profile is also possible, and the software has its own chat function. Diaspora is also an open source project.
One of the main features that Diaspora prides itself on is its decentralization. This is to do with its technical background: the platform consists of many different networks, known as pods. User data isn’t collected and stored centrally by the provider, instead the infrastructure is distributed by users themselves, with data carried by these so called pods. If you have good technical know how, you can actually operate your own pod, which essentially functions as a server. This means that you can be certain that your private data remains private and in your own hands.
Less technically gifted users can use ‘open pods’ in the network instead. Since its founding in 2012, the operators of Ello have taken on a challenging task: they want to establish Ello as the leading, ad free alternative to Facebook and other social platforms. This means that they’ll avoid personalized advertising at all costs. With Ello, there’s absolutely no forwarding of user data for advertising purposes and that isn’t likely to change. The platform is financed by a freemium model that involves the exchange of individual functions for small payments.
There’s no official data about the number of users currently on the Ello network, but various sources range from 1. 5 million to 4 million registered users, although the number of active users is assumed to be relatively low. When it comes to searching for additional sources of income to finance the project, Ello’s creators are rather creative: they have plans to begin generating revenue through user transactions carried out on their network – so by taking a commission on CD sales, for example. One of Ello’s principles is that its users aren’t obliged to use their real names, which had previously been the case at Facebook and caused outrage. When it first started out, Ello was a closed network, only accessible through an invitation to join from a registered user. This has since been relaxed, and today Ello is available for all interested parties.
Critics of the site claim that Ello can’t really be considered a true Facebook alternative because it’s lacking many of the basic functions required to compete. For example, private communication between users via a chat box function is currently not possible. Ello’s focus instead is on high quality content for all to see, making it an excellent environment for artists and photographers. Users from creative backgrounds are often attracted by Ello’s simple, minimalistic design, leaving lots of space for user posts to shine. An exciting Facebook alternative that was released in 2015, but has only recently seen a huge influx of new users, is the social network, Vero. At the beginning of March 2018, for example, CEO Ayman Harari, worth billions of euros, announced an increase of more than three million users, after Vero had previously been a relatively niche app with around 200,000 active members.
Not only effective influencer campaigns played an important role, but also the current offer of free lifetime membership won users over. The app, which is available for iOS, and Android, might only be available with a paid annual subscription in the future. However, the offer has been initially extended until further notice. Facebook has been and remains the undisputed king of the social network market. Granted, in some regions of the world, like Russia or China for example, there is a more level playing field with the success of popular alternatives to Facebook who take an equal market share. But for the most part, Facebook is the worldwide leader when it comes to social interaction online.
If you’re using the platform, you’ve got no choice but to accept the network’s settings on privacy and data protection and live with them. If you don’t want to do this, then you’ll have to find a good and conservative alternative to Facebook – and either convince all of your friends, family, colleagues, and acquaintances to join you, or be prepared for the fact that your online friendship circle will be significantly reduced to begin with at least.
