LeafPlaza • EU-sovereign social platform compatible with the ATP

What we conclude from these documents is that the Commission’s response to @leafplaza.eu did not explain the relationship between its communications decision, its bilateral engagement with W Social, and its wider policy work (or disclose the criteria governing those different activities).

Yeah, that's exactly why I suggested @leafplaza.eu to open a formal complaint. Public procurement has some rules. If they are followed that's fine. If they are not, that's an irregularity. We requested the EC to comment, the answer was insufficient, so now the issue is with the Ombudsman.

@leafplaza.eu has been around since April last year and he have made several attempts to reach to EU officials, unsuccessfully. We got a few polite replies from a couple of MEPs, but that's about it.

Two of the documents are heavily redacted, like some sort of CIA stuff or the Epstein files. Like, seriously? What is W Social and the EC hiding?

If your social media died tomorrow, would you lose everything? On X and Threads, yes: your posts, audience and account live on their servers. On AT Protocol, no: your identity is portable. Move apps, take your followers with you, like moving your phone number.

Thank you for the shoutout @h-a-n-a.eurosky.social @anarchoterran.bsky.social - happy to help you migrating and get you onboard if you decide to jump in our server. If you don't, our mobile apps are free forever (you will need to use the custom server option, though).

A little maintenance behind the leaves 🔧 We’ve applied the latest security fixes to the push notification and account migration services powering @leafplaza.eu. Updated, checked, and running smoothly.

🔔 The news are out. @leafplaza.eu got its own notification backend, hosted in the EU. * Try the LeafPlaza app with your Bluesky account (via the custom server option). * Or support us with an account in our server for less than a coffee in Vienna.

A custom domain proves you own your website, set it as your username, and your site and social prove each other. We show how it works and how to do it. Or we can help you out if you get a @leafplaza.eu account at www.leafplaza.eu

We are not media, but we saw something fishy from day 1. That’s why we went straight to open complaints with the EU.

Support gets even better when you support us with yearly account for less than a coffee in Vienna! (if you do not read French, you can always use the in-app DeepL translations)⬇️

Quite impressed so far by the @leafplaza.eu app for iOS. After the launch of @eurosky.social, this is another step towards #digitalsovereignty!

A Bluesky account: you can keep it forever. Download any Bluesky-related app, pick a handle, you're in. You're not making an account on one company's server. You're creating a portable identity on AT Protocol: handle, posts, follows move with you. E.g. move it to @leafplaza.eu verifiable in the EU

This has always been theoretically possible. There are plenty of examples where verifications happen without exchanging and then storing any sensitive data. This does not take away the complexity of this implementation, bravo @robin.berjon.com Also, it says a lot about the W architectural design.

Mastodon vs Bluesky: often compared, very different. Both are decentralized, but they work differently. Mastodon is like a bunch of islands, each with its own rules. Powerful but complex. Bluesky uses AT Protocol with portable identity, same data, different apps.

@ec.europa.eu please terminate any and all contracts with WSocial. You clearly had the wrong people involved. And you failed to uphold your own standards, probably failing to comply with even relevant laws. This is not how Europe operates. We expect more from you. #weareEurope #europe

My blog post that explains the latest #WSocial controversy is up: 🔗: blog.elenarossini.com/public-by-de... Disclaimer for W folks: this work is entirely self-funded, with childcare help courtesy of my family so I could write the first full draft on Sunday 💁‍♀️ #WIdentity #WSocialFacts #privacy

Another piece in the ATP US dependency is about to fall. We are testing our own Push Notification services.

Needs visibility @leafplaza.eu

Have a Bluesky account? Try @leafplaza.eu with it. If you like it, support us with a LeafPlaza account and migrate - a full year is about the cost of a coffee. Or don't. Just keep using it with your Bluesky account. Do what you want, I am not your mom.

I’m starting to think our biggest competitor is the thought of creating another social media account. You can try @leafplaza.eu with your existing AT Protocol account. Same account, different app. Now I need to get better at explaining it 😂

Those W app store reviews are not getting better anytime soon.

On the positive side, reading W reviews in the app stores is quite an adventure.

Agree, and making this would requiere quite some effort and investment. Also, it is absolutely necessary in the long term.

and will thus be invisible to most people using Bluesky. So Europeans should consider moving to @eurosky.social or @leafplaza.eu - to not depend on a US-based suspension decision and be able to be read if suspended by Bluesky (e.g. on @mu.social or @leafplaza.eu app - both work for all ATP users).

European watchdog probes Commission over apparent preference for social network ‘W’ Published today under @euractiv.com's newsletter THE HACK. Paywall link: www.rapporteur.com/news/the-hac...

Open protocols are supposed to create choice. But choice needs transparency. The European Ombudsman has opened an inquiry into how the Commission selected its AT Protocol platform. Public institutions should be able to explain their decisions. That’s good for everyone in the ecosystem.

Interessante Info zu Wsocial und den Accounts der Europäischen Kommission:

The open network behind Bluesky it is not an app. Think email: Gmail and Outlook are different apps, same email. The AT Protocol is the same for social: one portable identity for posts, blogs, audience, etc. Different apps, same data, and you own it. @leafplaza.eu hosts it all verifiable in Europe.

Bluesky vs Threads: which is better for actually owning your social life? Threads is one company's app, servers, and rules. Bluesky runs on AT Protocol: portable identity and audience, different apps, but share the same data. @leafplaza.eu shows the European verifiable way to host it.

LeafPlaza is in this Starter Pack. Share the love for Europe!

Plenty of great alternatives below

On X or Instagram, data ownership means the platform owns it: your posts, your audience, your account live on one company's servers. Leave, get banned, algorithm changes, and you lose everything. We show why that's different on open protocols where you own a portable identity.

Why Bluesky isn't just Twitter 2.0. Same feed look, completely different system underneath. Like email: different apps, same network, and you own your portable account.

Your choice for a EUROPEAN social network: Leaf Plaza … 🇪🇺

Moving to LeafPlaza got a lot easier. 1. get your code at www.leafplaza.eu 2. migrate using migrate.leafplaza.eu 3. enjoy

Live in your app store, go and grab it!

Testing features is my new passion.

What is this thing? 😏

Unlike @wsocial.eu we do not get free stuff from the EU because of... reasons. But we do get in-app translations powered by DeepL ☺️ Coming soon to your iOS or Android device. Stay tuned.

This is NOT standard AT proto. This is how Bluesky did it on its platform and it is followed by anybody following the same practices. You can do inline translation if you desire to improve the user experience.

We are waiting for the Ombudsman to reply on these "exclusive perks"

One useful thing about building @leafplaza.eu in public. Someone will always find the sentence you thought was perfectly clear and ask the exact question that proves it wasn’t. Honestly helpful. Mildly humbling. 😂

Another (a big bigger) update: We got a reply from DG CNECT, nothing surprising. They claim moving to W Social is a better choice than using the US-based Bluesky. No reference to other EU alternatives, including us. The case moves forward with the EU Ombudsman and we expect now their reaction.

The answer is federated social media

One advantage of building @leafplaza.eu with a small team. The person reading your bug report might be the same person who caused it 😂 That’s a fast and efficient loop.

We are publishing updates in our roadmap vision and adding transparency in our current goals and status