Open social tech in the public interest
Modal works to support decentralized social technologies that help people create, circulate and discover trustworthy information
Today a handful of companies control the world’s social media, and by extension, the world’s mainstream information channels. Their algorithms polarize and addict. Their monopoly power strangles innovation. Their owners mock democracy and laws. Social media today is critical infrastructure for publics, and it needs to work for people, not exploit and mislead them.
Public interest alternatives to Big Tech are growing quickly. At Modal, we’re intereste…
Open social tech in the public interest
Modal works to support decentralized social technologies that help people create, circulate and discover trustworthy information
Today a handful of companies control the world’s social media, and by extension, the world’s mainstream information channels. Their algorithms polarize and addict. Their monopoly power strangles innovation. Their owners mock democracy and laws. Social media today is critical infrastructure for publics, and it needs to work for people, not exploit and mislead them.
Public interest alternatives to Big Tech are growing quickly. At Modal, we’re interested in all approaches that can offer ways to configure our information systems to better serve people. We’re focused on open tech infrastructure and digital public goods.
Our initial work centers on the AT Protocol, a decentralized and federated social media technology. AT Protocol was originally developed by the team now running Bluesky. The protocol has a growing community of developers, dozens of available apps, and over 40 million users.
In a time when threats to democracy and authoritarian governance are rising, ensuring access to public information is a vital civic need. The protocol supports that need with self-certifying data, which guarantees immutable identity and content provenance, and helps safeguard the integrity of information. This also means that no single company controls identity, content, or algorithms; AT Protocol is open, interoperable, and un-buyable.
An ecosystem of apps and services built on AT Protocol has the potential to scale to billions of users. However, ensuring that this space remains in the public interest is not a given. Modal supports independent research, the creation of non-exploitative funding models, and equitable participation by diverse communities that hold a range of views and speak a variety of languages.
Alternatives to existing platforms require both a vision for the future and a collective effort to build it
Focus
Technology
We build and provide access to decentralized tech components, allowing developers and communities to take risks and build the tech they need without typical overhead costs. We aim to support both widely recognized app forms and to explore new modalities.
Funding
We create and collaborate with mission-aligned and market-based funding streams for tech development, research, governance and community participation. This includes supporting collective and cooperative funding models, creating a venture studio and other investment vehicles, joining public-private partnerships, and offering grants.
Knowledge
We support protocol development and governance, policy, independent research, developer community knowledge, and public information.
Participation
We advocate for and collaborate with communities, organizations and content producers to create cultures and practices of use, to drive robust demand for open social tech.
Current projects
A public service initiative to build shared European infrastructure on open standards. We are starting with eurosky.social: a European identity that allows access to any app built on AT Protocol, with data hosted and governed in Europe.
A global campaign to focus attention and resources on building information technologies that serve the interests of people over companies.
Research collaborations
We work with researchers and advocates to embed independent research norms in open social tech practice. This will build a shared base of knowledge about the functions and effects of social tech on civic participation and democratic governance.
Community collaborations
We partner with civic groups to ensure that the technology they use serves the interests of their constituents. We collaborate with groups that need better social tech for information and communications, such as: public media and journalists, civic dialogue groups, science communities and rights advocacy organizations.
We work at the intersection of digital infrastructure, public information and media
Modal works with communities, developers, subject experts, and civic organizations to create a human-centered internet
People: Robin Berjon • Sarah Bures • Sherif Elsayed-Ali • Enrico Graziani • Ivan Sigal • Sebastian Vogelsang
Free Our Feeds Custodians: Phil Beaudoin • Robin Berjon • Deepti Doshi • Sherif Elsayed-Ali • Marc Faddoul • Mallory Knodel • Eli Pariser • Ivan Sigal • Mark Surman
Peers: Agora Digitale Transformation • ATConnect • AT Protocol Community Fund • Better Politics Fund • Bluesky • Coalition for Independent Tech Research • Digital Public Goods Alliance • Funk • Future of Tech Institute • Hard Art Collective • iconomy • IPFS • Kobler • Newsmast • Panoptykon Foundation • People vs. Big Tech • Project Liberty Alliance • Protocols For Publishers • Public Spaces Incubator and New Public • Save Social • Social Web Foundation • Waag • ZDF
Modal was founded in November 2025, fulfilling a commitment of the Free Our Feeds** **campaign to launch a public interest technology foundation in support of open standards for decentralized social tech.
References and texts
“Algorithmic Pluralism: Towards Competitive and Innovative Information Ecosystems” — Sherif Elsayed-Ali and Robin Berjon. March 2025.
“An Illustrated Field Guide to Social Media” — Chand Rajendra-Nicolucci and Ethan Zuckerman. May 14, 2021.
The ATProtocol website.
“Attention Is Power — Reframing The Future of Free Speech in The Online Era” — Richard Reisman, December 22, 2025
“Blueprint on Information Integrity” — FOC Task Force on Information Integrity Online. 2024.
“Bluesky and the AT Protocol: Usable Decentralized Social Media” — Martin Klepperman, et al. October 16, 2024.
“The Case for Digital Public Infrastructure” — Ethan Zuckerman. January 17, 2020.
“Europe Can Build Its Own Social Media” — Sebastian Vogelsang. July 23, 2025.
“The European Way. A Blueprint for Reclaiming Our Digital Future” — Kai Zenner, et al. May 12, 2025.
“If It Breaks Wikipedia, It’s Probably Bad Policy” — Audry Hingle. July 2025.
“Introduction to AT Protocol” — Kuba Suder. August 20, 2025.
“Protocols, Not Platforms: A Technological Approach to Free Speech” — Mike Masnick. August 21, 2019.
“Seeing the Politics of Decentralized Social Media Protocols” — Tolulope Oshinowo, et al. May 29, 2025.
“This is for everyone and everyone should be able to contribute” — Mallory Knodel on the Power Station podcast. August 25, 2025.
“To Build a Better Democracy, Start by Rethinking Your Relationship to the Internet” — Ivan Sigal. March 26, 2025.
“Web3 is Self-Certifying” — Jay Graber. December 23, 2021.
“We Need To Rewild The Internet” — Maria Farrell and Robin Berjon. April 16, 2024.