Loops: the new TikTok alternative in the fediverse champions privacy and control

Privacy, secure content, and a decentralized model: Loops, Daniel Supernault’s open-source platform, aims to transform short video sharing.

Loops: TikTok meets the fediverse

The fediverse welcomes a new short video platform: Loops, created by Daniel Supernault, also the developer of Pixelfed, Instagram’s federated alternative. Loops is designed for sharing looping videos and aspires to be the open-source counterpart to TikTok, offering users enhanced privacy and supporting a more open social web.

An open-source alternative: Loops joins the fediverse

Though Loops is not yet fully open source and has yet to complete its ActivityPub integration—the protocol enabling interaction across federated apps—the app promises to contribute to the fediverse’s growth. With over 11.6 million users and one million active monthly users, the fediverse has also seen recent growth as platforms like Flipboard and Meta’s Threads have adopted ActivityPub.

Privacy and user control at the core of Loops

Unlike traditional platforms, Loops distinguishes itself by prioritizing user privacy. The app doesn’t sell user data to third parties or use it to train AI models. Users retain full ownership of their content, while Loops sustains itself through donations, using platforms such as Patreon and Liberapay to ensure sustainable economic support.

Loops’ features and future plans

Loops offers users a TikTok-like experience with the ability to like, comment on, and share videos, targeting users aged 13 and up. Thanks to ActivityPub integration, users on other federated platforms can also interact with Loops content. Features in development include profile sharing and enabling Loops users to follow accounts on other platforms.

Moderation and content control: a trust-based scoring system

Content moderation on Loops relies on a trust score for users. Videos uploaded by low-trust users are held for review, while trusted users’ videos are published immediately. This decentralized moderation model is an important step towards ensuring a secure community.

What is the Fediverse?

The fediverse is an ecosystem of decentralized, interconnected social networks that allows different platforms to communicate with each other without relying on centralized servers or controls. Each platform in the fediverse is independently managed by communities or individual users, using open communication protocols like ActivityPub to enable cross-platform connection and sharing. In this ecosystem, users can navigate freely among networks while keeping control of their data, without a single commercial entity overseeing the system. With over 11.6 million users, the fediverse includes popular platforms like Mastodon (a Twitter-like network), Pixelfed (an Instagram alternative), and now Loops, a new open-source TikTok alternative.

Final thoughts

With sign-ups now open and a beta version for iOS and Android in the works, Loops presents itself as a compelling alternative for those seeking a privacy-conscious and decentralized platform. It will be a project to watch as the social media landscape continues to evolve.