Shaping the Future of Social Media with Middleware

TL;DR

Middleware has the potential to decentralize social media, giving users more control over curation and moderation, but faces technological, regulatory, and market challenges.

Contribution

This paper analyzes the potential of middleware to empower user control in social media and discusses the associated trade-offs and implementation challenges.

Findings

Federated platforms increase middleware adoption.

Middleware can enhance user agency in curation and moderation.

Trade-offs include potential externalities and regulatory hurdles.

Abstract

Middleware, third-party software intermediaries between users and platforms, has been broached as a means to decentralize the power of social media platforms and enhance user agency. Middleware may enable a more user-centric and democratic approach to shaping digital experiences, offering a flexible architecture as an alternative to both centrally controlled, opaque platforms and an unmoderated, uncurated internet. The widespread adoption of open middleware has long hinged on the cooperation of established major platforms; however, the recent growth of federated platforms, such as Mastodon and Bluesky, has led to increased offerings and user awareness. In this report we consider the potential of middleware as a means of enabling greater user control over curation and moderation - two aspects of the social media experience that are often mired in controversy. We evaluate the trade-offs and negative externalities it might create, and discuss the technological, regulatory, and market dynamics that could either support or hinder its implementation.