Anonymous Calls on Public to Help Build a Better Facebook

The hacker collective Anonymous issued a call on Facebook this week calling people to help build the new privacy-focused social network Minds.

Minds was formally launched on Monday. It is aimed at radically differentiating itself from Facebook and its controversial policy practices – especially offering, among others, end-to-end encrypted private messaging.

The social network was founded by people with a long background of online-freedom activism, including Bill Ottman and Lori Fena, reported Wired. 

Moreover, Minds means not to become a mere social network but also a free and open-source platform, meaning users will be able to exchange and debate on the platform itself.

"We are a free and open-source platform to launch your digital brand, social network and mobile apps. We are also a social network ourselves. It is a global social network of social networks," the Minds team told Wired.

"For every mobile vote, comment, remind, swipe and upload you earn points which can be exchanged for views on posts of your choice. It's a new web paradigm that gives everyone a voice," it added. In this paradigm, the most active members will obtain a greater reach to control, a de-mystified algorithm quite different from Facebook's.

Facebook is increasing the outrage of users and privacy watchdogs of the countries it is operating in. Belgium filed a lawsuit against the social network on Monday alleging the social media giant is violating the European country's online privacy laws.