Don't Look for Another Facebook

Cloning what’s Broken Just Won’t Work

A movement is underway in Cyberspace. People have grown tired of the antics of Big Tech Giants whose businesses are built on harvesting and selling users’ personal information. Many industry leaders, including ex-Big Tech executives, have come forward, criticizing the advertiser-driven model that is so pervasive in Silicon Valley and beyond. Facebook’s reputation and stock value are taking a nosedive (see example). People are listening, and they’re looking for alternatives.

Since the Cambridge Analytica story broke several months ago, the media storm around digital privacy, Ethics and Big Tech’s failure to protect user data rages on. And there’s no end in sight. It’s not just Facebook. There are plenty of Big Tech players guilty of misuse of people’s data. … But that’s for another story. Facebook has been in the center of it all -- as host to several data breaches (that we know of) (see source), investigations and hearings. What’s at stake?

Here are some of the things, belonging to you, that are being distributed or sold to the highest bidders JUST because you are on the social network: Your email address, photos and video, credit card numbers, social security numbers, personal data including dates of birth, your health records, marital status, sexual preferences, political beliefs, your location (including where you travel). … And the list goes on.

So what’s next?

At Idka, we’ve built a platform that, we believe, stands on the leading edge of that movement -- an ad-free digital space where you and your people (your close friends, family, groups and organizations) can gather, connect, share, and store - privately and safely - without the trolls, the bots, and the algorithms that live on advertiser-driven social media platforms. It’s free and easy to set up a basic personal account on Idka. Subscriptions will start at just €1 per user, per month in 2019.

But we’d like to make something clear. We often hear Idka described as “an ad-free Facebook” … or “like Facebook but they don’t sell your data.” We are not here to build another Facebook, or to replace the social platform. We believe Facebook’s model is a broken one, and therefore one that doesn’t need repeating. So, if you’re looking for the same experience, you’ve come to the wrong place. Idka provides a safe space for groups and organizations - a place where you control your data, and you decide what you see and share. Rather than attempting to get rich on the very data people entrust us with, we offer a freemium service, where users will pay less than the price of a cup of coffee per month, while their privacy remains intact.

Like every good “movement” this is going to require change.

For some, the shift to a private platform like Idka will feel like switching religions. It’s a change in thinking and a change in behavior. It’s a shift from something we’ve grown accustomed to over the years, to something that forces us to focus on what’s meaningful. For a great many people, Facebook has become a difficult habit to break. While the numbers may be in decline, it’s also clear that, for many, Facebook (along with other social media) is an addiction. In fact, that is exactly what the creators of those platforms had in mind -- The bots and the algorithms are designed to entice the user to click. The more shocking, outrageous, funny, or divisive the content, the more you click. The more you click, the more advertisers can justify the money they put into the platform. This is how the ad-driven economy works. This also means you don’t determine what you see. They do.

This is not how Idka works.

Idka is not for those searching for a public platform from which to broadcast messages. Idka is for private groups who wish to protect their right to privacy, and who are searching for a safe place to engage, share, and store. We built Idka in direct response to a growing concern for privacy, and a lack of protection of privacy on mainstream social media sites. We believe that privacy is a root right, and that without that right, there is no true freedom of speech, which is essential to Democracy.

Who is Idka for?

Idka is a platform for you and your people(your friends, family, colleagues) to connect, communicate, share and store - freely and safely. Idka is for families who want to be able to include their children in conversations, and share pictures without fear of trolling, harmful manipulation, or scraping of personal data. Idka is for organizations that need a platform on which they can communicate freely and safely and share confidential material, without risk of it falling into the wrong hands. (Facebook Workplace claims to be secure, but the question remains: Can we really trust Facebook with our data? The track record hasn’t been good.). Idka is for school groups, hospital groups, and support groups who wish to keep sensitive information in a safe and controlled environment - away from public eyes. On Idka, we encourage meaningful connection. That means the noise level is not what Facebookers are accustomed to. What you see is what you want to see. You don’t enter the platform with pre-loaded content, advertisements, or posts from people you don’t know. You enter with the people and groups that are important to you, and you decide what you want to see, with whom you want to connect, and with whom you want to share. The default settings, in other words, are private.

Give it a try. Sign up for a free account today. … And, don’t come alone. Bring your friends and family. Start a group. Store files, family photos and video. 

be social, stay private®