Europe launches social network W to curb US tech dominance

A new private initiative called social network W has been announced in the European Union as an alternative to major American platforms such as X. The project aims to strengthen digital sovereignty by offering greater privacy protection, transparent rules and measures against fake accounts and bots. Launched amid growing criticism of US tech giants, W is still in beta and has attracted tens of thousands of people on a waiting list, but it faces the challenge of convincing users to leave established services that already have hundreds of millions of active accounts. The effort is not an official EU program but reflects a broader push for European independence in the digital sector.