The future of the social internet is human
The "Rebuild 1" meeting marks a turning point: for too long, the European tech debate has been reactive, focusing on regulation and catching up.
Last week, I stood in a room in Copenhagen with 200 of Europe's most ambitious platform developers, investors, and policymakers. We weren't there to discuss how to "fix" Big Tech. We were there to discuss how to replace it.
When I took part in sessions with people like Margrethe Vestager, Thomas Madsen-Mygdal, and Sebastian Turner, it became clear to me that Europe is no longer interested in building a better "casino." We are building the digital equivalent of public parks, libraries, and town squares—the things for which the world knows and values Europe.
At coapp, we have always believed that a community is more than just a group of users—it is a living organism. Today, as we officially sign and publish the Rebuild Letter (https://letter.rebuild.net), I would like to explain why the social internet needs to be rebuilt and what role coapp will play in this process.
From "Processed Intelligence" to Human Relationships
For a decade, the social internet has been dominated by processed "intelligence," by algorithms designed to generate attention and maximize engagement in order to generate profit. The result is a "global feed" that prioritizes outrage over understanding.
One thought in particular stuck in my mind in Copenhagen:
"The digital social platform is an extension of our real life. Without real relationships, there is no need for a social platform."
That's exactly why coapp exists. We don't develop for users, but for relationship creators. People whose mission and passion is to promote human connections and values for everyone involved.
Our focus is not on keeping people glued to their screens, but on providing the infrastructure that enables real networks to flourish. From small groups to innovation centers to industry associations and whatever forms human communities will take in the future.
What we are developing: billions of platforms, not billions of users
The era of "mega-platforms" is reaching its limits. The big tech companies have spent hundreds of billions to force us into a virtual world. Today we know that it hasn't worked. Simply because it was never tailored to people.
Our vision at coapp is a fundamental reversal of the concept:
The old way: billions of people on one platform. You are the product.
The new way: A few people on billions of platforms. You are the customer.
At coapp, we have already demonstrated that this is not just theory with over 4,000 of these "people-oriented" communities. By providing a sovereign infrastructure in which communities own their own data, rules, and monetization, we are proving that the internet can be decentralized without causing division.
Investors and builders can only make this change possible by working together.
A critical discussion in Copenhagen revolved around the investment paper on social platforms. Do we need to stop viewing social platforms as "soft" consumer apps and instead see them as strategic and critical infrastructure?
If we do not control the platforms on which we form identities, build trust, and organize ourselves, we will never achieve sovereignty. As has become clear in recent months, European social platforms have become a form of modern "defense technology" for our democracies.
To reclaim this critical infrastructure and create global alternatives based on democratic and human values, we must raise more public and private funds to achieve this. Only when builders and investors share the vision that we are not developing the next boring consumer app, but rather the backbone of the future of the social internet, can we collectively create a new generation of global champions.
Why we signed the Rebuild Letter
The Rebuild Letter is a much-needed shared manifesto. It is a commitment to:
Conscious participation: Design for active participation, not passive consumption.
Sovereignty: Ensuring that your brand, your rules, and your data belong to you.
Richness over reach: The depth of a connection takes precedence over the breadth of a feed.
As a founder who has been building ecosystems since 2003, from Hafven to coapp, I see this as one of the most important areas of action in our time. We are setting the ball rolling in a movement that will spread from Copenhagen to Helsinki to Paris and ultimately across the entire world.
We are not just developing a set of Features, but creating a legacy of digital humanity and autonomy.
If you are a builder, join the movement by signing the Rebuild Letter:
https://letter.rebuild.net
