ByMia Quagliarello

Flipboard CEO and co-founder Mike McCue declared in a previous post that “the future of Flipboard is federated.” He explained why the fediverse, an open-source ecosystem of interoperable social networks, represents a “revolution years in the making.” 

“Most social media today is controlled by a few large proprietary platforms, often with leaders who value engagement at all costs, regardless of the impact on our democracies, societies and mental health,” he said. “Change is badly needed and the fediverse represents a fundamentally more open and equitable approach to social media.”

Since then, we’ve been executing on a thoughtful plan to take down Flipboard’s walls and bring all the things Flipboard and its community are good at — curating news for all your interests — to this new space. We could do this with a quick flip of the switch but we’ve chosen to act more intentionally. We’re taking measured steps to test, learn, and ensure that everything we’re doing stays true to our values and those of the fediverse. Maintaining quality is top of the list. 

For reference, this is the rollout so far. We’ll keep adding to this timeline as our federation journey unfolds, in case you’re following along at home:

If you’re interested in getting your Flipboard account federated, you can apply here. Please note: we are still testing and federating accounts in phases, so we’d appreciate your patience. 

Our FAQ contains answers to other common questions we’ve been asked as we take down our walls and integrate with the open social web. 

Thanks for being here! 

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