RTÉ and the BBC should run our socials

Modern social media is broken. What was once promised as a global town square has devolved into an anonymous, bot-ridden arena optimized for outrage, division, and commercial exploitation. Owned by foreign tech oligarchs and policed by opaque algorithms, today’s major platforms profit off our polarisation while stripping our public debate of nuance, trust, and civility.

It doesn’t have to be this way.

As neighbouring democracies with deeply interconnected social, cultural, and economic ties, the Britain and Ireland share a unique civic landscape. We share the Common Travel Area, vibrant cross-border communities, and a long tradition of world-class public service broadcasting. Yet, when it comes to the digital infrastructure where our public debate actually happens, we remain entirely reliant on non-domiciled silicon monopolies.

It is time for a sovereign alternative. The RTÉ and the BBC should join forces to launch a unified, cross-border, social media network, working title Kindred Social.

Reclaim the Civic Commons

Public broadcasters were invented for precisely this reason—to step into the market gaps of communication and provide high-integrity, trusted spaces for public news, culture, and debate. In the 20th century, that meant radio frequencies and television channels. In the 21st, it means social media networks too.

Rather than wasting years attempting to build new tech from scratch —a classic public sector pitfall— RTÉ and the BBC should leverage existing, battle-tested open-source architecture. By building on the AT Protocol (the decentralized backbone powering open networks like Bluesky), both broadcasters can establish independent, sovereign server nodes while giving citizens a seamless, shared experience.

To deliver this quickly and efficiently, our public broadcasters should partner with European tech pioneers who have already solved the hard problems of privacy-preserving network verification—specifically looking to innovators like the team behind W Social.

By contracting proven verification tech from European creators, we can stand up a world-class platform in months, not years.

How Kindred Social Would Work

100% Verified Humans (Zero Bots): Access to the verified public square utilizes secure, non-compulsory digital identity verification (leveraging existing tools like the NHS App in the UK or MyGovID / PSC in Ireland). You can use a pseudonym publicly, but every account is cryptographically tied to a real person. In an instant, automated bot farms, AI deepfake pushers, and anonymous state-sponsored trolls are completely eradicated.

Dual Sovereignty, Shared Standards: The BBC operates the UK data pipelines under Ofcom oversight; RTÉ operates the Irish nodes under Coimisiún na Meán. Yet because they sit on the same open protocol, a user in Manchester, a user in Belfast, and a user in Cork can interact seamlessly in a high-trust, shared environment.

Starving the Bad Actors: We do not need state censorship or heavy-handed speech police to clean up the web. By routing official media, public debate, and civic discussion strictly through verified human accounts, bad-faith actors and radical subcultures aren't banned—they are simply starved of algorithmic priority and visibility.

Algorithmic Choice: Instead of dark-pattern engagement loops designed to trigger outrage, users choose their own feeds, curated around local news, shared culture, sports, or constructive debate.

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A Shared Digital Future for These Islands

The UK and Ireland do not lack for technical talent, rich culture, or vibrant civic life. What we lack is a digital town square that belongs to us—one designed for public good rather than private profit.

By merging our trusted public institutions with modern, secure open-source technology, RTÉ and the BBC can rescue public discourse from the noise. Kindred Social would give citizens across Britain and Ireland a digital commons built on civility, trust, and our shared heritage.

The tech exists. The need is urgent. It’s time to build it.

Footnote: But, Bias . . .

I am firmly convinced that the BBC is a politically biased organisation forced by its staff groupings to push heavily biased viewpoints that I don’t agree with. People with the opposite opinions to mine are also convinced the BBC is dead against them. I’m sure the same holds true for RTÉ. Whatever the facts of the matter, they are both under some sort of democratic control, unlike Meta, X, Tik Tok or Bluesky. If they run our social media, they can look forward to court cases if they ban someone for less than cast iron reasons.