Project Liberty and Solid: Potential Collaboration

Potential Convergence of Open Web Initiatives

Efforts to foster a more decentralized and user-centric web are potentially aligning. Frank McCourt’s Project Liberty, focused on building open internet infrastructure, has reportedly engaged in discussions with Tim Berners-Lee regarding integration with his Solid project.

Discussions with Tim Berners-Lee

At SXSW 2025, entrepreneur Frank McCourt revealed that his organization has been in communication with internet pioneer Tim Berners-Lee. He indicated that Project Liberty’s infrastructure is fundamentally compatible with the principles of Solid.

While a formal partnership wasn't announced, McCourt hinted at ongoing conversations concerning future collaboration. The possibility of incorporating Solid Pods into Project Liberty’s framework is currently being explored.

Understanding Solid and Inrupt

Tim Berners-Lee, widely recognized as the inventor of the World Wide Web, initiated the development of Solid in 2018 with a team at MIT. He also appointed John Bruce to lead Inrupt, a company built upon the Solid open-source foundation.

Inrupt has since launched a privacy-focused platform designed for enterprises. This platform empowers individuals with control over their data through Personal Online Data Stores, commonly known as Pods.

Shared Goals and Support

Given their aligned objectives, Berners-Lee has expressed support for Project Liberty’s initiatives. He publicly endorsed Project Liberty’s bid to acquire TikTok, stating that his original vision for the web prioritized individual empowerment.

Despite this shared vision, a formal collaboration between Solid/Inrupt and Project Liberty has not yet materialized.

Project Liberty’s Current Focus

Project Liberty is currently concentrating on the development of the Decentralized Social Networking Protocol (DSNP). This protocol is gaining traction, with adoption by several applications and projects.

• MeWe is among the early adopters of DSNP.
• Soar.com, founded by Paul Allen of Ancestry.com, is utilizing DSNP to build new applications.
• The Frequency blockchain, developed by Project Liberty Labs, also integrates DSNP.

Expanding Partnerships

Project Liberty has recently forged a partnership with Free Our Feeds. This collaboration aims to safeguard the AT Protocol, which underpins the social network Bluesky.

This partnership demonstrates Project Liberty’s commitment to supporting open and decentralized social media standards.