Mastodon

Leading decentralized social network alternative

Mastodon is not an AdTech company. It is a decentralized, open-source social networking platform that operates as a federated network of independently operated servers (instances). Founded by Eugen Rochko in 2016, Mastodon is part of the broader 'Fediverse' and uses the ActivityPub protocol to enable communication between different servers. The platform is explicitly designed as an alternative to centralized social media platforms and operates on a non-commercial, community-driven model. Mastodon is fundamentally opposed to advertising and surveillance capitalism, which are core components of the AdTech ecosystem. The platform does not serve advertisements, does not track users for advertising purposes, and does not monetize user data. It is funded primarily through crowdfunding (Patreon), donations, and grants. Individual server operators may have their own funding models, but the core Mastodon project and software remain ad-free and privacy-focused. As such, Mastodon has no relevance to the AdTech industry and does not participate in digital advertising ecosystems.