On the Threshold of Digital Sovereignty: Next Sosyal
Next Sosyal is not merely a domestic social media platform, but also aims to serve as a strategic AI data source that carries Türkiye’s cultural heritage into the digital age.
The social fabric of the digital age is being shaped under the shadow of global platforms that connect billions of people. However, these massive networks also bring profound problems including data privacy violations, algorithmic manipulation, disinformation, and social polarization. In the midst of this global equation, Türkiye is taking an ambitious step to write its own digital sovereignty narrative: Next Sosyal. Designed as more than just a social media alternative, the platform represents a symbol of national technological initiative and cultural awakening, signing a strategic manifesto for Türkiye’s digital future.
More Than an Alternative: A Value-Driven Digital Haven
Launched on July 23, 2025, with the motto “Our Meeting Place in Social Media,” Next Sosyal is the product of Türkiye Technology Team (T3) Foundation, TEKNOFEST initiatives, and Baykar’s engineering expertise. The platform, announced by T3 Foundation Board of Trustees Chairman Selçuk Bayraktar, reached hundreds of thousands of users in its first week, quickly surpassed the one million user milestone, and climbed to the top of app stores, proving the existence of significant societal demand.
Can It Compete with Global Platforms?
Whether a domestic social media platform can succeed in an arena dominated by global giants like Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and Instagram is a frequently debated topic.
According to Pew Research, 77% of users find social media effective for sociopolitical awareness. However, negative aspects outweigh the positives: a meta-analysis in BMC Psychology journal shows that excessive use increases the risk of anxiety, depression, and loneliness. Columbia University experts list cyberbullying, body image pressure, and misinformation spread as primary concerns. These platforms can also fuel political polarization. Next Sosyal has the potential to offer solutions to these problems. Its ad-free structure aims to keep users away from commercial pressure that encourages constant consumption, while its algorithm-free chronological feed aims to prevent the formation of “echo chambers” and “filter bubbles.” Certainly, the road ahead for Next Sosyal is challenging. Competing against the massive user bases and established network effects of global competitors is not easy. However, the strong technological foundation behind the platform and the “National Technology Initiative” vision provide it with a significant advantage. T3 Foundation Board Chairman Dr. Elvan Kuzucu Hıdır states that the platform aims not to remain limited to Türkiye but to expand to brotherly and friendly countries. This vision also brings the potential to make Next Sosyal a regional power.
A Strategic Data Pool in the Age of Artificial Intelligence
Perhaps the most exciting and strategic aspect of Next Sosyal lies in its potential in the artificial intelligence (AI) field. Today, the development and training of AI models depend on large and quality datasets. xAI’s use of billions of interactions on the X platform while training its Grok model demonstrates the critical role of social media data in this field.
On the other hand, artificial intelligence models embody not only technological but also cultural phenomena in their code. The success of these systems depends on the nuances of language, folk narratives, idioms, and socio-cultural content. While many large language models today are trained on languages like English and Chinese, the adequate representation of Turkish richness brings a different discussion topic.
In this context, Next Sosyal has the potential to become an invaluable resource for Türkiye to develop its own national artificial intelligence models.
Content produced by users, reflecting the ancient Anatolian linguistic heritage, Ottoman legacy, and the linguistic richness of contemporary Turkish society, can make a unique contribution to Türkiye in natural language processing technologies.
The Turkish-focused large language model “T3 AI,” integrated into the platform and developed by T3 Foundation and Baykar, is the first concrete step of this vision. T3 AI has capabilities such as analyzing posts and providing automatic responses, interpreting multilingual content, and filtering against harmful content. As Next Sosyal grows and the content produced by users becomes enriched, the data accumulated on this platform will acquire the quality of a “national treasure” for training more advanced and comprehensive national artificial intelligence models.
The Digital Memory of the Future
Next Sosyal has a vision that targets not only today but also the future. Through active participation of the young population, the goal of expanding to the geography of hearts, and AI-supported moderation policies, this platform can create a domestic digital public sphere. Here, not only content sharing but also cultural transmission and digital archive creation become possible. Social media is no longer just a space for socialization; it’s an infrastructure for digital memory, data pools, and algorithmic futures. Türkiye is shaping its strategic move in this field through Next Sosyal. Visionary enough to make foreigners say “there’s something here,” yet familiar and secure enough for locals to call it “ours.”
