What is Next Social?

Selçuk Bayraktar introduced Next Sosyal, a domestic social media platform developed by TEKNOFEST entrepreneurs. This platform, free from advertising and censorship, aims to provide users with a free, secure, and transparent digital experience. Developed with the contribution of local entrepreneurs and embracing an open-source code philosophy, Next Sosyal quickly attracted attention at both national and international levels.

What is Next Sosyal?

Next Sosyal is a fully domestic and national social media platform focused on areas such as news, technology, lifestyle, and current affairs. Developed within the TEKNOFEST ecosystem, it offers an ad-free, censorship-free, and algorithm-free experience. User data is stored exclusively on secure servers located in Türkiye, with data privacy prioritized.

Next Sosyal, introduced by Selçuk Bayraktar on CNN Türk, has reached over 700,000 users in a short time. The platform supports various content formats including text, images, videos, and polls, allowing users to personalize their feeds according to their interests. Additionally, the integrated artificial intelligence bot T3AI, multilingual content support, and rapid response capabilities further enrich the user experience.

Access Methods and Registration Process

Access to Next Sosyal is possible through two methods:

• Mobil: The application can be downloaded for free by searching for “Next Sosyal” on Google Play Store or App Store.
• Web: Registration can be initiated through the official website.

The steps to register for Next Sosyal are as follows:

1. After opening the application or accessing the website, click the “Sign In” button.
2. From the displayed screen, select the “TEKNOFEST Sosyal” server.
3. Click on the option “Continue with T3 SSO”.
4. Enter your first name, last name, email address, username, and password in the registration form.
5. Activate your account by entering the SMS verification code sent to your phone number.

User Experience

On Next Sosyal, users can create content in text, image, video, and poll formats, interact with other users, and discover communities based on their interests. Thanks to its simple and user-friendly interface, content sharing and interaction occur effortlessly. Its ad-free and algorithm-free structure enables users to explore content freely.

Manipulation on Social Media and Open Source Software

Selçuk Bayraktar highlighted the advantages of open-source software and emphasized that manipulation is widespread on existing dominant social media platforms. Bayraktar noted that certain posts are promoted while others are suppressed. Criticizing this practice, he stated:

"There are platforms designed to turn society against itself. When you look, you see very dark stories. Sometimes we even see heads of state removed from social media. You see your account closed. I myself have experienced this. We witnessed my entire account being shut down. When something is open source, social media becomes equal for everyone."

The Rationale Behind the Name Next Sosyal

Bayraktar explained that the application’s name was determined collectively by the technical team and T3 Foundation through shared deliberation. He noted that the choice of English was aligned with global growth objectives. Bayraktar clarified their aim to spread the platform among friendly and brotherly regions and to dismantle digital domination:

"Let anyone who wishes access it openly. Let universities use it because it can be deployed on a simple server."

Cyber Attacks and Platform Resilience

Bayraktar stated that the application has faced serious cyberattacks, resulting in the platform being inaccessible for approximately 20 minutes. This incident once again underscored the importance of digital security and resilience.

Transparency Regarding Name Suggestions

Bayraktar indicated that Next Sosyal, still in its testing phase, is open to name suggestions and emphasized the importance of a name with global and regional significance. He referenced how the name “KIZILELMA” was adopted in the past, saying:

"This is a name that carries meaning across all friendly and brotherly regions globally. Initially, the Muharip UAV System was called something else, but then our professor Erhan suggested the name KIZILELMA. Lightning struck in our minds and the name remained as is. Here, for the global social media aspect, we use Next. Perhaps a different name could be considered for Türkiye."

In conclusion, Next Sosyal emerges as a strong representative of domestic and national technological initiatives in the digital space. By safeguarding user data, avoiding advertising and censorship, and embracing transparency through its open-source code structure, the platform transcends the role of a mere social media channel to become a strategic step toward digital independence.