Friend.Tech Faces Backlash: Crackdown Backfired on Copycat Usage

Amidst the landscape of cryptocurrency's decentralised social media (DeSo) domain, a new contender has stepped into the arena – Friend.Tech. However, this fledgling platform finds itself immersed in a storm of controversyfollowing a contentious decision.

The decision, characterised by a punitive approach, involves the forfeiture of user points for those who opt to engage with forks or copycat iterations of the platform's tokenised social media ecosystem. As this issue gained momentum, critics raised a barrage of concerns, underscoring a broader debate about the balance between platform governance and user autonomy.

The post on X stated that, “To make sure loyal users are rewarded fairly during our beta, users moving to forks and copies will automatically opt out of earning Points and forfeit existing points.”

While the specifics remain veiled, Friend.Tech refrained from explicitly identifying any direct competitors that triggered this decision. However, a discerning cohort of users directed their attention towards a nascent DeSo venture, "Shares." This impending application, often termed "SocialFi," is poised to launch its public beta on 31 August.

What are this So-Called “Points”?

Friend.Tech, in a bid to engage and incentivise its beta testers, has embarked on a strategic campaign of weekly "reward points" airdrops, culminating in an impressive distribution of 100 million points spanned across a six-month timeframe.

The platform's shroud of mystery envelops these points, leaving users speculating about their eventual purpose. A glimpse was offered hinting that these points will acquire a distinct role upon the app's formal release.

The “Threat” did not go Over Well with the Community

Friend.Tech's “threat” stirred a maelstrom of disapproval within the crypto community. Swiftly upon its publication, the announcement elicited a barrage of negativity, with hundreds of critical comments and reposts resonating strongly.

The sentiment of the community was decisively unimpressed by what they perceived as an anti-competitive move.

In the wake of this reaction, Friend.Tech's enigmatic founder, known under the moniker "Racer", responded with a recalibration of their stance.

In this candid address, Racer retraced their earlier trajectory, admitting that the initial decision had been an ill-considered misstep. They confessed to the influence of apprehension in the face of prospective competition for the Friend.Tech app. *It looks like it was suddenly deleted on their account, along with the warning of forfeiting existing points made earlier. So here is a screenshot instead.

Although the heat on them did weaken, the community is still on the fence.