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European startups launch new social networks to challenge US and Asian giants

A wave of European startups is launching social networks like eYou, W, Eurosky, Bulle, and Monnett to challenge the dominance of American and Asian platforms. Founders cite growing distrust of big tech and transatlantic tensions as a window of opportunity, but analysts warn of an uphill battle against entrenched incumbents.

By Tertius News AI Desk 1 outlet · 2 articles Version 1 Coverage May 9, 2026 Published Aug 13

Lead

A new wave of European-founded social networks is seeking to challenge the dominance of American and Asian tech giants, capitalizing on what founders describe as growing user disillusionment with major platforms. Networks including eYou, W, Eurosky, Bulle, and Monnett have either recently launched or are preparing to debut, aiming to offer alternatives that address criticisms such as filter bubbles and addictive design.

Coverage comparison

Reporting from France 24 (English) highlights the timing of these launches, linking them to heightened transatlantic tensions during Donald Trump's second presidency and a perceived "conservative turn in Silicon Valley" that has alienated European users. The coverage quotes multiple founders and a researcher, painting a picture of both opportunity and considerable challenge.

Key claims

Several new European networks are launching or in development: eYou, W, Eurosky, Bulle, and Monnett, as reported by France 24.
eYou, a Croatia-based network opening to users on Tuesday, raised 300,000 euros (approximately $353,000) in a second fundraising round in late 2025, according to the same source.
Monnett, described as a hybrid of TikTok and Instagram, claims more than 65,000 users on its beta version and is set for full release in July.
Founders see an opportunity in the disillusionment and distrust of major platforms, which they say has spiked alongside transatlantic tensions under Trump's presidency.
The dominance of incumbent players makes it difficult for new networks to gain traction, a point acknowledged by eYou's co-founder Gregoire Vigroux and echoed by the report.

Perspectives

Francetic (or French) coverage emphasizes the European perspective, framing the new networks as a response to American and Asian dominance and a desire for digital sovereignty. Founders like Vigroux argue that "the timing is perfect" for Europe to build its own social networks, citing deteriorating EU-US relations. However, analysts and the report itself note that the "enormous graveyard" of failed European social networks suggests a steep uphill battle. The article also notes that 99 percent of European social networks launched in the last decade have fallen flat, a statistic that underscores the challenge.

Timeline and context

January 2025: W, a would-be competitor to X, is announced; Bulle (French for "bubble") launches with a promise of a "healthy social network"; Eurosky, a platform for accessing independent social networks, is also launched last month (as of the report).
Late 2025: eYou completes a second fundraising round, raising 300,000 euros.
February 2025 (reported): eYou opens to users; Monnett is in beta with plans for full release in July.
The report notes that these figures are minuscule compared to the hundreds of millions of users and billions in revenue of the major platforms.

Outlook

The report suggests that while the new networks may attract niche or early adopters, their ability to unseat established giants remains highly uncertain. The founders' optimism is tempered by the sobering history of past failures and the enormous resources required to compete in the social media space. As the political and social climate evolves, the success of these ventures will depend not only on user adoption but also on their ability to offer genuine alternatives that address the shortcomings of incumbent platforms.

How this outlet told it

France 24 — English as of May 9, 2026, 4:30 PM UTC

Framing: Challenging American and Asian social media giants — Informative, with a neutral tone

Facts Included:

New European social networks are launching to challenge American and Asian giants
eYou, W, Eurosky, Bulle, and Monnett are some of the new networks
These networks aim to address criticisms of big players, such as filter bubbles and addictive design
eYou garnered 300,000 euros in a second fundraising round
Monnett claims more than 65,000 users on its beta version
The dominance of incumbent players makes it difficult for new networks to challenge them

Read the source article →

France 24 — English as of May 9, 2026, 4:00 PM UTC

Framing: New European social networks are launching to challenge American giants — Informative, with a slightly positive tone towards the new networks

Facts Included:

Founders see opportunity in the disillusionment and distrust of major platforms
eYou, W, Eurosky, Bulle, and Monnett are some of the new networks
These networks aim to address criticisms of big players, such as filter bubbles and addictive design
eYou garnered 300,000 euros in a second fundraising round
Monnett claims more than 65,000 users on its beta version

Read the source article →

What was claimed, and who backed it

Each row is one claim, attributed to the outlet whose wording states it most clearly. Confidence rates how directly the source text states the claim — explicit and unhedged rates high; hedged, pieced-together, or internally inconsistent statements rate lower. It does not measure whether the claim is true. Status counts the distinct outlets we found asserting it — so a single-source claim can still show high confidence, and a multi-source claim can show medium. Every one of those outlets is named beside the status, so you can check the count against the list. For claims extracted before we began storing that list, the row says so: it names the outlet the claim is quoted from and states that we have not recorded which outlets backed it. Outlets wrote at different times, so a figure that evolves — a casualty count, for example — can legitimately differ between rows; check the "as of" time next to each claim's source.

Claim	Confidence	Status
ClaimNew European social networks are launching to challenge American and Asian giants. These networks aim to address criticisms of big players, such as filter bubbles and addictive design.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via France 24 — English as of May 9, 2026, 4:30 PM UTC
ClaimeYou, W, Eurosky, Bulle, and Monnett are some of the new networks.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via France 24 — English as of May 9, 2026, 4:30 PM UTC
ClaimeYou garnered 300,000 euros in a second fundraising round.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via France 24 — English as of May 9, 2026, 4:30 PM UTC
ClaimMonnett claims more than 65,000 users on its beta version.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via France 24 — English as of May 9, 2026, 4:30 PM UTC
ClaimThe dominance of incumbent players makes it difficult for new networks to challenge them.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via France 24 — English as of May 9, 2026, 4:30 PM UTC
ClaimFounders see opportunity in the disillusionment and distrust of major platforms that have spiked alongside transatlantic tensions under Donald Trump's second presidency.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via France 24 — English as of May 9, 2026, 4:00 PM UTC
Claim99 percent of European social networks launched in the last 10 years have fallen flat.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via France 24 — English as of May 9, 2026, 4:30 PM UTC

Transparency & Audit Trail

1 outlet · 2 articles consulted: France 24 — English 7 claims extracted Version 1 Written 2026-08-13