W Social: European alternative to X to launch in the Netherlands

Details for a new, European-based social media platform, W Social, were recently announced at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland. The platform, which should be available to people in the Netherlands, will rival US-based X.

New social media platform W Social announced at WEF

Anna Zeiter, a German CEO based in Switzerland, has recently unveiled W Social, a new European social media platform for “all those who no longer feel comfortable on platforms like X and Facebook”. The platform is still under development and should be available to the public by the end of 2026.

The platform is a European alternative to X (formerly Twitter) and aims to help countries and users move away from relying on US technology. W Social AB, founded in Sweden, is a subsidiary of We Don’t Have Time AB. It currently has over 750 investors from around 15 countries.

According to Zeiter, reported by Bilanz, “The W stands for 'We' and the big questions in investigative journalism: Who, what, when, where, and why?” The letter “W” also combines two “Vs”, which stand for “Values” and “Verified”.

W Social focuses on transparency 

Previously Chief Privacy Officer at eBay, Zeiter believes that “there is an urgent need for a platform that is developed, managed and hosted in Europe”, reports Watson. 

The platform will require human verification to reduce the number of bot accounts that could circulate false information. Users will also have greater oversight of how their data is used and the platform will be subject to European data protection laws. 

Social media expert Jaap van Zessen expects there to be a high demand for an alternative to X but also admits that identifying yourself with a passport before being allowed to use the app will be a downside. "That will be a barrier for many people," he told AD.

In December 2025, X was fined 120 million euros for breaching transparency laws under the European Digital Services Act (DSA). Furthermore, Watson reports that the platform has reduced the number of moderators in Europe despite the spread of harmful and false content on the platform.