Mastodon social network

Mastodon is an open-source, decentralized social networking platform that operates through a network of independent servers known as the Fediverse. Unlike traditional social media platforms, it is not owned by a single corporation. It was founded by Eugen Rochko with a vision of a social network that prioritized user autonomy and decentralization over corporate profit.

The development is primarily overseen by Mastodon gGmbH, a non-profit company registered in Germany. Since the software is open-source (GNU AGPLv3 license), its code is developed by a global community of contributors. The physical manufacturing equivalent—server hosting—takes place in data centers across multiple countries, depending on which individual server or 'instance' a user chooses to join.