Public institutions, such as universities, are uniquely positioned to act as trailblazers in the digital public sphere. As both users and providers of essential digital infrastructure, they have the opportunity to lead by example and actively contribute to shaping open, self-governed digital spaces. This Lightning Talk explores how public institutions can support public-interest network structures like the Fediverse, creating decentralized, privacy-conscious communication platforms.

The challenges posed by data-driven, profit-oriented social media platforms underline the risks of relying on commercial services for essential communication. Public institutions can play a pivotal role in fostering digital sovereignty by building and supporting alternatives that align with public values and ensure secure, inclusive communication spaces.

Using the University of Innsbruck in Austria as an example, this Lightning Talk outlines how a multidisciplinary team from science communication, data protection, and IT established a Mastodon instance on university servers. This platform serves not only institutional science communication but is also integrated into the university’s Single-Sign-On system, making it accessible to over 5,000 staff members.

By advancing digital sovereignty and investing in resilient, publicly governed online infrastructure, public institutions can redefine the digital public sphere and set a standard for responsible communication practices. This is a call to action for public institutions everywhere: take an active role in building the Fediverse and shaping the future of digital spaces!

The Fediverse project at the University of Innsbruck is based on a general commitment to open platforms, as set out in the position paper Open Science Communication.