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Protocols and Standards

Introduction​

Protocols and standards form the cement between the different layers of the technology stack. A protocol describes the agreements on how data is exchanged. When a protocol is standardised as an open standard, anyone can implement it — which prevents lock-in, where users are made dependent on a particular product or service.

A clear example is email: anyone in the world can send you a message if they know your address, regardless of which software or provider they use. Messaging services like WhatsApp and Telegram use closed protocols, so you can only communicate with other users of the same service — and only through hardware and infrastructure those companies control.

Open standards are usually drawn up by international bodies like the IETF and ITU, through a multi-stakeholder process involving companies, research institutions, civil society, and governments.

Examples​

Preferring FOSS software also means preferring software that implements open standards. In practice:

  • Email — open standard, any provider, any client; open extensions like PGP add end-to-end encryption on top without needing a new protocol
  • Chat — Matrix, the protocol used here for real-time messaging, where anyone can run a server and talk to any other; alongside older federated protocols like XMPP and IRC
  • Social protocols — ActivityPub, the protocol behind Mastodon and Lemmy; the AT Protocol, behind Bluesky; and Nostr: different approaches to the same goal, letting people run their own server or client without depending on one company's platform

Federation is the point of preferring these protocols, not a side effect: decentralised protocols mean no single point of control or failure. A federated service can't be taken down by pressuring one provider or one jurisdiction.