In a surprising turn of events, Kevin Rose has reacquired Digg, the once-popular social news platform, and is preparing to relaunch it with an unexpected collaborator—Alexis Ohanian, co-founder of Reddit. Rose, now a venture capitalist, purchased the platform from Money Group for an undisclosed amount, aiming to revamp it for a new era of online communities.
“The world has changed so much in the past few years,” Ohanian said in an interview. “When Kevin told me he was buying back Digg, there was a part of me that thought, ‘Well, damn, could we do it again?’”
Rose, who originally founded Digg in 2004, was once at the forefront of social news aggregation. However, after a major redesign alienated its user base, the platform declined, and by 2012, it had been dismantled and sold off in pieces. Meanwhile, Reddit, a competing platform launched by Ohanian and Steve Huffman in 2005, flourished, ultimately becoming a dominant player in online discussion forums.
Despite Reddit’s success, the platform has faced its share of controversy, particularly regarding content moderation and user dissatisfaction. In 2023, a significant number of subreddits went dark in protest of executive decisions that upset community moderators. Observing this turmoil, Rose saw an opportunity to revive Digg with a renewed focus on fostering healthier and more engaged online communities.
To better understand the challenges moderators face, Rose conducted extensive research, including running targeted advertisements on Reddit and analyzing responses with artificial intelligence. “These moderators are pouring their lives into this,” he said. “We think we can do it better.”
With funding from True Ventures, where Rose is a partner, and Seven Seven Six, Ohanian’s venture firm, the duo has assembled a small team of engineers and designers to rebuild Digg. Justin Mezzell, a longtime collaborator of Rose, will serve as CEO, while Rose and Ohanian will take seats on the board, with Rose as chairman.
The revamped Digg will prioritize mobile users and incorporate AI-driven features to enhance accessibility and moderation. AI will be used to filter spam and misinformation and could even introduce novel features, such as translating discussions into niche languages like Klingon for science-fiction enthusiasts.
More importantly, Rose and Ohanian plan to empower community moderators with advanced tools to help maintain and grow their spaces. “What we never focused on is the back end,” Ohanian admitted. “But it’s the back end that really, really matters.”
While the initial reaction to Digg’s revival may be subdued, Rose remains optimistic. “This is the perfect time to revisit this idea with fresh eyes,” he said. Instead of trying to dethrone Reddit, he believes Digg can carve out its own space in the evolving social media landscape, offering a platform that emphasizes meaningful connections and community-driven engagement.
