“We believe we can create a better digital world. The technology is already here – what matters is the motivation. For us, that motivation is civility, because with civility comes a healthier society,” said Akshay Gupta, chief operating officer at Sez Us, a unique social media platform. The platform is expanding in India, positioning itself as an alternative to mainstream platforms. The US-based company stands out by what it calls a reputation-based system and algorithm-free content delivery.
Sez Us went public in the US about a year ago, signalling a growing trend of social media alternatives that focus more on user control over content and data. In line with the platform’s India expansion, COO Akshay Gupta sat down with indianexpress.com to outline the platform’s approach.
“Our goal was to try to create a world where social media – we believe – is ready for change,” Gupta explained. “It doesn’t matter where you are in the world; we’re actually ready for change.”
Four pillars of operation
When asked to elaborate on Sez Us as a platform, Gupta explained that it operated on four core principles. First is addressing anonymity, which the company views as contributing to toxic behaviour online. “When you allow anonymity, or when you can’t be who you are, you encourage people to behave in ways that they wouldn’t normally behave in the real world,” Gupta said.
The second pillar emphasises what Sez US calls “digital self-sovereignty”. Unlike traditional platforms, Gupta claims users retain ownership of their content. “On Sez US today, you own your content. We’re not taking it. “We’re not selling it, and we’re not selling your information to other people,” he asserted.
The third aspect involves identity portability through blockchain technology, using the Decentralised Social Network Protocol (DSNP). This system aims to allow users to maintain their identity across multiple platforms, though he acknowledged that blockchain adoption faces scepticism, particularly in markets like India.
Gupta shared that the fourth aspect promises a more equitable revenue model for content creators. The COO feels that there is an imbalance when it comes to revenue models in current social media economics.
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What is the reputation engine?
Sez Us platform stands out owing to its reputation engine, which is essentially a scoring system that assigns points on user interactions. They can spend reputation points while engaging with content; Gupta revealed that community reactions can either amplify or reduce these scores.
Gupta provided an example of how this system functions: “We launched right after the US election. A user shared post online, and someone replied, ‘Trump stole the election,’ with nasty language. Within an hour, the community flagged it as false and inappropriate, down-rated it, and the post disappeared. His reputation dropped to -250.”
Sez US, with its community-driven moderation model, represents the company’s efforts to address content moderation without centralised control. “The moderation is really driven by our interaction, not by what Sez US is doing,” Gupta explained.
A glimpse of the reputation engine scoring system on Sez Us. (Express Image)
No algorithms
While traditional social media platforms rely on algorithmic feeds to gauge content visibility, Sez Us has a radically different approach. The company claims that it aims to deliver all posts to all followers without the interference of algorithms. “When you’re on Sez US, if you have 100,000 followers, they will all see your post. We are not putting our thumb on the scale,” Gupta explained.
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This approach also extends to the platform’s stance on content virality. “We’re not trying to drive virality. We’re not trying to drive time on the platform. We’re trying to dial up healthy conversation,” he noted.
The platform frames this as addressing what Gupta called a fundamental issue with current social media design:”It’s not a technology problem; it’s a motivation problem. It’s a value problem. Our value is a healthier world.”
India market strategy
Sez Us is making its way into India at a time when the nation is grappling with misinformation concerns and social media regulations. According to Gupta, the platform serves who he calls ‘the digitally homeless’ or those frustrated with existing platforms.
“Looking at India, you’ve got a burgeoning creator community, you’ve got a rich network of platforms,” Gupta observed. The company has established partnerships with educational institutions, including Thiagarajar College of Engineering in Madurai, and has built a development team in India.
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The blockchain-based identity system, while central to Sez US’s vision, may face hesitancy from users unfamiliar with or sceptical of such technology. When asked about this, Gupta said, “Blockchain has its inherent concerns. I think the leading edge of Indian consumers who understand blockchain will probably be intrigued by Frequency. But we don’t expect it to be the cornerstone of what’s happening today.”
On being asked about the economic model and sustainability, Gupta said that while the platform will include advertising, its revenue model will give priority to creator compensation. “Today, over $250 billion in advertising runs through social media, and that number is expected to exceed $400 billion in the future. Yet only $20 to $40 billion of it goes to creators. That’s an imbalance,” he said.
India’s creator ecosystem has mushroomed in the last few years. When asked how he sees Sez Us creating opportunities for creators in ways that differ from other platforms, Gupta attested that on Sez, 100 per cent of a user’s followers will see their content, and there is no throttling, no algorithms deciding who gets visibility. “Our economic model is designed to favour creators, not platforms. Your success depends on the quality of your work, not hidden rules. Content ownership is key. Just like a reporter owns their article, creators should own their work – and we want to put that back in their hands.”
An alternative, not a replacement
Gupta claims that Sez Us promises transparency in its economic model. “We will create an open market that allows digital self-sovereignty to work, and that’s where the monetisation is going to come,” Gupta explained.
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The company’s emphasis on interoperability with other platforms, rather than seeking to replace them entirely, represents a different approach to social media competition.
“We don’t see the world where you come to us and aren’t on X, or come to us and aren’t on Instagram. We see the world allowing you to be seamlessly everywhere,” Gupta noted, suggesting the platform views itself as part of a broader ecosystem rather than a standalone unit.
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