What’s old is proving to be new again, as one of social media’s most missed platforms, Vine, is back—but with a twist. The beloved six-second video format has been resurrected in a new, decentralized incarnation callded diVine, which officially launched this past Thursday.
The Return of the Founder and the Format
In a move that is sure to raise some eyebrows, the project was financed by And Other Stuff, a nonprofit collective run by Jack Dorsey—the very same Twitter founder who was at the helm when the original Vine was shut down. diVine’s branding is uncannily similar to its predecessor, and it’s built entirely around the familiar concept of short, six-second video loops.
A significant draw for nostalgic fans will be the platform’s commitment to the past. diVine users will have access to an extensive archive of over 100,000 classic, archived Vine videos, according to reports from TechCrunch, which recently interviewed the company.
A Decentralized and Nostalgic Vision
The philosophy behind this reboot is clearly stated on diVine’s website: “Experience the raw, unfiltered creativity of real people sharing genuine moments in 6-second loops. Built on decentralized technology, owned by no one, controlled by everyone.”
The effort to revive the six-second video concept makes perfect sense in the current landscape, especially considering the massive, global success of TikTok, which is widely seen as Vine’s spiritual successor. In fact, even Elon Musk has previously expressed interest in bringing the original Vine back.
The Core Promise: No AI
Beyond simply rebooting the format and utilizing open-source technology, diVine has a compelling, timely promise: an absolute rejection of AI. At a time when AI-generated content is becoming increasingly prevalent and difficult to distinguish, diVine is taking a firm stand by preventing and disallowing the posting of any AI-generated videos.
Evan Henshaw-Plath, the person leading the new project, explained the motivation to TechCrunch, saying, “So basically, I’m like, can we do something that’s kind of nostalgic? Can we do something that takes us back, that lets us see those old things, but also lets us see an era of social media where you could either have control of your algorithms, or you could choose who you follow, and it’s just your feed, and where you know that it’s a real person that recorded the video?” This commitment suggests diVine is aiming to be more than just a nostalgia trip; it’s a bid to restore a more genuine, human-centric, and user-controlled social media experience.
