Digg Acquired by Co-Founder Kevin Rose and Reddit's Alexis Ohanian for AI-Driven Revival

Social media pioneers Kevin Rose, Digg's original founder, and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian have teamed up to acquire and revive the content aggregation platform Digg for an undisclosed sum. The strategic move aims to reintroduce Digg with a fresh vision, emphasizing AI-driven curation, human-centered community, and a focus on combating misinformation. The acquisition, backed by True Ventures and Ohanian's Seven Seven Six, was announced on Wednesday, March 5, 2025, with plans for a relaunch in the coming weeks.

The partnership brings together two figures historically seen as rivals in the social news landscape. Ohanian, who co-founded Reddit a year after Digg's 2004 launch, previously viewed Digg as a direct competitor. However, both executives now express a shared vision for a new era of online communities, with Rose stating, "The new @digg brings some great nostalgia, but we're not here to just rebuild the past or clone a competitor."

The revitalized Digg plans to leverage artificial intelligence to enhance user experience and moderation, aiming to create a platform that prioritizes transparency and fosters enriching discussions. Kevin Rose highlighted the potential of AI as a "helpful co-pilot to users and moderators," augmenting human conversation rather than replacing it. Justin Mezzell, a longtime collaborator of Rose, has been appointed CEO, with Rose serving as board chair and a key advisor.

Digg, once valued at approximately $160 million in 2008, saw its prominence wane following the rise of platforms like Facebook and a controversial V4 redesign. It was eventually sold to tech incubator Betaworks in 2012 for about $500,000. Ohanian, who stepped down from Reddit's board in 2020, expressed his excitement for the collaboration, teasing on X that he was "working on something new... but also old... but also very new."

The new platform intends to differentiate itself in the crowded social media market by focusing on "micro communities of trusted users" and potentially utilizing technologies like ZK proofs to verify human users without compromising privacy. This approach seeks to address concerns about bots and misinformation prevalent on current social media. The collaboration underscores a belief that a balance between technology and human judgment is crucial for thriving online communities.