Digg is back—and it’s not a retro throwback. The trailblazing social news site that pioneered the early days of the internet is ready for a daring reboot, and it’s recruiting an all-star roster to bring it to life. At the helm?Kevin Rose, Digg’s first founder, and Alexis Ohanian, Reddit co-founder, former competitor, now collaborator in creating what comes next.
One of the hottestly discussed updates?Christian Selig, the creator of the wildly successful Apollo app on Reddit, has come on board at Digg as an advisor. If you’ve ever used Apollo, you understand how silky smooth and intuitive a Reddit experience could be—Selig was at the helm. His joining Digg is indicative of a firm focus on user experience, particularly on mobile.
Selig’s onboarding follows a very public dispute with Reddit. When the platform significantly raised its API price, Selig disclosed that it would be $20 million annually to maintain Apollo. “Just had a call with Reddit to talk about pricing. Bad news for third-party apps. Apollo would need to pay Reddit $20 million per year to continue running as-is,” he posted. The outcome?Apollo was taken down, and Reddit’s community lost one of its most popular third-party apps.
Digg saw an opportunity in that loss. As CEO Justin Mezzell put it, “We’re excited to have Selig bring that same craft and community-first thinking to Digg—helping us build something that feels good to use and even better to be a part of.” The goal is clear: create a space that prioritizes community, supports moderators, and delivers an experience people enjoy.
Digg’s leadership team is packed with internet heavyweights. Alongside Rose and Ohanian, the project includes Mezzell and Tony Conrad from True Ventures. Together, they’re working to avoid the mistakes that led to Digg’s decline—and the recent controversies around Reddit’s treatment of its developer community. Mezzell didn’t hold back when asked about the Apollo situation: “I simply won’t comment on that. We’re charting our course here at Digg. But if I did make my voice heard, I would probably call out, ‘[redact] me sideways, what a fumble.’ But that would only be if I did make my voice heard publicly.
But this relaunch isn’t all about egos—it’s about making something better. Digg just announced an early access program known as Groundbreakers. For $5, one-time users get a say in the future of the site, get to reserve their usernames, and get a backstage pass on how the site is developed. The fee isn’t gatekeeping; it’s a way of keeping the spammers away and showing that Digg cares about community. Proceeds support nonprofits chosen by users, including The Nature Conservancy, Thorn, and Code.org.
Mobile is the focus this time, and Selig’s contribution is expected to play an important part in Digg’s app. According to WebProNews, “Given that the new Digg will be all about the mobile experience—much like Apollo—Selig’s role in developing that experience is good news for users.”
There’s more to come. With Mozilla throwing in the towel on Pocket, the popular read-it-later service, Rose has famously volunteered to buy it up. If Digg pulls it off, it might bring additional new features and new readers, combining curated reading and community discovery into one venue.
Digg’s revival is more than a relaunch. It’s a clear message about what kind of internet people want to build: one that is curiosity-driven, connected, and well-designed. With Rose, Ohanian, and Selig in charge, Digg’s next act could be one of the most compelling stories in tech this year.
