Digg, the iconic Web 2.0 link aggregator currently undergoing a high-profile revival, has officially expressed interest in acquiring the read-it-later app Pocket from Mozilla.
A Strategic Move Following Mozilla’s Shutdown Announcement
The proposal follows Mozilla’s announcement on Thursday that it plans to shutter Pocket on July 8. The organization cited a shift in web consumption habits and a need to pivot toward new development priorities as the primary drivers for the closure.
Shortly after the news broke, Kevin Rose—Digg’s original founder, now leading the platform’s relaunch alongside Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian—took to X (formerly Twitter) to signal his intent. Rose tagged both Mozilla and Pocket, stating, “We love Pocket at @Digg, happy to take it over and continue to support your users for years to come!”
.@mozilla @Pocket — we love Pocket at @digg, happy to take it over and continue to support your users for years to come! cc: @peterrojas 🙂
— Kevin Rose (@kevinrose) May 22, 2025
Potential Synergies for the Digg Ecosystem
While neither Digg nor Mozilla has responded to requests for comment, industry observers note that an acquisition could provide significant value. Integrating Pocket’s existing reading list infrastructure into Digg would offer a seamless pipeline for content discovery and sharing, potentially accelerating the aggregator’s growth during its relaunch phase.
Digg’s comeback strategy has been aggressive. Beyond the involvement of Rose and Ohanian, the company recently appointed Christian Selig, creator of the renowned third-party Reddit app Apollo, as an adviser. Selig’s expertise is seen as a key asset, particularly given his history of navigating complex API and user experience challenges.
Industry Frustration Over Mozilla’s Decision
Digg is not the only entity that has eyed Pocket. Medium CEO Tony Stubbleine revealed that he previously explored a potential acquisition of the service in 2023, only to be met with silence from Mozilla prior to this week’s shutdown announcement.
“Not sure what Mozilla is doing, but it is kind of infuriating,” Stubbleine stated. “The Pocket software is easy to rebuild, but some of the infrastructure and integrations around the web would be hard to replace. So I’m sure that someone would have taken it on.”