Fediverse Report
New: Why is Meta adding fediverse interoperability to Threads?
Threads' most recent update allows people on Threads to follow people on the #fediverse, albeit with some significant caveats.
But one simple question has bugging me for a long while: Why? Why is Meta adding interoperability to their platform?
https://fediversereport.com/why-is-meta-adding-fediverse-interoperability-to-threads/
blaine
@fediversereport I go further in my speculation. I think the opt-in requirement for Threads federation stands out as a signal of where Meta is going. I can't find the quote, but Mosseri has said that the opt-in requirement is to protect their users' privacy, security, and IP rights and defend against spam and abuse.
I call bullshit. Meta has always been crap (intentionally and unintentionally) at those things, even on their own fully-controlled platforms.
blaine
@fediversereport my belief is that the opt-in requirement is so that Meta can use their policy clout to ensure that we end up with a "closed open" regulatory regime like the phone networks: you *can* federate, and the system is "open" but so highly regulated "for safety" that only large corporations can even imagine doing so, and in practice the whole thing is run by duopolies or pseudo-cartels (e.g. in the US: Verizon, T-Mobile, AT&T).
This would suit Meta just fine.
blaine
@fediversereport their opt-in requirement is so obviously bogus – if it were something that Meta's lawyers would insist on, then SMTP should also be subject to opt-in policies (sadly, in practice it almost is these days).
It will be a devastating outcome if online decentralization becomes subject to onerous federal / european-level regulatory baseline requirements in order to enter the market. I hope that the regulators see past this attempt at regulatory capture.
cc @pluralistic
blaine
(on the flipside, I hope that Meta is actually pursuing these things in an honourable way, and just taking a cautious approach to user safety – something they absolutely should do! The line gets crossed if they use their power to force (implicitly or explicitly) everyone else to behave in a way that is primarily beneficial to Meta. cc @evan)
Evan Prodromou
@blaine thanks for cc'ing me. I agree; I think opt-in federation is excessively cautious. Just from my experience, though, they seem to be really aware of the large number of small servers out there, and they're using denylist federation, so at least for now I don't think they are going for a small consortium of implementers.
Patrick Leavy
@blaine @fediversereport @pluralistic they just want access to more behavioural data to feed their insatiable, #privacy destroying, #surveillanceBusinessModel
Someone should track Mark Zuckerberg in real life, 24/7, and see how HE likes it.
Cory Doctorow
@patrickleavy @blaine @fediversereport
Zuckerberg bought four houses AROUND his house in Noe Valley to prevent neighbors from spying on him.
He bought most of an Hawai'ian island (using heirs' property auctions to force the sale of indigeonous owned land) and maintains a giant buffer zone to keep people from invading his privacy
Patrick Leavy
@pluralistic @blaine @fediversereport fucking hell WHAT a wanker!!
I loved that documentary Terms and Conditions May Apply where they show up at his house and he's like <whiney voice> "can you stop recording please?"
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