socialmedia

<p>Another <a href="/tags/media/" rel="tag">#media</a> group capitulates to the <a href="/tags/tyrant/" rel="tag">#tyrant</a></p><p><a href="/tags/youtube/" rel="tag">#YouTube</a> Settles <a href="/tags/trump/" rel="tag">#Trump</a> Lawsuit for $24.5 Million</p><p>Trump sued <a href="/tags/alphabet/" rel="tag">#Alphabet</a>, the parent company of YouTube &amp; <a href="/tags/google/" rel="tag">#Google</a>, &amp; other <a href="/tags/socialmedia/" rel="tag">#socialmedia</a> companies after the platforms suspended his accounts in 2021.</p><p><a href="/tags/law/" rel="tag">#law</a> <a href="/tags/firstamendment/" rel="tag">#FirstAmendment</a> <a href="/tags/freespeech/" rel="tag">#FreeSpeech</a> <a href="/tags/authoritarianism/" rel="tag">#authoritarianism</a> <a href="/tags/autocracy/" rel="tag">#autocracy</a> <a href="/tags/dictatorship/" rel="tag">#dictatorship</a> <a href="/tags/fascism/" rel="tag">#fascism</a> <a href="/tags/tyranny/" rel="tag">#tyranny</a> <br><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/29/technology/youtube-trump-lawsuit-settlement.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&amp;referringSource=articleShare" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.nytimes.com/2025/09/29/technology/youtube-trump-lawsuit-settlement.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&amp;referringSource=articleShare"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.nytimes.com/2025/09/29/tec</span><span class="invisible">hnology/youtube-trump-lawsuit-settlement.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&amp;referringSource=articleShare</span></a></p>

<p>I was talking with a friend about dating apps, privacy, security and safety.</p><p>They are using Feeld, which lets you tag specific kinks -- and which changed their TOS about 2 years ago (IIRC) to specify that they sell user data. (In a massive betrayal of the trust and safety of their user base.)</p><p>My friend&#x27;s response was that they aren&#x27;t ashamed of who they are and if an app wants to sell their data, no big deal.</p><p>My position was that in a time of rising fascism, it&#x27;s really worth thinking about how in the 1930&#x27;s, IBM set up the systems to tag and sort people by &quot;undesirable&quot; qualities. In Germany. </p><p>I fear for people with all my heart. </p><p>For the reading comprehension impaired, let me be clear: I&#x27;m not telling anyone not to live their life. I&#x27;m saying be smart, raise your game on privacy and security, and keep yourself and your people as safe as you can in a brutal world.</p><p><span class="h-card"><a href="https://infosec.exchange/@Em0nM4stodon" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@<span>Em0nM4stodon</span></a></span> wrote a great article on data privacy and dating apps (with a focus on queer apps but also relevant to any dating apps).</p><p>Read it, share it with your people, and act on it.</p><p><a href="https://www.privacyguides.org/articles/2025/06/24/queer-dating-apps-beware-who-you-trust/" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.privacyguides.org/articles/2025/06/24/queer-dating-apps-beware-who-you-trust/"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.privacyguides.org/articles</span><span class="invisible">/2025/06/24/queer-dating-apps-beware-who-you-trust/</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/dating/" rel="tag">#Dating</a> <a href="/tags/queerdating/" rel="tag">#QueerDating</a> <a href="/tags/datingapps/" rel="tag">#DatingApps</a> <a href="/tags/surveillancecapitalism/" rel="tag">#SurveillanceCapitalism</a> <a href="/tags/databrokers/" rel="tag">#DataBrokers</a> <a href="/tags/datingapp/" rel="tag">#DatingApp</a> <a href="/tags/privacy/" rel="tag">#Privacy</a> <a href="/tags/privacyguides/" rel="tag">#PrivacyGuides</a> <a href="/tags/feeld/" rel="tag">#Feeld</a> <a href="/tags/socialmedia/" rel="tag">#SocialMedia</a> <a href="/tags/technology/" rel="tag">#Technology</a></p>

<p>AURE FREE PRESS<br>&quot;News Happens Here First&quot;</p><p>Largest Fediverse News Site<br>No Pay Walls <br>600+ Sources<br>Global Audience<br>Journalist Owned</p><p>Independent World News For You, By You! </p><p>FOLLOW:<br>Aure Free Press on Mastodon<br><a href="https://mstdn.social/@Free_Press" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>mstdn.social/@Free_Press</a> </p><p>Follow, Hit 🔔 to Receive New Notifications</p><p>FREE PATREON SUBSCRIPTION:<br>Aure Free Press Extra:<br>In-depth articles, investigations, etc.<br><a href="https://patreon.com/@Free_Press_Forever" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="patreon.com/@Free_Press_Forever"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">patreon.com/@Free_Press_Foreve</span><span class="invisible">r</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/aurefreepress/" rel="tag">#AureFreePress</a> <a href="/tags/news/" rel="tag">#News</a> <a href="/tags/press/" rel="tag">#press</a> <a href="/tags/headline/" rel="tag">#headline</a> <a href="/tags/breaking/" rel="tag">#breaking</a> <a href="/tags/breakingnews/" rel="tag">#breakingnews</a> <a href="/tags/fediverse/" rel="tag">#Fediverse</a> <a href="/tags/socialmedia/" rel="tag">#socialmedia</a> <a href="/tags/trending/" rel="tag">#trending</a> <a href="/tags/uspol/" rel="tag">#uspol</a></p>

<p>Every day I’m grateful for Mastodon and the people who share their ideas, stories, images, hopes, fears, joys and frustrations.</p><p>That’s it. That’s the toot.</p><p><a href="/tags/mastodon/" rel="tag">#mastodon</a> <a href="/tags/socialmedia/" rel="tag">#socialmedia</a> <a href="/tags/gratitude/" rel="tag">#gratitude</a></p>

<p>Things are coming together at <span class="h-card"><a href="https://backend.newsmast.org/@newsmast" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@<span>newsmast</span></a></span>. Here’s the big idea we’re working on:</p><p>What if every community could have their own early-Twitter, driven by an own-branded mobile app, as easy to build as Facebook Groups? </p><p><a href="/tags/fediverse/" rel="tag">#Fediverse</a> <a href="/tags/socialmedia/" rel="tag">#SocialMedia</a> <a href="/tags/community/" rel="tag">#Community</a> </p><p><a href="https://www.blog-pat.ch/building-apps-for-social-spaces/" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.blog-pat.ch/building-apps-for-social-spaces/"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.blog-pat.ch/building-apps-</span><span class="invisible">for-social-spaces/</span></a></p>

<p>Nice review of the evidence for banning phones in schools. This reviews huge studies across numerous countries. The big takeaway: there’s no effect on children’s outcomes. According to the latest evidence, cell phone bans don’t work.</p><p><a href="https://theconversation.com/we-looked-at-all-the-recent-evidence-on-mobile-phone-bans-in-schools-this-is-what-we-found-224848" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="theconversation.com/we-looked-at-all-the-recent-evidence-on-mobile-phone-bans-in-schools-this-is-what-we-found-224848"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">theconversation.com/we-looked-</span><span class="invisible">at-all-the-recent-evidence-on-mobile-phone-bans-in-schools-this-is-what-we-found-224848</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/psychology/" rel="tag">#Psychology</a> <a href="/tags/socialmedia/" rel="tag">#SocialMedia</a> <a href="/tags/smartphones/" rel="tag">#smartphones</a> <a href="/tags/phonebans/" rel="tag">#phoneBans</a> <a href="/tags/childmentalhealth/" rel="tag">#childmentalhealth</a> <a href="/tags/mentalhealth/" rel="tag">#mentalhealth</a></p>

<p>Spotted in my RSS feeds: ByeDoom. “Add any public account from Instagram, Facebook, Threads, X, TikTok or YouTube to quickly get a feed for your favorite reader.”</p> <a href="https://rbfirehose.com/2026/04/06/byedoom-provides-rss-feeds-for-social-networks/" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="rbfirehose.com/2026/04/06/byedoom-provides-rss-feeds-for-social-networks/"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">rbfirehose.com/2026/04/06/byed</span><span class="invisible">oom-provides-rss-feeds-for-social-networks/</span></a>

<p>“I gave the world wide web away for free because I thought that it would only work if it worked for everyone. Today, I believe that to be truer than ever.” — Tim Berners Lee</p><p>_____<br><a href="/tags/business/" rel="tag">#Business</a> <a href="/tags/web/" rel="tag">#Web</a> <a href="/tags/sharing/" rel="tag">#Sharing</a> <a href="/tags/openweb/" rel="tag">#OpenWeb</a> <a href="/tags/indieweb/" rel="tag">#IndieWeb</a> <a href="/tags/smallweb/" rel="tag">#SmallWeb</a> <a href="/tags/bigweb/" rel="tag">#BigWeb</a> <a href="/tags/centralization/" rel="tag">#Centralization</a> <a href="/tags/socialmedia/" rel="tag">#SocialMedia</a> <a href="/tags/ai/" rel="tag">#AI</a> <a href="/tags/quotes/" rel="tag">#Quotes</a></p>

<p>Max Bergmann, a former State Department official and now program director with the Center for Strategic International Studies, predicts Russian-fueled turbulence at the Democratic national convention in August. He foresees attempts of Russian operatives to infiltrate groups of protestors and attempt to turn protests violent.</p><p>He also notes that social media has “become way more of a cesspool than it was in 2016.”</p><p><a href="/tags/democrats/" rel="tag">#Democrats</a> <a href="/tags/russia/" rel="tag">#Russia</a> <a href="/tags/violence/" rel="tag">#violence</a> <a href="/tags/socialmedia/" rel="tag">#SocialMedia</a> <br>/1</p><p><a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/the-watchdogs/2024/05/31/russia-propoganda-democratic-national-convention-dnc-chicago" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="chicago.suntimes.com/the-watchdogs/2024/05/31/russia-propoganda-democratic-national-convention-dnc-chicago"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">chicago.suntimes.com/the-watch</span><span class="invisible">dogs/2024/05/31/russia-propoganda-democratic-national-convention-dnc-chicago</span></a></p>

<p><img src="https://eggplant.place/media/emoji/retro-gaiden.com/mariohighfive.gif" class="emoji" alt=":mariohighfive:" title=":mariohighfive:"> We are the generation that knows what it means to disconnect.</p><p><img src="https://eggplant.place/media/emoji/retro-gaiden.com/odysee_spacechad.png" class="emoji" alt=":odysee_spacechad:" title=":odysee_spacechad:"> We are the generation that grew up knowing the meaning of &quot;sticks and stones&quot;.</p><p><img src="https://eggplant.place/media/emoji/retro-gaiden.com/loz.gif" class="emoji" alt=":loz:" title=":loz:"> We are the generation that knows the value of owning our entertainment.</p><p><img src="https://eggplant.place/media/emoji/retro-gaiden.com/mariobros.gif" class="emoji" alt=":mariobros:" title=":mariobros:"> We are the generation that knows that video games should be about having fun.</p><p><img src="/proxy/emoji/33473/95ec2c145b.png" class="emoji" alt=":rg3:" title=":rg3:"> We are Retro Gaiden. Join us.</p><p><a href="/tags/retrogames/" rel="tag">#RetroGames</a> <a href="/tags/videogames/" rel="tag">#videogames</a> <a href="/tags/retro/" rel="tag">#retro</a> <a href="/tags/nostalgia/" rel="tag">#Nostalgia</a> <a href="/tags/gaming/" rel="tag">#gaming</a> <a href="/tags/80s/" rel="tag">#80s</a> <a href="/tags/90s/" rel="tag">#90s</a> <a href="/tags/2000s/" rel="tag">#2000s</a> <a href="/tags/genx/" rel="tag">#genx</a> <a href="/tags/millennial/" rel="tag">#millennial</a> <a href="/tags/socialmedia/" rel="tag">#socialmedia</a></p>

<p>Your reminder that you DON&#x27;T have to talk about politics and other negative and depressing things on <a href="/tags/socialmedia/" rel="tag">#SocialMedia</a>.</p><p>Facebook and Twitter brainwashed us into thinking this is what social media is for, and this is in great parts why we can&#x27;t have nice things.</p><p>Stop spreading doom and gloom. Talk about what you do, talk about what you love, not what you hate.</p><p>If we want the <a href="/tags/fediverse/" rel="tag">#Fediverse</a> to be a better place than other platforms, it&#x27;s not only about how it works, it&#x27;s also about what we do with it.</p>

<p>If people who follow you on social media are called &quot;followers&quot;, what do you call people you follow?</p><p><a href="/tags/socialmedia/" rel="tag">#SocialMedia</a> <a href="/tags/language/" rel="tag">#language</a> <a href="/tags/linguistics/" rel="tag">#linguistics</a> <a href="/tags/poll/" rel="tag">#poll</a></p> <div class="poll"> <h3 style="display: none;">Options: <small>(choose one)</small></h3> <ul> <li> <label class="poll-option"> <input style="display:none" name="vote-options" type="radio" value="0"> <span class="poll-number" title="13 votes">22%</span> <span class="poll-option-text">Followees</span> </label> </li> <li> <label class="poll-option"> <input style="display:none" name="vote-options" type="radio" value="0"> <span class="poll-number" title="5 votes">8%</span> <span class="poll-option-text">Followings</span> </label> </li> <li> <label class="poll-option"> <input style="display:none" name="vote-options" type="radio" value="0"> <span class="poll-number" title="27 votes">45%</span> <span class="poll-option-text">Follows</span> </label> </li> <li> <label class="poll-option"> <input style="display:none" name="vote-options" type="radio" value="0"> <span class="poll-number" title="15 votes">25%</span> <span class="poll-option-text">Something else?</span> </label> </li> </ul> <div class="poll-footer"> <span class="vote-total">60 votes</span> &mdash; <span class="vote-end">Ended 256d ago</span> <span class="todo">Polls are currently display only</span> </div> </div>

<p>&quot;<a href="/tags/letitiajames/" rel="tag">#LetitiaJames</a> criminally charged in <a href="/tags/trump/" rel="tag">#Trump</a>’s latest effort to punish rivals&quot;</p><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/oct/09/criminal-charges-letitia-james-new-york-attorney-general" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/oct/09/criminal-charges-letitia-james-new-york-attorney-general"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.theguardian.com/us-news/20</span><span class="invisible">25/oct/09/criminal-charges-letitia-james-new-york-attorney-general</span></a></p><p>A number of prominent <a href="/tags/blackwomen/" rel="tag">#blackwomen</a> are targeted by Trump&#x27;s ugly vindictiveness</p><p>Know what <a href="/tags/racialequality/" rel="tag">#racialEquality</a> would look like in the <a href="/tags/usa/" rel="tag">#USA</a>?</p><p>If James wrote 20 ALL CAP <a href="/tags/socialmedia/" rel="tag">#socialMedia</a> screeds at 3 AM, like Trump, in response</p><p>And it didn&#x27;t count against her</p><p>She would never, she&#x27;s not a <a href="/tags/manchild/" rel="tag">#manchild</a></p><p>It makes you think</p><p>About <a href="/tags/humiliation/" rel="tag">#humiliation</a>, <a href="/tags/anger/" rel="tag">#anger</a>, <a href="/tags/whiteprivilege/" rel="tag">#whitePrivilege</a>, being <a href="/tags/black/" rel="tag">#black</a> in <a href="/tags/america/" rel="tag">#America</a></p><p><a href="/tags/bryanstevenson/" rel="tag">#BryanStevenson</a>:</p>

<p>Does anbyody know about an instance of <span class="h-card"><a href="https://indieweb.social/@bonfire" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@<span>bonfire</span></a></span>, that is open for registration and federated? I would really like to try it out in the wider <a href="/tags/fediverse/" rel="tag">#Fediverse</a>.</p><p><a href="/tags/bonfire/" rel="tag">#Bonfire</a> <a href="/tags/socialmedia/" rel="tag">#SocialMedia</a></p>

<p><a href="/tags/elonmusk/" rel="tag">#ElonMusk</a> Ramps Up Anti-Biden Posts</p><p>The <a href="/tags/billionaire/" rel="tag">#billionaire</a> has increasingly been using his <a href="/tags/socialmedia/" rel="tag">#SocialMedia</a> platform to criticize <a href="/tags/potus/" rel="tag">#POTUS</a> <a href="/tags/biden/" rel="tag">#Biden</a>.</p><p>“He is just a tragic front for a far left political machine,” <a href="/tags/musk/" rel="tag">#Musk</a> wrote. It was the 29th time this year that he had posted about the president….</p><p><a href="/tags/power/" rel="tag">#power</a> <a href="/tags/influence/" rel="tag">#influence</a> <a href="/tags/taxcutsforthewealthy/" rel="tag">#TaxCutsForTheWealthy</a> <a href="/tags/corporatetaxcuts/" rel="tag">#CorporateTaxCuts</a> <a href="/tags/gaslighting/" rel="tag">#gaslighting</a> <a href="/tags/propaganda/" rel="tag">#propaganda</a> <a href="/tags/biglie/" rel="tag">#BigLie</a> <a href="/tags/democracy/" rel="tag">#democracy</a> <a href="/tags/voteblue/" rel="tag">#VoteBlue</a> <a href="/tags/bidenharris2024/" rel="tag">#BidenHarris2024</a><br><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/24/technology/elon-musk-x-biden.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&amp;referringSource=articleShare&amp;sgrp=c-cb" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.nytimes.com/2024/05/24/technology/elon-musk-x-biden.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&amp;referringSource=articleShare&amp;sgrp=c-cb"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.nytimes.com/2024/05/24/tec</span><span class="invisible">hnology/elon-musk-x-biden.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&amp;referringSource=articleShare&amp;sgrp=c-cb</span></a></p>

<p>TL;DR: No it wasn&#x27;t. Yes you should.</p><p><a href="/tags/reading/" rel="tag">#reading</a> <a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/writing/" rel="tag">#writing</a> <a href="/tags/socialmedia/" rel="tag">#socialMedia</a></p>

<p>JUST ANNOUNCED: public pre-orders are now available for the autumn 2025 issue of <a href="/tags/goodinternet/" rel="tag">#goodinternet</a> ! magazines will begin being shipped next month!</p><p><a href="https://goodinternetmagazine.com/pre-orders-now-available-for-autumn-2025-issue/" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="goodinternetmagazine.com/pre-orders-now-available-for-autumn-2025-issue/"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">goodinternetmagazine.com/pre-o</span><span class="invisible">rders-now-available-for-autumn-2025-issue/</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/indie/" rel="tag">#indie</a> <a href="/tags/zine/" rel="tag">#zine</a> <a href="/tags/zines/" rel="tag">#zines</a> <a href="/tags/indieweb/" rel="tag">#indieweb</a> <a href="/tags/personalwebsite/" rel="tag">#personalwebsite</a> <a href="/tags/web/" rel="tag">#web</a> <a href="/tags/internet/" rel="tag">#internet</a> <a href="/tags/enshittification/" rel="tag">#enshittification</a> <a href="/tags/socialmedia/" rel="tag">#socialmedia</a> <a href="/tags/neocities/" rel="tag">#neocities</a> <a href="/tags/nekoweb/" rel="tag">#nekoweb</a> <a href="/tags/html/" rel="tag">#html</a> <a href="/tags/webdev/" rel="tag">#webdev</a> <a href="/tags/css/" rel="tag">#css</a> <a href="/tags/webdesign/" rel="tag">#webdesign</a> <a href="/tags/website/" rel="tag">#website</a> <a href="/tags/blog/" rel="tag">#blog</a> <a href="/tags/blogger/" rel="tag">#blogger</a> <a href="/tags/digitalart/" rel="tag">#digitalart</a> <a href="/tags/opensource/" rel="tag">#opensource</a> <a href="/tags/tech/" rel="tag">#tech</a> <a href="/tags/foss/" rel="tag">#foss</a></p>

<p>Happy Monday, fediverse!</p><p>Quick question. How well do you know the people you follow? Would you recognize them from their bios?</p><p><a href="https://data.stefanbohacek.com/projects/fediverse-follows" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="data.stefanbohacek.com/projects/fediverse-follows"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">data.stefanbohacek.com/project</span><span class="invisible">s/fediverse-follows</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/fediverse/" rel="tag">#fediverse</a> <a href="/tags/quiz/" rel="tag">#quiz</a> <a href="/tags/socialmedia/" rel="tag">#SocialMedia</a></p>

<p>Not requiring <a href="/tags/alttext/" rel="tag">#AltText</a> as the default setting in <a href="/tags/sns/" rel="tag">#SNS</a> / <a href="/tags/socialmedia/" rel="tag">#SocialMedia</a> clearly tells us that many devs still don&#x27;t build with an accessibility-first mindset.It always breaks me whenever I see my mother struggling because of the lack in <a href="/tags/accessibility/" rel="tag">#accessibility</a> support.Don&#x27;t wait until you need it too. <a href="/tags/a11y/" rel="tag">#a11y</a></p>

<p>We&#x27;re so glad to hear the WebSocialBR was a hit! 🇧🇷 </p><p>A huge thanks to everyone who got involved and made it happen. </p><p>We&#x27;re also super excited that our partnership with Ibram-Museus to build a &quot;Museums in the Fediverse&quot; app was announced 🎉 </p><p>Huge thanks to <span class="h-card"><a href="https://mato.social/@josemurilo" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@<span>josemurilo</span></a></span> for introducing our work to WebSocialBR and for putting your presentation into such an amazing blog post👇 </p><p><a href="https://josemurilo.com/2025/12/05/museums-in-the-fediverse-experiments-with-tainacan-activitypub-and-websocial/" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="josemurilo.com/2025/12/05/museums-in-the-fediverse-experiments-with-tainacan-activitypub-and-websocial/"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">josemurilo.com/2025/12/05/muse</span><span class="invisible">ums-in-the-fediverse-experiments-with-tainacan-activitypub-and-websocial/</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/socialweb/" rel="tag">#SocialWeb</a> <a href="/tags/websocialbr/" rel="tag">#WebSocialBR</a> <a href="/tags/fediverse/" rel="tag">#Fediverse</a> <a href="/tags/mastodon/" rel="tag">#Mastodon</a> <a href="/tags/socialmedia/" rel="tag">#SocialMedia</a> <a href="/tags/brazil/" rel="tag">#Brazil</a> <a href="/tags/museum/" rel="tag">#Museum</a></p>

<p>Did you know there is a book called &quot;Mastodon For Dummies&quot;?<br>It&#x27;s part of the widely read and well known &#x27;For Dummies&#x27; series.<br>This is the cover of the one I brought home from my local library.<br>Does your library have a copy? If not, maybe you can suggest a new acquisition! It&#x27;s only 14.99 US, 17.99 CAN, and 11.99 UK.</p><p><a href="/tags/mastodon/" rel="tag">#mastodon</a> <a href="/tags/mastodonhelp/" rel="tag">#MastodonHelp</a> <a href="/tags/library/" rel="tag">#library</a> <a href="/tags/fediverse/" rel="tag">#fediverse</a> <a href="/tags/web/" rel="tag">#web</a> <a href="/tags/socialmedia/" rel="tag">#socialmedia</a></p>

<p>Europe needs its own social media platforms to safeguard sovereignty</p><p>Social media has emerged as the central nervous system of global communication, shaping politics, culture, and identity. Yet, Europe’s digital public square is not its own. Over 80% of the continent’s social media activity flows through platforms headquartered in the United States—Meta (Facebook, Instagram), Alphabet (YouTube), and X (Twitter)—creating a dependency that undermines Europe’s autonomy.</p><p>Recently, it has become increasingly clear that European companies urgently need to build Europe’s own sovereign social media ecosystem to counter disinformation, protect democratic integrity, preserve cultural diversity, and reclaim control from US corporate and geopolitical interests. Europe’s sovereignty in the 21st century is at stake.</p><p>The threat of US interference: Disinformation as a geopolitical weapon</p><p>The 2016 Brexit referendum exposed how US-based actors exploited European vulnerabilities. For example, Cambridge Analytica harvested data from 87 million Facebook users—including millions of Europeans—to micro-target voters with divisive ads. Leaked documents revealed campaigns designed to inflame anti-EU sentiment, demonstrating how US corporate tools can destabilize European unity.</p><p>Moreover, false narratives about voter fraud propagated by US politicians on Twitter and Facebook flooded European networks, bolstering extreme movements. In Germany, the “Querdenker” movement leveraged these claims to protest COVID-19 measures, while in other countries, several disinformation groups backed by US billionaires amplified baseless accusations about election rigging.</p><p>It is important to understand that US platforms optimize for engagement and their owners interests, not truth. During France’s 2022 presidential race, YouTube’s algorithm disproportionately recommended far-right candidate Éric Zemmour, boosting his visibility despite his marginal polling. Researchers found that 60% of French-language election content on YouTube contained misinformation, much of it algorithmically amplified.</p><p>US billionaire oligarchy problem</p><p>American billionaires, including tech billionaires, wield outsized influence over European discourse. Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter (rebranded as X) led to the reinstatement of 62,000 banned accounts, including extremists, far-right figures like Germany’s Nikolai Nerling, who had spread anti-vaccine conspiracies, persons who committed several serious crimes in Europe, and persons who promote illegal activities such as rape and dehumanization of others. Meanwhile, Meta’s content moderation policies routinely ignore EU directives; in 2023, the European Commission accused Meta of failing to curb disinformation campaigns. Recently, several disinformation campaigns linked to US billionaires attacked EU officials on social media platforms, spreading false narratives and encouraging committing crimes (e.g., murdering officials or overthrowing governments in the EU). It has become clear that these platforms operate as extensions of US corporate power and the new US administration, prioritizing profit and political gains over Europe’s stability and safety.</p><p>Data colonialism: US platforms exploit Europe</p><p>GDPR vs the US surveillance state<br>While the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) enshrines privacy as a fundamental right, US platforms remain bound by laws like the CLOUD Act, which grants American authorities access to data stored anywhere in the world. In 2022, the European Data Protection Board fined Meta for transferring EU user data to US servers, citing risks of NSA surveillance. Despite the EU-US Data Privacy Framework, experts warn that European data remains vulnerable to US intelligence overreach.</p><p>Economic extraction<br>US platforms siphon billions from Europe’s digital economy. In 2022, Meta reported €4.3 billion in EU revenue but paid an effective tax rate of 8.5% through Irish loopholes—€2.5 billion less than standard EU corporate rates. Google and Apple similarly route profits through tax havens, depriving European governments of funds needed for tech innovation. This financial drain perpetuates Europe’s dependency, stifling homegrown competitors.</p><p>Erasing Europe’s diversity<br>US platforms homogenize culture by privileging English-language content aligning with the worldview of the current US presidential administration and US billionaires. More than 70% of trends on social media originate in the US, overshadowing local creators. European journalists and influencers struggle to compete with US influencers, while platforms like Instagram algorithmically promote American beauty standards, marginalizing Europe’s diverse cultural identities. The shrinking visibility of local users and their regional languages also threatens linguistic heritage of Europe.</p><p>Europe is facing digital sovereignty crisis</p><p>The US tech cold war has turned data into a strategic asset, yet Europe remains a digital colony. US platforms dominate critical infrastructure: 92% of European governments use Facebook for public communication, while Google’s search monopoly shapes access to information. This dependency leaves Europe exposed to geopolitical coercion. For instance, US platforms are involved in limiting and censoring pro-European content but promoting anti-European narratives that are aligned with US interests. Developing sovereign European platforms, including social media platforms and search engines, would ensure the sovereignty in technology, economy, information space, security and defense.</p><p>Building on European strengths: The fediverse and beyond</p><p>European companies and communities already host decentralized alternatives like Mastodon, a federated network powered by the homegrown Mastodon software. These GDPR-compliant tools allow users to control data and interconnect across servers—a model echoing the EU’s federalist values. However, fragmentation, lack of user-friendly UI and underfunding limit their reach. A unified EU initiative could fund these projects while the alliance of European companies and communities could merge these projects into a public-private platform.</p><p>It is in the best interest of the European Union to provide funding for European-owned social media platforms to ensure their development and European digital sovereignty.</p><p>Network effects and innovation</p><p>Critics often argue that Silicon Valley’s dominance is insurmountable, citing global statistics of Meta-owned platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Threads) and X. Yet Europe’s 450 million affluent users offer a critical mass. Moreover, Europe attracts people from other regions such as Asia, Africa and South America. Case studies from China (WeChat, Weibo, Xiaohongshu) show that sovereign platforms can thrive and expand globally.</p><p>Moreover, the EU is a regulatory superpower which can use legislation to support homegrown social media platforms. For example, the EU can mandate US “gatekeeper” platforms (per the Digital Markets Act) to interconnect with European alternatives, allowing cross-platform interactions. In addition, the EU could introduce EU-wide tax breaks for creators using European platforms in the form of “cultural exceptions”.</p><p>Europe’s digital destiny</p><p>The choice is stark: continue as a digital colony of US tech giants or forge a sovereign future. European social media platforms are not just a tool—they shield against disinformation, act as guardian of cultural diversity, and a pillar of strategic autonomy. By combining support and strategic interests with cutting-edge innovation, the EU can support the development of the homegrown social media ecosystem. The time to act is now, before the algorithms of Meta and X platforms write Europe’s next chapter for it.</p><p><a href="/tags/europe/" rel="tag">#Europe</a> <a href="/tags/eu/" rel="tag">#EU</a> <a href="/tags/digitalsovereignty/" rel="tag">#digitalsovereignty</a> <a href="/tags/technology/" rel="tag">#technology</a> <a href="/tags/tech/" rel="tag">#tech</a> <a href="/tags/fediverse/" rel="tag">#fediverse</a> <a href="/tags/socialmedia/" rel="tag">#socialmedia</a> <a href="/tags/privacy/" rel="tag">#privacy</a> <a href="/tags/data/" rel="tag">#data</a></p>

<p>Last week, I posted a question on Mastodon to check if people are using <span class="h-card"><a href="https://m.webtoo.ls/@elk" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@<span>elk</span></a></span>. We got a massive response and some interesting insights. In this video I go through the data and what it means for the future of Elk. </p><p>👉 <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEi-lhFC0x8" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEi-lhFC0x8"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEi-lh</span><span class="invisible">FC0x8</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/mastodon/" rel="tag">#mastodon</a> <a href="/tags/fediverse/" rel="tag">#fediverse</a> <a href="/tags/socialweb/" rel="tag">#socialweb</a> <a href="/tags/elk/" rel="tag">#elk</a> <a href="/tags/decentralized/" rel="tag">#decentralized</a> <a href="/tags/socialmedia/" rel="tag">#socialmedia</a> <a href="/tags/socialnetworkingapp/" rel="tag">#socialnetworkingapp</a> <a href="/tags/foss/" rel="tag">#foss</a> <a href="/tags/opensource/" rel="tag">#opensource</a> <a href="/tags/webdevelopment/" rel="tag">#webdevelopment</a> <a href="/tags/webdeveloper/" rel="tag">#webdeveloper</a></p>

<p>new startup idea from Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz&#x27;s a16z¹: a tool to let you control thousands of <a href="/tags/socialmedia/" rel="tag">#socialmedia</a> accounts that look &quot;as human as possible&quot;</p><p>¹ Owners of large stakes in <a href="/tags/substack/" rel="tag">#Substack</a>, The Privatized Public Square (AKA “X” AKA “The Everything App”), and (soon) <a href="/tags/tiktok/" rel="tag">#TikTok</a></p><p><a href="/tags/doublespeed/" rel="tag">#DoubleSpeed</a> <a href="/tags/ai/" rel="tag">#AI</a> <a href="/tags/grok/" rel="tag">#grok</a> <a href="/tags/psyop/" rel="tag">#psyop</a> <a href="/tags/a16z/" rel="tag">#a16z</a> <a href="/tags/marcandreessen/" rel="tag">#MarcAndreessen</a> <a href="/tags/slugsofa16z/" rel="tag">#SlugsOfA16z</a> <a href="/tags/uspol/" rel="tag">#uspol</a> <a href="/tags/disinformation/" rel="tag">#disinformation</a> <a href="/tags/benhorowitz/" rel="tag">#BenHorowitz</a> <a href="/tags/nerdreich/" rel="tag">#nerdreich</a> <a href="/tags/broligarchy/" rel="tag">#broligarchy</a> <a href="/tags/broligarchs/" rel="tag">#broligarchs</a> <a href="/tags/x/" rel="tag">#X</a> <a href="/tags/networkstate/" rel="tag">#NetworkState</a></p>

<p>your social media habits sound like an abusive relationship <a href="https://blog.avas.space/social-media-abusive/" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="blog.avas.space/social-media-abusive/"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">blog.avas.space/social-media-a</span><span class="invisible">busive/</span></a> <a href="/tags/socialmedia/" rel="tag">#SocialMedia</a></p>