Post APKYx8O9mearLy9FVg by tiago@social.skewed.de
(DIR) More posts by tiago@social.skewed.de
(DIR) Post #APKJUdXHOyPKFCMuh6 by estebanmoro@mastodon.social
2022-11-06T11:46:10Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
Now that we are almost settled down here in Mastodon, let’s start talking about “Bruno” aka “privacy”. Since your data is in a particular server, your privacy depends on policies put in place there. That means that some users might be more protected than others. But at the same time, a data breach in one server does not affect the rest. I checked some servers privacy policies and it doesn’t look pretty. Some servers don’t have anything written. Just accounts of people that can access your data
(DIR) Post #APKJUdzzgDNNgFnqS0 by estebanmoro@mastodon.social
2022-11-06T11:52:13Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
Other servers are more explicit, but in general, there is no much information about what privacy regulations or law apply and how to exercise your rights. In the #fediverse we have decentralized the data, but also our privacy. It might be a more open, resilient way to admin a social network. However your privacy might end up depending on the good will and work of very different people.
(DIR) Post #APKJUeOSDGwSu7FNZo by tiago@social.skewed.de
2022-11-06T12:17:50Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@estebanmoro What is meant here exactly by privacy? What information do users have in a mastodon account that is not meant to be public, and is not equally accessible in twitter, regardless of centralization?I can only think of DMs.Is there anything else?
(DIR) Post #APKJubzHmTRYyHr0s4 by estebanmoro@mastodon.social
2022-11-06T12:22:31Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@tiago that and server logs, including IPs
(DIR) Post #APKKdzytQ59uPxJQwK by tiago@social.skewed.de
2022-11-06T12:30:49Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@estebanmoro And maybe your email address if you want to keep it private.But honestly, this seems like a razor thin attack surface.What I find a lot more concerning is the danger/reality of a centralized platform like twitter/facebook monitoring people's activities in bulk, including tracking location, cookies and cross-site scripting, figuring out facts about your life that you did not want to disclose (where you go, who you meet, what kinds of things you buy, whether or not you are pregnant, etc).In decentralized platforms this becomes substantially more difficult to accomplish.
(DIR) Post #APKKpGeVmDBnJA9WiW by yyahn@mastodon.social
2022-11-06T12:26:25Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@estebanmoro @tiago and maybe block list, filter setting, etc?
(DIR) Post #APKKpHGRVBWxCntoq8 by tiago@social.skewed.de
2022-11-06T12:32:51Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@yyahn @estebanmoro Block and filter what?You can block users (and entire instances) and filter content already — but what does this have to do with privacy?
(DIR) Post #APKMZsfkqpPOV4WbZI by estebanmoro@mastodon.social
2022-11-06T12:52:28Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@tiago I think privacy is an important issue and it can be done better here. Best way to make this a better platform is to put in place better policies.
(DIR) Post #APKUTp6I1BWPJkYiAq by yyahn@mastodon.social
2022-11-06T14:20:55Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@tiago @estebanmoro I meant the information of whom/what u blocked & filtered. I’m not arguing anything at all. Just observing what can be ‘private’ information on mastodon.
(DIR) Post #APKVycnRuhNS5ZzufA by tiago@social.skewed.de
2022-11-06T14:37:48Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@yyahn @estebanmoro Understood.But I think these are different spheres.If you block someone you prevent them from interacting with you on the platform, but I don't think you have a claim of privacy with respect to people reading what you write.You are still broadcasting your posts to the world, and if a blocked account obtains it (e.g. via the public timeline or any other way), this cannot be considered a privacy violation.Overall, I think there is only minimal privacy concern on mastodon.On twitter there have been many cases of anonymous accounts being “doxxed.”I think this would be much more difficult on mastodon, since you don't need anything other than an email to login — no phone number, birthday, location, etc.In principle an instance admin could leak your email address and login IPs, but that's it.
(DIR) Post #APKXwke1xmzdl5pJEu by estebanmoro@mastodon.social
2022-11-06T14:51:33Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@tiago @yyahn That's exactly how Twitter started. It is highly likely that more (free or commercial) services are built on top of Mastodon to help the users in the community. I think we should talk about this to prevent history happening again
(DIR) Post #APKXwlIRXXJrmQjaEK by tiago@social.skewed.de
2022-11-06T14:59:52Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@estebanmoro @yyahn I agree we should be vigilant! And self-organization is very difficult to predict. But I think we have a better shot of having control of our own data on platforms such as this one.I mean, I'm writing this using my very own instance — the same one I host my website, email, and some “cloud” data (@nextcloud). No middle man.If the authorities seize my server, for whatever reason, all they will find is encrypted storage.With decentralization and federation we have a fighting chance against the surveillance machine.
(DIR) Post #APKYx8O9mearLy9FVg by tiago@social.skewed.de
2022-11-06T15:11:09Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@estebanmoro @yyahn @nextcloud And more importantly than anything, I can have my own emojis! :bob: :gt:
(DIR) Post #APKbGI6g4mZku6EcYy by estebanmoro@mastodon.social
2022-11-06T15:36:57Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@tiago @yyahn @nextcloud YES! 😆