Post AX8uFCi1FGbwKAPuqm by atomicpoet@calckey.social
(DIR) More posts by atomicpoet@calckey.social
(DIR) Post #AX8uFBSjsanISUGCOW by atomicpoet@calckey.social
2023-06-28T02:46:57.135Z
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#ActivityPub, which is like the "language" that makes the #Fediverse work, doesn't have special rules to keep things private. It's more focused on helping different parts of the Fediverse talk to each other. ActivityPub doesn't have special rules to keep your messages private, so we need to be careful about what we share and who can hear us.Imagine you have a sandcastle on the beach, and you want to keep it just for yourself and your friends. But sometimes, there are sneaky seagulls that come along and try to take your sandcastle when you're not looking. Even if you build a strong wall around your sandcastle (like ActivityPub), these sneaky seagulls (called scrapers) can still fly over the wall and take your sandcastle away. So, it's important to be careful with what you share, even if there are walls to protect your things.And defederation doesn’t necessarily make your posts private either. You might think because you built another wall for your sandcastle that it will be safe. But sneaky seagulls can still fly over to your wall and see your sandcastle, even if you’ve created a barrier to entry (defederation) that you believe keeps them away. So, just building a wall doesn't always keep your sandcastle (or your privacy) completely safe from the seagulls (or people who want to see your things). They have wings. They can fly over it.
(DIR) Post #AX8uFC4JcsqsL1qCxs by atomicpoet@calckey.social
2023-06-28T02:50:20.122Z
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As it should be apparent by now, #ActivityPub or defederation is not a suitable “wall” that safeguards privacy. And that was never its intent. Just because you perceive something will keep you safe from voyeuristic entities doesn’t mean it will.
(DIR) Post #AX8uFCi1FGbwKAPuqm by atomicpoet@calckey.social
2023-06-28T03:01:39.651Z
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Now, there's a seagull called Meta, and it's flying around, watching everything that's happening on the beach. Meta is like a company that wants to know what people are doing and talking about.Now, when you're building your sandcastle, you can invite your friends to play with you. You all have a special way of talking to each other, using shells and rocks. This is like the Fediverse, a big group of people using different social media platforms that can talk to each other.But here's the tricky part. Meta, the seagull, has created its own special sandcastle. It looks just like your sandcastle, but it's actually different. It has little hidden cameras inside it, so when people play near that sandcastle, Meta can watch and listen to everything they do. Meta's sandcastle represents their ActivityPub-enabled #Threads server, which is a technology they may use to track people's activities.Now, you might think you can keep your sandcastle private by not playing near Meta's sandcastle. So you and your friends decide to go to a different part of the beach, far away from Meta. But here's the thing: Meta's seagull eyes can still see you, no matter where you go on the beach. It can fly up high in the sky and look down at everything happening on the beach, even if you're not near Meta's sandcastle anymore.Similarly, Meta can still track your activities on the Fediverse, even if you decide to defederate from Meta's ActivityPub-enabled servers. They have other ways to collect information, just like the seagull can fly around and watch from a distance.So, even if you try to protect your privacy by avoiding Meta's sandcastle, they can still see what you're doing because they have other methods of tracking you. That's why it's important to be aware of how your information is being collected and shared, and to make informed choices about what you share on the Fediverse.
(DIR) Post #AX8uFDLireN0JIzcjg by atomicpoet@calckey.social
2023-06-28T03:08:41.672Z
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People are confusing privacy with #ActivityPub federation or defederation—when they should not. Yes, we all know that #Meta is trying to look at your sandcastle (#privacy).They’re a seagull that’s built a sandcastle in close proximity to your sandcastle. From their sandcastle, they’re trying to watch everything that you’re doing with your sandcastle. But just because you move to a different part of the beach (defederation) doesn’t mean they can’t still see what you do. Remember, in this analogy, Meta is a seagull. And what can sea gulls do? Fly over and look at your castle.
(DIR) Post #AX8uFEGnRS1XAJhChE by atomicpoet@calckey.social
2023-06-28T03:25:36.767Z
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Some people think they’re not being tracked by Meta because they don’t have a Facebook, Instagram, or WhatsApp account.Not true. Even if you don’t interact with Meta, they know who you are and follow you everywhere on the Internet.They have something called "shadow profiles," which are like secret folders that they keep for people who aren't even using their services yet.Let's imagine you have a friend named Sarah. Sarah doesn't have a Facebook, Instagram, or WhatsApp account, but she likes to use the internet and visit different websites. When Sarah visits those websites, Meta's special technology quietly watches and learns about her. It notices what websites she visits, what things she likes, and what she's interested in.Meta collects all this information about Sarah, even though she doesn't have an account with them. It's like they're secretly taking notes on Sarah's activities, just in case she ever decides to join their services in the future.So even though Sarah thinks she's staying hidden and private by not having a Facebook, Instagram, or WhatsApp account, Meta is still keeping an eye on her through these shadow profiles. They use this information to learn more about her and show her personalized ads or recommend things to her when she eventually decides to join their services.You think you’re safe even if you deliberately avoid Meta? Not the case. Despite your lack of consent, Meta has made a “shadow profile” that’s all about you.