Posts by about.iftas.org@about.iftas.org
(DIR) Post #Ad0mqc6ASxhbpSRYkC by about.iftas.org@about.iftas.org
2023-12-20T19:49:28Z
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Please note, this post will be a living document that will be updated over time as new information becomes available.Over the past several weeks, IFTAS has fielded an increasing number of inquiries about the implications of Threads – the microblogging platform from Instagram, a Meta platform – enabling ActivityPub and testing their connectivity with the Fediverse.Server admins and moderator teams are grappling with the decision and trying to understand the impact of allowing their service to interact with Threads, and thereby with Meta’s network and data infrastructure.IFTAS has solicited a list of questions from the community which has been sent to the Threads team. If we get replies, we will post them here. We will continue to collect your questions for the foreseeable future.IFTAS will remain steadfast in its mission to support the moderators of federated social media services. If a large number of threads.net accounts opt in to federating their content, this would increase both the source of content that may break your terms of service leading to an increase in local reports, as well as the number of accounts able to view your member’s content, leading to an increase in remote reports if your member’s content is deemed objectionable. Before federating with Threads, you may want to review the Instagram Community Guidelines (Threads is an Instagram product) to review your member content’s applicability. Federating with Threads may expose you to compliance issues you have not previously been concerned with, as Threads is a US corporation with strict compliance requirements regarding subject matter commonly found on the Fediverse, including intellectual property concerns, sexually explicit content, and sex work. Threads users can report any content they find that meets their definition of spam, nudity or sexual activity, hate speech or symbols, violence or dangerous organizations, bullying or harassment, selling illegal or regulated goods, intellectual property violations, suicide or self-injury, eating disorders, scams or fraud, and false information.According to the GLAAD Social Media Safety Index, Instagram, Thread’s parent, has a 63% SMSI score for safety. While Instagram scores the highest of all the rated platforms, you should note that Instagram will allow accounts on their service that many would choose to block. We are unaware of any shared lists of such accounts on Threads, but if we become aware of such a list we may link to it here. Online hate leads to offline violence which leads to yet more online hate, and all hate and harassment should be reported to the relevant platform, no matter the source.If you wish to completely shield your members from interacting with Threads, be aware that defederating threads.net stops content coming in, but not necessarily going out. Followers of your members may boost or repost content to their followers, which in turn may be threads.net accounts. Mastodon offers an Authorized Fetch option – Configuring your environment – Mastodon documentation – which will completely remove the ability for Threads to gather content from your service. Other platforms may have similar options, and you should pose this question to the relevant developer team.You should also be aware of the Threads Supplemental Privacy Policy. This document describes the data Instagram will collect from your users if they interact with Threads, and the intent to service privacy requests, notably:What information do we collect?[…]Information From Third Party Services and Users: We collect information about the Third Party Services and Third Party Users who interact with Threads. If you interact with Threads through a Third Party Service (such as by following Threads users, interacting with Threads content, or by allowing Threads users to follow you or interact with your content), we collect information about your third-party account and profile (such as your username, profile picture, and the name and IP address of the Third Party Service on which you are registered), your content (such as when you allow Threads users to follow, like, reshare, or have mentions in your posts), and your interactions (such as when you follow, like, reshare, or have mentions in Threads posts).(IFTAS note, this is the same information most ActivityPub servers will collect if a user interacts)and:How can you manage or delete your information and exercise your rights?[…]If you are a Third Party User, our ability to verify your request may be limited and we may be unable to process your request. Please note, however, that the interoperable protocol allows Third Party Services to automatically send Threads requests for deletion of individual posts when those posts are deleted on the Third Party Service. We make reasonable efforts to honor such requests when we receive them. Contact your Third Party Service to learn more.(https://help.instagram.com/515230437301944?helpref=faq_content retrieved 2023-12-16)Below are the initial set of questions submitted to the Threads team, as we learn more, we will update this page.QuestionsIf a Fediverse user reports content from threads.net to their service provider and chooses to notify the source server, how does Threads receive it? Can Threads receive it?If a Threads user reports content from a third party to Threads Trust and Safety, is that report forwarded to the third party moderation workflow?How will Threads observe and effect user-to-user blocks that involve a third party?If a third party service publicly defederates Threads in a fashion Threads can discern, will Threads reflect that defederation and not ingest posts or profiles from that service?Will Threads take an “allowlist” approach, only federating with approved instances; or a “denylist” approach, federating with all instances by default unless they are explicitly blocked? Will any such lists – if they exist – be public?How will Threads safeguard against federating with known bad actors in the existing ActivityPub space, thereby exposing Threads users to accounts and servers that are widely defederated by the community at large?Will Threads require instances that federate with it to adhere to Threads-defined moderation standards? If yes, will Threads publish these standards?To submit a question for consideration, use this document: https://cryptpad.fr/pad/#/2/pad/edit/6IxyBdggAi+7+bDOCh2AAT+t/To discuss this issue with IFTAS and the IFTAS community, join our Matrix chat: https://chat.iftas.org/#/room/#space:matrix.iftas.orgHelpful LinksPrioritizing key #FEP’s Ahead of Thread’s Federation – ActivityPub – SocialHub What does AUTHORIZED_FETCH actually do? | Sunny Garden HubDefederation, Threads and You – Fediverse – kbin.socialThreads: The inside story of Meta’s newest social app – Engineering at MetaBlocking Threads won’t be enough to protect privacy once they join the Fediverse | Hacker NewsShould the Fediverse welcome its new surveillance-capitalism overlords? Opinions differ! (UPDATED)What to know about Threads – Mastodon Blog Threading an Argument for the Fediversemosseri • Fediverse update thread 🔔🧵 For those of you who don’t know, @Threads is being built on the… https://about.iftas.org/2023/12/20/moderating-the-fediverse-threads-from-instagram/
(DIR) Post #AoUeiI2l2huInQFP4S by about.iftas.org@about.iftas.org
2024-11-27T17:30:16Z
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Welcoming Erin KissaneWe are thrilled to announce that Erin Kissane has joined the IFTAS Advisory Board! Erin brings a unique and deeply informed perspective on trust, safety, and governance in decentralised online spaces, making her an invaluable addition to our mission of supporting independent social media communities.Erin’s recent work on Fediverse Governance underscores her dedication to understanding and addressing the nuanced challenges of managing decentralised networks. Her thoughtful exploration of governance models, trust-building, and community care on the Fediverse reflects her commitment to fostering equitable and inclusive online environments.Other notable achievements include co-founding and leading the COVID Tracking Project at The Atlantic, a significant public data initiative that provided comprehensive national data during a critical time. She also played a pivotal role in establishing OpenNews, fostering collaboration among data journalists, designers, and reporters to enhance the quality of journalism through shared knowledge and resources.Most recently, through her microstudio wreckage/salvage, Erin continues to investigate the history and future of online networks, exploring cultural protocols and innovative practices that can help sustain healthier digital spaces.Erin’s extensive experience and her commitment to decentralised governance align perfectly with IFTAS’s values of transparency, fairness, and safety. We are honoured to welcome her to the Advisory Board and are excited to collaborate on shaping the future of independent, inclusive online communities.Please join us in extending a warm welcome to Erin!#BetterSocialMedia
(DIR) Post #Ax6MhUd0IqgNwPRL60 by about.iftas.org@about.iftas.org
2025-08-11T11:00:00Z
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Every year, IFTAS asks the people who keep our communities safe to tell us what they need.The Fediverse Needs Assessment gathers input from moderators, administrators, and community managers across the decentralised social web and beyond.Whether you run a Mastodon, Pixelfed, Lemmy or Peertube instance, a Nostr relay, a Bluesky community, Matrix or Discord rooms, your experience matters. Any platform, any protocol. Single user service or a million person community. Doesn’t matter. We focus on Fedi, but the more we hear from the more we can help.Why we do thisIFTAS is not a governing body. We don’t set rules for the Fediverse. What we do is listen, convene, and share: we take the challenges you tell us about, and work with the community to spread best practice, build resources, and advocate for the tools and support you need.Last year’s survey led directly to:CSAM detection and reporting guidanceDSA and OSA regulatory compliance guidanceThe CARIAD domain observatoryOpen-sourcing FediCheckTranslations of the common vocabulary into Chinese, Brazilian Portuguese, and FrenchThese resources were made possible because people like you spoke up.This year’s focusOver the coming weeks we’ll be sharing stories and insights on:Real change from real answers – impact from last year’s dataWhat it’s like on the front line – the moderator experience, including burnout and wellnessWhat’s missing, what’s next – the resource and tooling gaps we can address togetherIt’s not just Mastodon – the diversity of platforms and communitiesEach theme is drawn directly from your feedback in 2024, and will help guide how we frame and share the 2025 results.What we’re asking this yearWe want to know:How your moderation teams are structured,What resources you have, and what’s missing,The legal, financial, and mental health pressures you face,Which tools, training, or guidance would help you most.Some questions are about your service as a whole, others are about your personal experience. You don’t have to answer everything – every question is optional. Only tell us what you’re comfortable sharing. All data is held in the strictest confidence, and only one person (Jaz-Michael King) ever sees the identifiable data.Why your response mattersThis survey is more than a snapshot, it’s a roadmap. Your answers help us direct funding, development, and advocacy efforts where they will have the most impact, especially for communities facing harassment, resource shortages, and high-risk content.A small thank-youFifty respondents will be selected at random to receive a thank-you for their time valued at $20 USD, with options to receive the funds in a number of currencies and formats.Take the surveyThe 2025 Fediverse Needs Assessment is open now and closes on 21 September 2025. It takes just a few minutes.Take part here: about.iftas.org/moderator-needs-assessmentIf you moderate, manage, or administer a community anywhere online, we want to hear from you.Click here to review the 2024 Needs Assessment Report.