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The Big Tech Lobby Playbook
How Big Tech’s power has rewritten digital rules globally
somo.nl/big-tech-lobby-playboo…
Big Tech giants have developed a powerful playbook to shape laws and politics in their favour, all around the world.
Our Big Tech Lobby Playbook series explores their tools and strategies through 6 case studies from Australia, Brazil, India, the EU, Kenya and the US.
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#BigTech #SocialMedia #Lobby #Meta #X #Facebook #Instagram #TikTok #LeaveX #SaveSocial
The Big Tech Lobby Playbook - Rewriting digital rules globally - SOMO
This series of articles by SOMO dives into specific examples of Big Tech lobbying and how they helped shape laws and politics in their favour.SOMO
Spain social media ban for under-16s: here’s what we know so far, and what we don’t
Details are still emerging, but we cannot blame screentime for all teenage mental health issues.The Conversation
It’s officially been over 3 years since I’ve started on Mastodon. Rather then talk about what’s so great I figured I’d just list stuff I haven’t seen:
- I haven’t had any posts from people I don’t follow
- I haven’t been served ads for items I’ve spoke about near my phone or for that matter any ads at all
- I haven’t been served random articles similar to one article I clicked on out of curiosity like two years ago
- I haven’t been asked to upgrade or subscribe to anything
- I haven’t had AI shoved down my throat or have had AI slop dumped on me.
- I do not have bot accounts randomly messaging me
It’s better here and I don’t know why anyone would go anywhere else ..
Chatbots Make Terrible Doctors, New Study Finds
Chatbots provided incorrect, conflicting medical advice, researchers found: “Despite all the hype, AI just isn't ready to take on the role of the physician.”Samantha Cole (404 Media)
Those who proclaim that they are anti-MAGA and wish to abolish ICE are hypocrites if they are still on Twitter/X, Meta, and TikTok. You make them strong just by using those platforms. You give credibility to disinformation by remaining there.
#SocialMedia #Broligarchs
If decentralization is the future of social media, where millions or even billions of people share knowledge, then we can learn a lot from how the Open Knowledge Foundation (@okfn) and the Wikimedia Foundation (@wikimediafoundation) built cross-border, international movements with clear missions.
These two organizations are just two examples, but they demonstrate an important point: decentralization worked because communities were intentionally nurtured, not just because the technology was open.
The Fediverse, powered by the ActivityPub protocol, already has the technical capacity to thrive (UI tweaks aside).
What we still lack is the decentralization of communities, including shared ownership, coordination, and a mission that extends beyond individual instances.
Cc @eloquence @bjoernsta @_elena
#Fediverse #ActivityPub #Openknowledge #Wikimedia #Decentralization #SocialMedia
Over the years, I've realized how far we've drifted from the original idea of the World Wide Web. These days, it feels more like a corporate, big-tech web. I think there's real value in self-hosting as much as possible while still using major platforms, especially when you can pick more European and reasonable options.
People often forget that YouTube, WhatsApp, and Instagram were once independent companies, not owned by Meta or Google. Google was meant to be ad-free, and OpenAI was founded as a non-profit research organization, etc.
We'll probably never return to that vision, but I'm glad I own most my data and have about half of my tech self-hosted and open-sourced. It's only a dent, but I'm proud of that dent.
Oh, I don't know...
Maybe because you run social media platforms to piece of shit!
Zuckerberg on why Meta should do less safety research: 'Apple doesn't study any of this' - 9to5Mac
9to5mac.com/2026/02/06/zuckerb…
#Zuckerberg #Meta #Safety #Apple #Research #SocialMedia #Tech
Zuckerberg on why Meta should do less safety research: 'Apple doesn't study any of this' - 9to5Mac
Newly unsealed emails show Mark Zuckerberg suggested Meta do less research into platform harm—pointing to Apple’s approach as a model.Chance Miller (9to5Mac)
Blacksky has already built their own ATProto stack that's fully independent from Bluesky.
Now Eurosky is making progress as they roll out their own PDS.
I see more independent infrastructure springing up on atp.fyi/network, including AppViews.
For anyone hoping that we'll get another wave of people coming to the fediverse once Bluesky folds/enshittifies, that might not necessarily be the case as people will have more options to stay in the Atmosphere.
We added our Vivaldi Social server to the Fediverse on November 15th 2022. We are still, I believe, the only browser company that is fully behind the Fediverse. It is something we are very proud of! The Fediverse is the natural alternative to Big Tech social media, just like, IMHO, Vivaldi is the natural alternative to Big Tech browsers.
#Vivaldi #Fediverse #Mastodon #Twitter #SocialMedia #AI #Meta #Facebook #Instagram
vivaldi.com/blog/news/vivaldi-…
Vivaldi Social, a new instance on Mastodon. | Vivaldi Browser
Vivaldi Social, our Mastodon instance, is your gateway to reliable, big-tech-free social networkingJon von Tetzchner (Vivaldi Technologies)
“Reform UK’s Plans For a British ICE”
by Olly Haynes in The Byline Supplement on Substack
“Key figures in Nigel Farage’s party are demanding a UK version of Trump’s immigration enforcement agency, in the wake of the killings of Alex Pretti and Renée Good”
open.substack.com/pub/bylinesu…
#Press #SocialMedia #UK #ReformUKLtd #Farage #ICE #Pretti #Good #Murder #Minneapolis #Fascism #Trump
@pluralistic argues that now is the moment for the EU to act while platforms like Threads are degrading.
I don’t think Europe works on that kind of timing, nor it would use the mechanism Doctorow suggests.
This piece is about what leaving platforms costs, and why protecting exit routes may matter more here than technical escape.
Read here:
medium.com/@Diogo_Mendes/the-r…
After the nice presentations of @haubles and @andypiper, I've asked them, "How can a grassroots movement like the Fediverse compete with social networks like BlueSky that have the resources to travel to Brussels every other week?"
I also mentioned the @leavex campaign, which makes it easier for us to contact politicians and ask them to leave X and possibly join us. And how some politicians are already asking to remove their names from the group of politicians still on X.
I'm glad I could meet @_elena again and discuss these issues.
#FOSDEM #Fediverse #Mastodon #SocialMedia #EU #Democracy
ICE uses two #facialrecognition programs one made #tech company #ClearviewAI and #MobileFortify. ICE is also using #cellphone and #socialmedia tools to monitor people’s activity and hack into phones. Agents are tapping into database, built by #Palantir, combines government and commercial data to identify real-time locations for individuals they are pursuing, current and former officials said.
nytimes.com/2026/01/30/technol…
archive.ph/A32Ao
☀️ CEO of W, Anna Zeiter, was #eBay Chief Privacy Officer and VP #AI and Data Responsibility:
"... [eBay's AI] policies have recently come under regulatory scrutiny, particularly in Europe where privacy authorities in Germany have raised concerns about [eBay training AI with user data after users complained]."
"Sellers have also raised transparency concerns around ways that eBay may be using AI to alter their listing information without their explicit permission and without clear disclosure to them or to consumers..."
Myspace Tom just basically got bullied off of Threads because he had "AI and SpaceX investor" in his bio.🤣
He made a post saying that if he got 1m followers, he'd talk about Myspace. After receiving backlash about his bio in the replies, he deleted the post and added "update: no interest in politics" to his bio.😂
I dont understand why Meta users don't understand how all the data collected about them to "help" the algorithm can also be used by the state to terrorize and blackmail them.
yup
#corporate "#journalism"
we are on #mastodon/ #fediverse because the profit motive in corporate #socialMedia means privacy defilement, free reign for bigotry/ ignorance, and #algorithm manipulation by #plutocracy agendas
the same applies to the #news #media:
#ventureCapital takes over dying traditional media outlets and puts right wing goons in the managing editor positions
we have nonprofit news (#NPR, #ProPublica, #TheGuardian, etc)
trust them
all else: beware
@aral
Wireguard is desiged to be easy, but easy comes minor risks.
>By default, WireGuard stores your IP address on a VPN server until it reboots
For most people this is no issue, in countries like China, Iran, Russia and a few others, it can be an issue. see:
pcmag.com/comparisons/openvpn-…
#UKpol #VPNban #PornHub #ChatControl #Privacy #FreeSpeech #SocialMedia
Ah, okay, I wouldn't ordinarily ask for this, but can I, uh, can I get a "re-skeet" on this?
The New Oil (@thenewoil@mastodon.thenewoil.org)
Many #UK Users Soon Won't Be Able to Access #Pornhub https://www.404media.co/uk-pornhub-blocked-age-verification-vpn/ #nsfw #porn #privacy #OnlineSafetyAct #AgeVerification #IdentityVerificationThe New Oil (Mastodon)
Built by Palestinian-Australian developer Issam Hijazi and supported by the Tech for Palestine incubator, UpScrolled is everything Instagram refused to become. It is fully functional, thoroughly tested, and ready to scale.
UpScrolled is the social platform where every voice gets equal power. No shadowbans. No algorithmic games. No pay-to-play favoritism. Just authentic connection where your content reaches the people who matter most. #australia #upscrolled🇵🇸🗝 #upscrolled #upscrolledapp #socialmedia
Users of Meta’s social platforms can no longer share links to ICE List, a website listing what it claims are the names of thousands of DHS employees.
wired.com/story/meta-is-blocki…
#ice #trump #socialmedia
Did you know you can track network statistics from across the Fediverse?
On FediDB, you can see federated server statistics as well as an overview of the entire network.
As January begins to come to a close, why not check it out to get a peek into how much the Fediverse will grow over 2026? 📈
#SocialWeb #Fediverse #SocialMedia #FediGrowth #FediDB #Mastodon #Decentralised #Decentralized
UpScrolled is live. The Instagram alternative that’s actually on your side.
You can now download UpScrolled. The new place to speak up, share your work, share your life and actually be seen. If you’ve been waiting for a real alternative to Instagram, this is it. Why we needed UpScrolled Let’s be honest.Afzal (Tech for Palestine)
Just a reminder! If you are looking RSS starter packs, The RSS Review has downloadable OPML files for each category. They can be imported directly into your feed reader to subscribe to the entire category at once.
If you want to add a feed or feed category, then post it in the comments.
#tech #technology #rss #rssfeeds #rssfeedreaders #socialmedia #indieweb #personalweb #smallweb #blogs #gis #movies #tv #books #comics #health #history #music #science #software #opml
❌Veteran Brothers Roofing & Restoration
❌Grand Pine Developments
❌Charvold Homes
❌Blue Collar Tree and Junk Removal texasobserver.org/revealed-fou…
#WhiteSupremacy #Dallas #NorthTexas #politics #USpol #news #racism #SocialMedia #Texas #fascism
Revealed: Four Businesses with Ties to Patriot Front Operating in North Texas
The neo-Nazi group is engaged in a strategy to establish an independent economic ecosystem. Through publicly available information, interviews, and in-person observation, the Observer has identified companies in the Dallas-Fort Worth area that are op…Tristan Lee (The Texas Observer)
As a pacifist, what I love most about the Fediverse is how it feels like a shared search for peace. We have Caturday, when everyone posts cat pictures every Saturday. There's Mosstodon, which is all about sharing beautiful photos of moss and nature. And we have SilentSunday, where people post calm outdoor and nature photos. Even with all the chaos in the world, the Fediverse has a way of calming my mind.
TikTok's transition to U.S. ownership involves collecting even more data about its users, including precise location and AI interactions. It's also likely that the new privacy policy will lead to you seeing more targeted ads. Here's the lowdown from @WIRED.
#Technology #Tech #TikTok #SocialMedia #Privacy #Data
When Elon Musk rolled back Grok safeguards, he enabled millions of people to be victimized. Shamefully, governments did little to protect their citizens.
The X deepfake scandal shows why we need far stricter social media regulation as a stepping stone to new platforms — not just higher age limits.
disconnect.blog/x-shows-why-st…
#tech #socialmedia #elonmusk #x #twitter #grok #deepfake #ai #generativeai
X shows why stricter tech regulation is necessary
We need comprehensive rules on social media far more than age limitsParis Marx (Disconnect)
Tiktok seemingly gathering data on queer people for the Trump (US) government
"in your user content"
"sexual orientation"
"status as transgender or nonbinary"
If you're wondering about getting off of that platform ...
Just an occasional reminder that disabling replies is the #1 requested feature from Mastodon.
github.com/mastodon/mastodon/i…
(EDIT: Direct link, in case the above doesn't work for you: github.com/mastodon/mastodon/i…)
Limiting who can reply is also worth giving a thumbs-up to, currently at #10.
github.com/mastodon/mastodon/i…
#mastodon #fediverse #ReplyControls #SocialMedia #TrustAndSafety
“Disable replies” feature
Most blogging systems and some social networks like Dribbble (possibly Instagram?) have a “disable comments/replies” feature. I wonder if it could be of use in Mastodon? Adding a “Disable replies” ...nclm (GitHub)
BREAKING NEWS
The European Union to launch a new social media platform 'W' to rival X, requiring human verification to block bots.
#AureFreePress #News #press #headline #socialmedia #Fediverse
Hm, so it might actually be powered by ATproto?
Interesting.
#W #SocialMedia #ATproto #atmosphere #bluesky
W for ATProto
W is a new platform recently announced, aspiring to be a European alternative to X. It may actually be powered by ATProto, based on leaked screenshots. This is a win for ATProtoBoris Mann (ATProtocol Dev)
Considering how popular the fediverse already is with at least some of the public institutions in Europe, this is a puzzling move.
"European organizations are about to launch their own social media platform, W, amid rising tensions with the United States."
cybernews.com/tech/europe-soci…
#news #TechNews #technology #SocialMedia #W
