I was unsure where to cross-post this. But maybe we should discuss this to make sure Lemmygrad users are staying safe? Similar to the unspoken rule that we strongly discourage people using their real names or giving away too many personal details.
cross-posted from: https://mylemmy.win/post/89871
Edit: obligatory explanation (thanks mods for squaring me away)...
What you see via the UI isn't "all that exists". Unlike Reddit, where everything is a black box, there are a lot more eyeballs who can see "under the hood". Any instance admin, proper or rogue, gets a ton of information that users won't normally see. The attached example demonstrates that while users will only see upvote/downvote tallies, admins can see who actually performed those actions.
Edit: To clarify, not just YOUR instance admin gets this info. This is ANY instance admin across the Fediverse.
That's reassuring to know.
I would assume that security services can log everything even for VPN users. Plus, as Sakai observes, relying on technology for the security of revolutionaries is only part of the solution. The main risk comes from other people (who may appear to be comrades but are spies).
The state isn't the only one to be worried about, though. With reactionary politics sliding into open fascism more and more, there are ordinary members of the public who don't have access to the same powers as the state but who could get access to similar data if we're not careful.
One thing I've always wondered is whether using a VPN puts you in a list for trying to hide your internet activity. They're paranoid. I'm paranoid. It's the age of paranoia!