Ghostbanjo1949

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/2447518

Twitter is threatening legal action against the Center for Countering Digital Hate, a nonprofit that researches hate speech and content moderation on social media platforms.

The letter from Twitter's lawyers alleges that CCDH's research publications are intended to 'harm Twitter's business by driving advertisers away from the platform with incendiary claims.'

This is a pretty bold move from Twitter, especially considering that CCDH is a well-respected organization that has been doing this kind of research for years. And it's especially ironic coming from Elon Musk, who has said that he's a 'free speech absolutist.'

But Musk has also shown that he's sensitive to criticism, so it's not surprising that he's taking this kind of action against CCDH

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.today/post/170720

I'm happy to see this being noticed more and more. Google wants to destroy the open web, so it's a lot at stake.

Google basically says "Trust us". What a joke.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/1611939

With the number of people concerned about privacy, it is a wonder why chrome is even popular.

cross-posted from: https://monyet.cc/post/147628

Synopsis: The article discusses the FBI's seizure of the Mastodon server and emphasizes the need for privacy protection in decentralized platforms like the Fediverse. It calls for hosts to implement basic security measures, adopt policies to protect users, and notify them of law enforcement actions. Users are encouraged to evaluate server precautions and voice concerns. Developers should prioritize end-to-end encryption for direct messages. Overall, the Fediverse community must prioritize user privacy and security to create a safer environment for all.

Summary:

Introduction

• We are in an exciting time for users wanting to regain control from major platforms like Twitter and Facebook.
• However, decentralized platforms like the Fediverse and Bluesky must be mindful of user privacy challenges and risks.
• Last May, the Mastodon server Kolektiva.social was compromised when the FBI seized all electronics, including a backup of the instance database, during an unrelated raid on one of the server's admins.
• This incident serves as a reminder to protect user privacy on decentralized platforms.

A Fediverse Wake-up Call

• The story of equipment seizure echoes past digital rights cases like Steve Jackson Games v. Secret Service, emphasizing the need for more focused seizures.
• Law enforcement must improve its approach to seizing equipment and should only do so when relevant to an investigation.
• Decentralized web hosts need to have their users' backs and protect their privacy.

Why Protecting the Fediverse Matters

• The Fediverse serves marginalized communities targeted by law enforcement, making user privacy protection crucial.
• The FBI's seizure of Kolektiva's database compromised personal information, posts, and interactions from thousands of users, affecting other instances as well.
• Users' data collected by the government can be used for unrelated investigations, highlighting the importance of strong privacy measures.

What is a decentralized server host to do?

• Basic security practices, such as firewalls and limited user access, should be implemented for servers exposed to the internet.
• Limit data collection and storage to what is necessary and stay informed about security threats in the platform's code.
• Adopt policies and practices to protect users, including transparency reports about law enforcement attempts and notification to users about any access to their information.

What can users do?

• Evaluate a server's precautions before joining the Fediverse and raise privacy concerns with admins and users on the instance.
• Encourage servers to include privacy commitments in their terms of service to resist law enforcement demands.
• Users have the freedom to move to another instance if they are dissatisfied with the privacy measures.

What can developers do?

• Implement end-to-end encryption of direct messages to protect sensitive content.
• The Kolektiva raid highlights the need for all decentralized content hosts to prioritize privacy and follow EFF's recommendations.

Conclusion

• Decentralized platforms offer opportunities for user control, but user privacy protection is vital.
• Hosts, users, and developers must work together to build a more secure and privacy-focused Fediverse.

Hello Everyone!! Here is some scheduled downtimes for August, hopefully that's all there will be!!

Tuesday August 1st - 1100 EST -> TBD Thursday August 17th - 1100 EST -> TBD Thursday August 24th - 1100 EST -> TBD

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/2087518

Microsoft and Google may have to surrender people's data to Saudi Arabia after signing huge deals there::Saudi Arabia is seeking to be an innovation hub, but activists are warning that tech firms could be complicit in the repression of dissidents.

cross-posted from: https://sh.itjust.works/post/876386

Sheriff’s Office shared license plate reader data with law enforcement in states that passed laws banning abortion, including Alabama, Oklahoma, Texas

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/1221045

The bill will reportedly apply to suspects in crimes that are punishable by a minimum of five years in jail.

Welcome to our little corner of the Internet.

Here's some guidance to get you started.

Need help finding Communities to Join?

1. Feel free to create a new community and get things rolling here on Mengsk, also check out our local communities and see if any of them fit what you're looking for.
2. https://lemmyverse.net This little gem will help you find active communities that you can join.
3. At the bottom of the page are some links, click Instances and it will show you instances we are connected to. You can browse their communities to find one for you as well.

Ok, I found a community I want to join, now how do I do that.

1. Find Community, see above.
2. Go to the community, copy the URL from your browser.
3. Come back here to Mengsk.
4. Hit the little search button.
5. Put that URL in the search field.
6. Hit Search
7. Wait a few seconds and your Community will appear.
8. Click that community.
9. Click Subscribe This will also make it more readily available for other users on our instance.

We are right now in process of rolling out Transmog to a capital near you! The service is free, I think. If you would like to transmog but cannot find the NPC in your races capital, reach out while I'm online, get to your capital and find a good location for the NPC and we'll get him added there ASAP!