Waitman Gobble

Sat, 30 Aug 2025 09:13:12 -0400 last edited: Sat, 30 Aug 2025 09:13:54 -0400 from Get Ready To Rumbly

This is how Meta wins i don't think it's possible to have age verification in a decentalized federated system. But i'm not sure everyone is going to shut down and retreat to Facebook. It will likely change how we handle and manage information.

Mastodon is doomed to be a "Napster" any day now. Remember song sharing?

Mastodon says it doesn't 'have the means' to comply with age verification laws | TechCrunch

Decentralized social network Mastodon says it cannot comply with age verification laws, like in Mississippi and elsewhere, and says it's up to individual server owners to decide.

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Marshall Sutherland

Sat, 30 Aug 2025 12:04:19 -0400 from hubzilla

I expect most of the sysops don't have the means to restrict at the state level. My router can block traffic at the country level and I have no idea how accurate that is. I'm sure for thousands of dollars per year you can buy a subscription to a service that tries to keep up with which IPs are allocated where, but what small sysop can afford that?

I have no doubt that the lobbyists for the big platforms are pushing for this stuff as it helps them maintain their dominance.

Bill Statler

Sat, 30 Aug 2025 14:20:56 -0400 from Bunny of Doom

It's correct that "Mastodon" can't deal with this because "Mastodon" is just software. It's always going to be the responsibility of the instance admin. I mean, this is very convenient for Mastodon the corporation, but it's also true.

I have no doubt that the lobbyists for the big platforms are pushing for this stuff as it helps them maintain their dominance.

Large companies always love complex regulations. Large companies can spend 0.2% of their budget on bookkeeping and regulatory compliance, while tiny companies (or volunteer organizations) spend 20% of their budget (or volunteer time).

(Okay, I didn't say anything new here, but I wanted to rant about it.)

Marshall Sutherland

Sat, 30 Aug 2025 14:56:09 -0400 from hubzilla

I don't know why I didn't think of this sooner, but I could apply the same logic I apply to UK and EU laws and say "That's nice, but I'm not in Mississippi and, therefore, not subject to your laws."