1w ago

[Opinion] Do we need publicly-owned social networks to escape Silicon Valley?

Do we need publicly-owned social networks to escape Silicon Valley?

A state-run social media network could become an alternative to Twitter or Facebook, but it could also pose a risk to our privacy and freedom

13 comments

State run social media only for state profiles. Let the people have their own stuff otherwise. The whole idea of the fediverse can accommodate both. The piece even gives a passing mention to mastodon.
They can be smaller, similar to the forums that have been around since the internet’s heyday, but consolidated as “spaces where we can maintain slightly more meaningful relationships.” | These projects don’t have to aspire to be the great public square where everyone gathers, because, sometimes, we just want to talk to our neighbors;

This assumes a benign state/host. What I would want from the law is enforcing interoperability and transferability between networks - a portable identity that can be transferred in the first sign of trouble to a different provider.

Definitely would want the charter to stipulate that nothing is stored for longer than a year.
Personally, I think it would be more effective to just legally mandate websites and apps default to chronological sort every time you open them. Users would still be able to opt in to the black-box alg sort, but they'd have to do it every single time.
- also, obviously law enforcement should need a warrant before accessing anything that isn't public visible
- Definitely would want the charter to stipulate that nothing is stored for longer than a year.
  Right to be forgotten (Wikipedia)

13 comments