Mastodon, the decentralized social network, stated it cannot comply with age verification laws like Mississippi’s recent legislation because it lacks the technical capability to do so[1]. While Mastodon’s software allows server administrators to specify a minimum age of 16 for sign-ups, the age-check data is not stored, and the nonprofit has no way to verify users’ ages[1:1].
The organization emphasizes that individual server owners must decide for themselves whether to implement age verification, noting that Mastodon was founded specifically “to allow different jurisdictions to have social media that is independent of the U.S.”[1:2]
This stance follows Bluesky’s decision to block service in Mississippi over similar age verification requirements[1:3]. Mastodon’s position highlights the unique challenges decentralized platforms face with regional compliance, as there is “nobody that can decide for the fediverse to block Mississippi,” according to Mastodon founder Eugen Rochko[1:4].
It’s so funny to me how they always word it as if they’re a corporate entity or some sort of “competitor” on “the market” when in reality it’s just an implementation of a common protocol. I have yet to see other ActivityPub Projects being acknowledged by journalists. Focusing only on Mastodon is like focusing only on Gmail while completely ignoring the existence of E-Mail.
I don’t think they actually understand that Mastodon is a network in a traditional sense that works the way the internet was meant to operate before the corporate takeover. People have been so conditioned that the internet is just 5 corps in a trench coat, that they don’t have the cognitive tools to engage with something like the fediverse.
I think they would implode if we went back to signing up to multiple different forums. The internet is just a vastly different place than it was 20 years ago. It’s very consolidated now and that sucks.
Also, they dumb it down in order to make it readable for the widest possible audience so they get the highest possible revenue.
IDK if it’s just me growing up but I swear news from when I was a kid was more technically worded than now. We literally used news articles in school to learn technical words. Now they’re so patronizing.
😭 would someone think of the children('s idiot parents)
Sounds like its working as intended.
The mastodon.social is in the EU though, where this also seems to be coming next year: https://leminal.space/post/25089051/17854998
I am so sick of this fascism wrapped in the language of child protectionism. This is only about going after dissenting voices who use the shield of anonymity to speak freely. The persecution of people defending Gaza vocally is proof of that.
At least “protect the children” is a meme now. Lotta people aren’t buying it.
Doesn’t matter whether people buy it when their views have no effect on government policy. It seems many governments are simultaneously deciding to require ID to use the internet, and you have to suspect it’s coordinated.
I think we neee to protest, but we also need to work hard to set up more robust ways to use at least the non-corporate web anonymously. If it’s left to governments we’ll get to the point where only licensed corporate publishers can run a website and only licensed users can access it.
It objectively harms children
Oh wow I had no idea, thank you for informing me. I believe you with no proof.
After they used the same line about jazz, rock and roll, Dungeons and Dragons, video games…
Yeah, remembering the hilarious ban of Postal 2
Link? Wouldn’t that be illegal?
Australia banned it for a while.
Next step, it’ll be the Roman Catholic Church that will be protected, and Israelies who kvetch about the Gaza stuff would be nothing, my producer seems to think think, in the future when there’s a mass exodus that occurs from the Roman Catholic Church.
And this is as it should be. Fuck the state.
We could send in the passports of our entire family by post.
With the names and adresses of our children’s school’s and school teachers.
you could then contact the teachers directly to confirm that the children are of age.
Then, Go online and spread the “we have nothing to hide”, “we must protect our children” mantra.
yep! thats sounds about right, for a one eyed, single celled mollusc, living under a nuclear radiated rock.
LOL!
To the legislators of Mississippi.
one of my favourite songs: Tough shit wilson by Splodgenessabounds. great band
Tough shit was born in Mississippi (orignially Tennessee*) He was deaf and dumb, he measured 4 foot 3 He had one arm, one leg, no teeth, and one plum He married a girl in 62, she was a 60 year old leper, called Mary Lou But she died of cancer on her anniversary
[Chorus:] They call him toughshit, toughshit Wilson Toughshit, thoughshit was his name Toughshit was left with a baby son, who died on leukemia, at the age of one And toughshit was left with his guide doggy called roach Till one day crossing with his dog on a wee doach But roach didn’t see the coach approach And the wheels rolled gently over toughshits head
I think a doach is a railway track, but Im not sure, its scottish. Who the fuck can understand those bastards.
[Chorus:] They call him toughshit, toughshit Wilson And toughshit was his name They call him toughshit And toughshit was his claim to fame At tough shits funeral, no one came The vicar was late and it poured with rain They dropped the coffin down a flight of stairs But let us not forget toughshits pain And perhaps he never died in vein but when it comes to that Who fucking cares, not me I don’t See upcoming rock shows Get tickets for your favorite artists
Next you can’t go online without the web cam on, your ID card and a newspaper of the day visible in it, including an retina scan. Naturally to protect our childrens. Naturally accounts on any site only with full real name, direction, Phone, CC and social security number. Safety first.
It would be like requiring age verification to subscribe to an RSS feed
And this is how they want to suppress speech.
May nothing but futility be exposed. “El paquete” flash drives shall flow into the state if need be.
Huge W for mastodon
You see a unique challenge. I see a feature.