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].
They have moneybrain they can’t understand human activity other the profit-centric attention capture.
I can tell you where this will eventually, they will attack the software dev teams as “facilitators of non-compliance” and then we will have a fit of forking, we’re going to all go “I’m Spartacus” to human shield the devs but the effect will be a delegitimization and going underground of the dev teams.
If that’s a good or bad thing depends of how good or bad custodian they have been of our space.