That's the point. The fediverse separates the app maker from people running lots of indie servers, so info isn't centralised in any one place. It means people can choose who to trust with their info or even set up their own server.

Plus servers collecting the absolute minimum amount of info means there isn't much info kicking around anyway (except what users choose to post).

The fact the BlueSky app collects any info is a red flag as decentralised networks are supposed to avoid this.

Isn't that a well known thing though? Most people here on Mastodon already know that Mastodon is privacy respecting, alongside most Fediverse apps. Don't get how thats a tip.

Also, they are operated by huge greedy companies, of course they'll collect data.

It's the sad truth.

Which official Fediverse agency has designated this app as “The official Mastodon app”? What does it mean to be “The official Mastodon app” and what distinguishes it from other Fediverse clients?

This Mastodon access software centricity is so outdated.

@jerrymacgp

It is definitely not as bad, but it's a bit weird they are collecting anything as they are supposed to be decentralised.

Yup, totally agree.

BlueSky have set themselves up to enshittify by being a for-profit backed by VC money. They'll tempt people in and then gradually ramp up the problematic behaviour as the drive for profit increases.

That's why I'm steering clear of BlueSky, they seem to want to turn themselves into another Meta.

What's really amazing is that you don't need to use the official app. Unlike Reddit and Twitter/X that have killed off third-party support, the Fediverse can be accessed through numerous apps.

Decentralisation is the future!

Talking security, I keep hoping that XMPP will become the DM system because it uses end to end encryption and has been around for years. No need to reinvent the wheel. Plus it can be connected to the ALSO de-federated chat servers 😁

If only I knew JavaScript to make a bridge...

@jerrymacgp Contact Info, User Identifiers, and the User Content you upload are of course also collected by Mastodon (your server and any other server who ever requested your profile).

I mean these are the 3 identifying characteristics of a social network. 'Who are you', 'Where else might I know you from' and stuff you post.

@nitrobear @edward_jazzhands @mariuszklimczak

Companies need to make money someday. You can't just keep using invested money. That's not a business. They need to generate revenue to offset their costs. That's the way it works. And, selling domains is not going to pay the rent.

@kayo77

I think it's because they're not seeing this happening directly.

If someone came up to them in the street and started following them around 24/7, filming them, recording their location, demanding their financial and medical details, stealing their browsing history, asking if they are pregnant etc they would feel differently.

Because this surveillance happens within their phone, at some level people can pretend it isn't happening.

@halva

BlueSky's app shouldn't be collecting data though, if they really are decentralised. Mastodon's app doesn't collect anything at all.

(Also, as BlueSky is a for-profit corporation backed by VC money, guessing we will see ever more bullet points pop up on BS's surveillance list in the future.)

You don't need public goods to be profitable. Roads aren't profitable, parks aren't profitable, firefighters aren't profitable, but they serve society and we all depend on them (even for-profits depend on the existence of non-profit services).

Mastodon has been going since 2016 without ads or investors, and parts of the Fediverse are even older. It is possible to do social networks without ads or for-profit structures.

I don't really see how social media can be profitable without ads, at least if you want people to use your service. For better or worse, social media services are free* (heavy asterisk). So convincing people to pay for a subscription to sustain the service is pretty much a non-starter.

Untargeted ads could possibly work. But then that won't grow as much, which of course is incompatible with investors that demand as big of a return as possible. But it might be long term sustainable without hoovering up user data?

p.s. If you want another online example, the World Wide Web wasn't exploited for profit, it was turned into an open standard.

If we have interoperable online standards that anyone can take part in without involving corporations, then people are free to choose the kind of online world they want.

The email goes to your server, not to the app. The signing in process on the official and third party Mastodon apps happens through your server's website (that's why it looks like a browser when you do that part of the signing in, it is using your phone's web browser for that part).

"you give it images and videos etc (user content). "

That isn't going to the app, that's going to your server. The data from those isn't passed on to the app.

The point I'm making is this data doesn't need to be collected by the app, yet BlueSky is doing this according to their app store privacy list.

BlueSky is behaving like a centralised service while advertising itself as decentralised.

@ipg

BlueSky's own app store entry says it IS collected by the app.

@ipg

I did a post comparing the priacy sections of app store entries, and it's that post which Halva linked to in the original post of the thread we are in. (social.growyourown.services/@F…)

They even tagged me to make sure I saw this quote-post.

The reason I'm discussing app store entries is because that's what this whole conversation is about. If you aren't interested in this topic, you don't have to be joining in with this thread.

Fedi.Tips

2024-10-19 16:32:35

The official Mastodon app (and most other Fediverse apps) do not collect any data about you.

When you sign up on a Fediverse server, it asks for the minimum amount of information (an email address and a password) and none of this info goes to the app or app makers.

This is in stark contrast to other social networks which seem to collect lots of personal info. See the attached image for a comparison of the privacy policies of various official social network apps.

#Privacy #FediTips #Fediverse

That's the whole point though: separating the app and the server is a really good thing.

When the app and the servers are run by different people using open standards, it gives end users the ability to combine a non-surveillance app with a server run by people they trust, or even set up their own server.

Services which spy on you through the app anyway and/or force the user to use a particular server, are taking away this power from the user.

You're also trying to extrapolate that those app store privacy listings mean anything negative about the privacy implications of Bluesky versus Mastodon, you are doing more than "discussing just the app store listings" by presenting them in that light

Reality is: Mastodon app collects your email address in the same manner the Bluesky app. Why is the Bluesky app being marked down in your presentation of it for this and not Mastodon?

Would you say that Threads is privacy-safe if Facebook just turned off all those self-reported privacy tags?