Unfortunately, the popular MedMastodon server, dedicated to doctors and medicine, unexpectedly shut down at the end of 2025.
Great update: MedMastodon is back online and its users should be able to access their data.
The speed with which it happened prevented users from accessing their data, highlighting the risks of decentralized social media without backups. Its administrator ceased operations, causing confusion and data loss for many healthcare professionals who had signed up as an alternative to Twitter.
This event serves as a reminder: Wherever you are on Mastodon, back up your data!
WARNING: To help Med-mastodon users who have returned to the Fediverse, the Poliverso staff has created the Friendica group @MedMastodon
If you follow this group, you can:
1. Follow it and mention it in your messages, and it will reshare all your public posts addressed to it (this only applies to an initial message, not a reply to another message).
2. Follow it only to read all the messages from fellow doctors who send messages through it.
Okay #MedMastodon folks - The instance is now back up and running I'm pleased to share. Things might take a moment to catch-up and I have sent out an announcement so hopefully anyone that had accounts that doesn't see this will get the e-mail ping letting them know everything is currently back online.I will post a bit more about the plan in the near future but the long story short is nothing is planned to change that folks will see, the main goal for me is to get the site up and running, catch up on the activities that look to be outstanding and get a plan together for migrating everything onto new infrastructure.
Also a huge shoutout to @mastohost who have been excellent at keeping the server "Paused" effectively without deleting data even when there was no confirmed migration path and a real big thanks to Nick for being willing to transfer the server and keep the community running!
No War with, No Occupation of Venezuela
January 3rd – In the middle of the night, while most U.S. citizens were sleeping and unable to be outraged, the United States invaded Venezuela and claims now to have captured Nicolás Maduro, President of Venezuela.
After promising peace, the Epstein files & fear mongering that their political opponents will start wars, they have taken upon themselves to invade Venezuela in the middle of the night without Congress’s permission, putting American lives on the line for oil & to distract you from the files.
This is what this administration thinks of you.
We have it in our platform explicitly that the U.S. must be a good neighbor and how we need to shift the dynamic in the New World from “a paradigm of United States dominance to genuine collaboration and friendship is essential. A more united American Continent will help each country become stronger and create a stronger bond between every American, from Greenland to Patagonia.”
Pan-American is essential to the Pirate foreign policy objectives. Our platform says we must “advocate for ending the Cuban embargo and lifting sanctions on Nicaragua and Venezuela.”
Not starting a new war with them.
Even if the administration sought permission to carry out such attacks, we (the United States) can not and should not be attacking our neighbor. This is ultimately another “blood-for-oil” scheme that will lead to countless deaths, billions spent and hard feelings developed by neighbors who already had a hard time trusting us.
For any U.S. citizen that is thinking “Oh but they were sending drugs into the United States, something something nacroterrorists”, I counter with this: Trump pardoned Juan Orlando Hernández, the convicted drug trafficking former President of Honduras.
This has little to do with drugs and everything to do with oil and a distraction from the Epstein files. This has to do with a government unfriendly to U.S. hegemony that the U.S. has tried like hell for years to be rid of, only to lead to this, the most brazen and obvious attempt.
The United States Pirate Party condemns these actions. Secretary Hegseth said Maduro “fucked around and found out”, but empires fall. When we no longer hold dominance over the New World, a fact which most certainly will one day come, our neighbors will remember how we treated them as the most powerful nation in the world. This is just one of many things I believe the United States, not Maduro, will have fucked around and for which they will find out. Not via immediate retaliation, not via the refugee crisis this will certainly exacerbate, but through the lingering memories of the world and especially our neighbors, we will find out.
No war with Venezuela. Ending war is possible.
Strategien für politisches Engagement: Vier Vorträge vom Hackerkongress, die Mut machen
netzpolitik.org/2026/strategie…
Happy Public Domain Day 2026!
Since 2019, every January 1st, the public domain frees more works that copyright laws kept locked up. On this glorious Public Domain Day, works created in 1930 and sound recordings from 1925 are made available to everyone in the United States, at least, to use as they wish. We are free to enjoy and share these works without paying anyone for them. We can create new works from these old works by remixing them or repurposing them to our heart’s content.
This January 1st is special for Pirates because it is the 20th anniversary of the founding of the Swedish Pirate Party. It is fitting that both events should occur on the same day and we wish the Swedish Pirates a happy 20th anniversary!
As a celebration for this year’s Public Domain Day, the Internet Archive has a contest to explore and reimagine the creative treasures entering the public domain, especially works from 1930 that entered the public domain on January 1. Contestants must upload a 2-3 minute short film to the Internet Archive that uses at least one work published in 1930 that joined the public domain on January 1, 2026. This could be a poem, book, film, musical composition, painting, photograph or any other work that is now in the Public Domain. All submissions must be submitted by January 7, 2026 at 11:59pm PST. You can find more details on the contest at the Internet Archive.
As they do every year, Jennifer Jenkins and James Boyle of the Duke University Center for the Study of the Public Domain have a detailed, but brief list, of what new public domain works we have. A number of characters are now in the public domain, including Betty Boop, Disney’s Rover (later renamed Pluto) and Blondie and Dagwood. Below is a short list with links to copies at the Internet Archive and elsewhere.
Books
- William Faulkner, As I Lay Dying – At the Internet Archive
- Dashiell Hammett, The Maltese Falcon (the full book version) – At the Internet Archive
- Agatha Christie, The Murder at the Vicarage (the first novel featuring Miss Marple) – At the Internet Archive
- Carolyn Keene, the first four Nancy Drew books – At the Internet Archive
- Watty Piper, [em]The Little Engine That Could[/em] (the popular illustrated version, with drawings by Lois Lenski) – At the Internet Archive
- John Dos Passos, The 42nd Parallel
- Edna Ferber, Cimarron – At the Internet Archive
- Dorothy L. Sayers, Strong Poison – At the Internet Archive
- Olaf Stapledon, Last and First Men
Films
- All Quiet on the Western Front, directed by Lewis Milestone (winner of the Academy Award for Best Picture) – At the Internet Archive
- King of Jazz, directed by John Murray Anderson (musical revue featuring Paul Whiteman and Bing Crosby’s first feature-film appearance) – At the Internet Archive
- Animal Crackers, directed by Victor Heerman (starring the Marx Brothers)
- Soup to Nuts, directed by Benjamin Stoloff (written by Rube Goldberg, featuring later members of The Three Stooges) – At the Internet Archive
- Morocco, directed by Josef von Sternberg (starring Gary Cooper, Marlene Dietrich, and Adolphe Menjou) – At the Internet Archive
- Anna Christie, directed by Clarence Brown (Greta Garbo’s first talkie) – At the Internet Archive
- Murder!, directed by Alfred Hitchcock – At the Internet Archive
- L’Âge d’Or, directed by Luis Buñuel, written by Buñuel and Salvador Dalí – At the Internet Archive
- Whoopee!, directed by Thornton Freeland
Musical Compositions
- Four Songs – I Got Rhythm, I’ve Got a Crush on You, But Not for Me, and Embraceable You – with lyrics by Ira Gershwin, music by George Gershwin
- Dream a Little Dream of Me, lyrics by Gus Kahn, music by Fabian Andre and Wilbur Schwandt
- On the Sunny Side of the Street, lyrics by Dorothy Fields, music by Jimmy McHugh
- Just a Gigolo (the first English translation), original German lyrics by Julius Brammer, English translation by Irving Caesar, music by Leonello Casucci
- The Royal Welch Fusiliers, by John Philip Sousa
Sound Recordings
- Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen, recorded by Marian Anderson
- Yes Sir, That’s My Baby, recorded by Gene Austin – At the Internet Archive
- You’ve Been A Good Old Wagon, recorded by Bessie Smith
- The St. Louis Blues, recorded by Bessie Smith, featuring Louis Armstrong
- Fascinating Rhythm, recorded by the Paul Whiteman Orchestra
- I’ll See You in My Dreams, recorded by Isham Jones, with Ray Miller’s Orchestra
- Everybody Loves My Baby (but My Baby Don’t Love Nobody but Me), recorded by Clarence Williams’ Blue Five – Recording
We’ll talk about Public Domain Day on the next Pirate News. See you then!
Image Credit: Public Domain
masspirates.org/blog/2026/01/0…
Huduma Namba: Wie Kenias Zivilgesellschaft die Totalerfassung der Bevölkerung bekämpfte
netzpolitik.org/2025/huduma-na…
Dezentrale Netzwerke: „Es braucht dauerhaft zivilgesellschaftliche Power“
netzpolitik.org/2025/dezentral…
Digitale Brieftasche: „Auf einem ähnlich unguten Weg wie die elektronische Patientenakte“
netzpolitik.org/2025/digitale-…
ICYMI: Updates from the 12/28 Meeting
ICYMI
Arizona – the Arizona Pirate Party will start the year off by hosting their first in-person meeting in the Tucson area, expected to be held at a public library. Discussions will include expectations for the upcoming year, the Henry campaign, among other topics. The Arizona Pirate Party has also been actively working to help Nevada and Colorado to get a Pirate Party officially formed in their states.
Illinois – the Illinois Pirate Party released their meeting dates for 2026 for both the Illinois Pirate Party and the Chicagoland Pirate Party. The first Illinois Pirate Party will be held January 4th over Jitsi. In-person meetings for both Chicagoland and Illinois will take place in earnest come August. Otherwise, meetings are expected to be held over Jitsi unless stated otherwise.
West Virginia – Those seeking a warm place to sleep have a location available in Keyser, WV. The link and address can be found in the link to the meeting posted below.
Committee News – A renewed focus shall be put onto our committees within the US Pirate Party. Regular meetings are scheduled to be held weekly for Platform, Outreach, IT and Press Committee. A new chair, USPP PR Director Cy Kindsfather, will take over for the Outreach Committee. You can join our Discord server to find more information on committees and to get involved in the discussions.
Volunteers – We are actively seeking volunteers! This is nothing new, but if you are from the states of Idaho, Michigan, Montana, North Carolina, Ohio or West Virginia, especially, you are incredibly close to having an official party in your state. It would only take a couple volunteers to make it official, and all it might take is you (yes, YOU 
Quote of the Week – “That’s what’s called leadership… those of us who are willing to actually look around and see ‘this isn’t getting done so I guess I’m gonna try to do something’. That’s leadership.” – Drew Bingaman
Check out our last meeting here! Victory is Arrrs.
Maximaler Nervenkitzel: Das sind die Tricks der Glücksspiel-Industrie
netzpolitik.org/2025/maximaler…
KW 52: Die Woche zwischen Weihnachten und Chaos Communication Congress
netzpolitik.org/2025/kw-52-die…
Einladung Piratenversammlung 17. Januar 2026
Wir laden Dich herzlich zur ersten ordentlichen Piratenversammlung 2026 ein. Diese findet in Bern statt.
Ort: Käfigturm Bern (polit-forum-bern.ch/turmgeschi…)
Marktgasse 67, 3011 Bern
openstreetmap.org/way/25123620…
Anreise mit PW: Parkhaus Metro liegt am nächsten
Anreise mit ÖV: HB Bern, zu Fuss 5min entfernt.
Wann: Samstag, 17.01.2026
11:00 : Türöffnung
11:30 : Beginn ordentliche Piratenversammlung
13:00 : Imbiss
14:00 : Fortsetzung ordentliche Piratenversammlung
16:00 : Ende & sozialer Teil
Im Programm vorgesehen sind Budget, Parolenfassungen u.a. Die Traktanden im Detail werden rund eine Woche vor der PV kommuniziert.
Organisatorisches
Unsere Versammlungen sind öffentlich und alle sind herzlich willkommen, aber stimmberechtigt sind nur Piraten, die den Mitgliederbeitrag 2026 bezahlt haben. Die Zahlungsinformationen findest du hier: https://www.piratenpartei.chhttps://www.piratenpartei.ch/mitgliedschaft/
Danke für deinen Beitrag!
Anträge
Anträge an die Piratenversammlung müssen bis am 03. Januar eingereicht werden und durch mindestens 3 Piraten (= Quorum gemäss Statuten) unterstützt werden. Wir bitten auch um Übersetzungen der Anträge ins Französische/Deutsche oder auf Englisch, damit möglichst alle verstehen, was verhandelt wird. Änderungs- und Gegenanträge sind bis 1 Woche vor der Versammlung einzureichen. Die Anträge werden im Redmine erfasst (projects.piratenpartei.ch/proj…) und sollten mindestens folgende Kriterien erfüllen:
- Antragstext mit Begründung
- Für Statutenänderungen: alter & neuer Text im Vergleich
- Liste der Unterstützer (Quorum)
An und während der PV sind nur noch Ordnungsanträge zulässig. Damit wir die Versammlungen bestmöglich durchführen können, sind wir auf Personen angewiesen, die vor Ort die Debatten übersetzen. Es soll von Deutsch auf Französisch und umgekehrt übersetzt werden. Wer mithelfen kann, melde sich bitte per E-Mail an info@piratenpartei.ch
Wir freuen uns, dich und viele andere Piraten wiederzusehen!
Piratige Grüsse
Arbeitsgruppe PV
============
Nous t’invitons cordialement à la troisième assemblée générale ordinaire des Pirates en 2023. Celle-ci aura lieu à Berne.
Lieu : Käfigturm Berne (polit-forum-bern.ch/turmgeschi…)
Marktgasse 67, 3011 Berne
openstreetmap.org/way/25123620…
Arrivée en voiture : utiliser les parkings publics.
Arrivée en transports publics : gare centrale de Berne, à 5min à pied.
Quand : Samedi, 17.01.2026
11h : Ouverture des portes
11:30h : Début de l’assemblée
13:00h : Collation
14:00h : Suite de l’assemblée
16:00h : fin et part sociale
Le programme prévoit entre autres le budget et les paroles au peuple. Les détails de l’ordre du jour seront communiqués environ une semaine avant l’AP.
Organisation
Nos assemblées sont publiques et tout le monde est le bienvenu, mais seuls les Pirates qui ont payé leur cotisation 2026 ont le droit de vote. Tu trouveras les informations de paiement ici :
partipirate.ch/membres/
Merci pour ta contribution !
Motions
Les motions à l’assemblée des Pirates doivent être soumises avant le 03 janvier et être soutenues par au moins 3 Pirates (= quorum selon les statuts). Nous demandons également une traduction des motions en français/allemand ou en anglais, afin que tout le monde puisse comprendre ce qui est négocié. Les amendements et les contre-propositions doivent être déposés jusqu’à une semaine avant l’assemblée. Les motions sont saisies dans Redmine (projects.piratenpartei.ch/proj…) et doivent remplir au moins les critères suivants :
- texte de la motion avec justification
- Pour les modifications des statuts : ancien & nouveau texte en comparaison.
- Liste des soutiens (quorum).
Lors et pendant l’AP, seules les motions d’ordre sont autorisées. Pour que les assemblées se déroulent au mieux, nous avons besoin de personnes qui traduisent les débats sur place. Il s’agit de traduire de l’allemand au français et vice-versa. Les personnes qui peuvent aider sont priées de s’annoncer par e-mail à info@piratenpartei.ch.
Nous nous réjouissons de te revoir, toi et de nombreux autres pirates !
Salutations pirates
Groupe de travail AP
Chaos Communication Congress: Talk-Tipps für die Zeit zwischen den Jahren
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Sanktionen gegen HateAid-Führung: Die Bundesregierung muss jetzt scharf protestieren
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Netzpolitischer Jahresrückblick: Was uns im Jahr 2025 umgetrieben hat – und weiter begleiten wird
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Ein-/Ausreisesystem: Neue EU-Superdatenbank startet mit Ausfällen und neuen Problemen
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Anlasslose Speicherung: Justizministerium veröffentlicht Gesetzentwurf zur Vorratsdatenspeicherung
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Geschichten aus dem DSC-Beirat: Zwischen Vergeltungsdrohungen und Australiens Jugendschutz-Experiment
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Sachsen: Sogar dem Koalitionspartner ist dieses Polizeigesetz zu hart
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Europe’s Next Digital Frontier: Balancing Web 3.0 Innovation with Fundamental Rights
Evolution Of the Internet
Comparing the internet’s growth to Darwin’s theory of evolution helps explain how it has changed over time, with each stage adapting to the needs, behaviours, and technologies of its time.
The initial phase, known as Web 1 (spanning the 1990s to the early 2000s), was characterised by the internet’s primary function as an information dissemination tool. During this period, only site owners managed content, resulting in a read-only experience for users and a unidirectional flow of information similar to a digital brochure.
Tim O’Reilly introduced the term “Web 2.0” in 2004, marking a new era as mobile services expanded, broadband connectivity improved, and technologies such as AJAX and HTML5 emerged. The internet became interactive, enabling users to create, share, and engage with content without needing special skills. This change opened new ways for people to communicate and connect worldwide.
But as Web 2.0 grew, a few big companies gained significant power and control over data. They decided how information was shared, which voices were heard, and how personal data was handled. Algorithms control every piece of information and opinion. At the same time, many of these platforms rely on business models that depend on extensive data collection, with user behaviour fueling targeted advertising. While these services often appear free, the trade-off is a gradual loss of privacy, autonomy, and control over one’s digital presence.
Concerns about this central control, privacy, and reliance on these platforms led to the idea of a new kind of internet, now called Web 3.0.
What is Web 3.0?
The internet is now moving toward a more user-focused phase, where data ownership is decentralised. Web 3.0 uses technologies such as blockchain and the Semantic Web to return control of data and digital assets to users rather than large technology companies. This change aims to enhance the transparency, security, and personalisation of online experiences.
Key Characteristics of Web 3.0
1. Decentralisation
Control is shared across networks rather than held by a single company or authority. This means that people need not rely on centralised platforms as much.
2. User control over data and identity
Users have more control over their digital identities and personal data, rather than giving that control to platforms by default.
3. Reduced intermediaries
Web 3.0 aims to cut out intermediaries by enabling people to interact, share, and make transactions directly, without needing a central platform to manage these actions.
4. Transparency by design
Many Web 3.0 systems are designed to make rules, transactions, and changes open and verifiable, rather than hidden within private systems.
5. Permissionless participation
Anyone can participate without approval from a central authority, provided they comply with the network’s rules.
6. Resilience and censorship resistance
The distribution of data and services increases the difficulty for any single entity to shut down platforms or completely silence users.
People often use the term Web 3.0 to refer to technologies such as cryptocurrencies, tokens, or blockchain-based finance. However, the main features listed above also make Web 3.0 useful in many areas, including supply chain management, gaming and the metaverse, healthcare, content creation and social media, intellectual property, and digital identity.
How Does Web 3.0 Work – A Brief Sneak Peek
At its core, Web 3.0 changes how information is stored and managed. Instead of storing data on servers owned by a single company, information is distributed across networks. The action is cryptographically signed by the user, verified by multiple participants, and recorded in a shared ledger that is difficult to alter. This structure reduces reliance on central intermediaries and makes manipulation or data abuse more difficult, while shifting greater control and responsibility to users. Although the technology driving Web 3.0 is complex, the primary goal is simple: to give users greater control and responsibility.
Web 3.0: An Emerging, Yet Unsettled, Part of the EU’s Digital Vision
Freedom, Democracy, and Respect for human rights have been the core pillars of the European Union since its inception. These principles have been a centre of discussion whenever policies are framed, and the digital space is no exception. The European Union has signalled a clear willingness to invest in the development of Web 3.0-relevant technologies through official strategies, infrastructure development, and research funding. The European Union is actively shaping the digital world by protecting users, ensuring fair competition, and defending fundamental rights.
A Few Examples:
- The Commission’s blockchain and Web3 strategy outlines policy support, funding programmes, and legal frameworks to foster innovation in decentralised systems.
- Web 3.0-aligned technologies are being evaluated for identity and credential management and secure data exchange.
- EU funding programmes support projects on decentralised data, privacy-preserving technologies, and interoperability. (In recent times, 2016-2019, the EU invested 180 million Euros in a project called Horizon Europe, with grants expected to flow in the future as well)
Web 3.0 Is Still A probability, Not A Concrete Solution Yet.
However, the EU also values legal certainty, accountability, and consumer protection, which can be challenging to achieve in decentralised systems. As a result, the relationship between Web 3.0 and EU policy is still developing, reflecting both a willingness to innovate and a careful approach to potential risks. In this light, it is imperative to understand the complications and challenges associated with Web 3.0.
Challenges of Web 3.0:
- Still in its nascent stage, the technology underlying Web 3.0 is complex and not widely known. Concepts such as private keys, smart contracts, wallets, and decentralised storage are still largely unfamiliar and challenging for non-tech-savvy users.
- Centralised platforms outperform Web 3.0 due to easier user navigation. Influencing users to shift from a seamless platform to a complex option would require substantial investment in digital education and community building, as well as time.
- Beneath the layers of immutable privacy structures, due to a decentralised mechanism for data sharing and storage, technologies such as Web 3.0 lack accountability systems. In the absence of a centralised moderation mechanism, addressing harmful or illegal content, misinformation, and responding to abuse becomes challenging. Once the content is stored, its removal becomes nearly impossible.
- Protocols may be decentralised in theory, but small groups of developers or influential participants still influence many major decisions. This can recreate power imbalances similar to centralised platforms, undermining ideals of shared governance.
- Although Web 3.0 may be emerging as a technical solution to censorship, it is critical to understand that technology alone cannot address deeper social and political issues. Issues such as governance, community norms, power dynamics, and regulatory compliance require broader approaches beyond code.
- For less experienced users, the sole onus for online security, privacy, and data management, owing to greater control, could be overwhelming.
Looking ahead: between regulation and re-imagining
As Europe debates the future of its digital space, organisations such as European Digital Rights reiterate that technology alone does not secure freedom or fairness online. ERDi firmly believes that human rights, data protection, and democratic accountability should be the core of any discussion of new digital systems. From this perspective, Web 3.0 is neither a solution nor a threat in itself, but offers a new avenue of technological experimentation that must operate within existing legal frameworks and fundamental rights.
In the current political landscape, EU initiatives such as the Digital Services Act, the Digital Markets Act, and ongoing discussions around chat control and the Digital Omnibus reflect growing concern about platform dominance, surveillance, and the limits of the Web 2.0 model. These laws aim to correct structural harms through regulation, but also raise deeper questions about how digital infrastructures are designed and who ultimately holds power over them.
In this context, Web 3.0 can be seen as part of a broader conversation about decentralisation and user agency rather than a finished alternative. While its principles resonate with long-standing European Pirate values around privacy, autonomy, and resistance to excessive central control, decentralised technologies also risk creating new concentrations of power if left unchecked. EDRI’s cautious approach emphasises the need for civic interest control, civil society involvement, and robust safeguards.
The interaction between regulation and experimentation will likely shape Europe’s digital future. If approached critically and inclusively, discussions around Web 3.0 can help imagine an internet where innovation supports user rights, rather than undermining them.
europeanpirates.eu/europes-nex…
Internet Governance: Ein Weihnachtswunder der internationalen Digitalpolitik
netzpolitik.org/2025/internet-…
Sicherheitsbehörden und Databroker: Bundesregierung macht Datenkauf zum Staatsgeheimnis
netzpolitik.org/2025/sicherhei…
