GabrielleDec 18, 2022
Mike Masnick ✅

So, yeah, if we take these two stories in combination: Elon is (a) demanding that everyone who uses Twitter hand over their live location info to him and (b) has now banned anyone from posting the live location of anyone.

https://www.techdirt.com/2022/12/14/twitters-big-ad-plan-violate-both-ftc-consent-decree-california-privacy-law-to-force-users-to-hand-over-info-for-ad-targeting/

https://www.techdirt.com/2022/12/14/elons-promise-not-to-ban-account-tracking-his-jet-didnt-last-very-long-at-all-also-bans-guys-personal-account/

Twitter’s Big Ad Plan: Violate FTC Consent Decree, California Privacy Law & EU Privacy Laws To Force Users To Hand Over Info For Ad Targeting

The good folks over at Platformer broke the news that Twitter is experimenting with Elon’s desperate attempt to make money: forcing people to “opt-in” to share personal info so th…

Techdirt
Dec 14, 2022 at 10:35pmWeb
Show threadAlex KDec 14, 2022
@mmasnick I hope this means that Musk's Twitter plans on being similarly aggressive in any doxxing attempts, especially considering we have seen a number of far right accounts trying to doxx reporters, trans individuals, and perceived leftists
Show threadpyromechanicalDec 15, 2022
@dosemakestoxin @mmasnick he didn't even ban the bot following jeff bezos's private jet, I wouldn't get my hopes up that he's suddenly decided to be a good person
Show threadGOLIKEHELLMACHINEDec 14, 2022
@mmasnick it would be slightly more respectable if he just said “i am making this change because it’s my website and i can do what i want” rather than pretending this is some kind of safety or business policy decision
Show threadcoder42Dec 15, 2022
@golikehellmachine @mmasnick I am *entirely* confident that if someone started a flight tracking account which showed where someone's private jet had been a week ago rather than in real time, the rules would not be changed again to make the justification privacy, rather than security.
Show threadWill PollockDec 14, 2022
@mmasnick made that exact point on birdsite a few hours ago #vibes
Show threadJohn MinnihanDec 14, 2022
@mmasnick to be fair he's a turd
Show threadSpaceLifeFormDec 14, 2022

@mmasnick

If he was Starman, then we would know his location.

Show threadbbennettesq Dec 14, 2022
@mmasnick can't wait for the precise geo targeted ad segments.
Show threadjohn r red-horseDec 14, 2022

@mmasnick

@glynmoody These two things do not conflict.

He wants your data to sell, but he doesn't want others to track him and his friends when they're on their private jets.

Show threadpyromechanicalDec 15, 2022
@jrredho where elon's jet is was already public information, literally the only thing that the bot does is tweet when things change. the only thing that's changed here is that he's exercised his pettiness over someone calling his shit.
Show threadjohn r red-horseDec 15, 2022

@pyro
I agree (and knew that)! There was thick sarcasm in my post.

Carry on!

Show threadpyromechanicalDec 15, 2022
@jrredho ahh, my mistake! Sarcasm is hard to read when you've seen an unusually large number of people talking exactly like that in the past month -.-
Show threadSector9Dec 14, 2022
@mmasnick
Twitter, the DPRK version.
#SpaceKaren is such a fragile #Snowflake
This is what happens when a 12 year old boy gets control of a social media platform. 🔥
Show threadChris Alemany 🇺🇦🇨🇦🇪🇸 🌱Dec 14, 2022

@Sector9 @mmasnick
Twitter: controlled by prepubescent boy.
Facebook/Insta: controlled by adolescent wannabe frat-boy.

And we wonder why all of this is happening the way it is…

Show threadDwight Williams (💉 x9)+😷🇨🇦Dec 14, 2022
@mmasnick CIPPIC and CitizenLab in Canada are gonna have words about that!
Show threadPaul RoubDec 14, 2022

@mmasnick It occurs to me that it probably wouldn't be *terribly* difficult to write, say, a Chrome extension spoofs your location just for certain domains. Whatever domains you wish. I'm not your boss.

And such an extension could easily base that location on, I dunno, the last reported location of @elonjet

Show threadcoder42Dec 15, 2022
@paulroub @mmasnick @elonjet Given that I use a VPN, I already get "trending" info that bears no relation to where I am.
Also, I don't currently see adverts. I'm not sure why (some browser plugins I activated years ago?).
Kinda hoping that whatever changes Musk makes doesn't mess that up.
Show threadVirtue signal 💉💉💉🇺🇸 🇺🇦Dec 15, 2022

@paulroub @mmasnick @elonjet

However, most ppl will be using the official Twitter app and will refuse to use a web browser.

Part of the reason why we've arrived at this situation is that most Americans want computer interaction that is super streamlined to the point of being mindless.

Show threadbjb  Dec 14, 2022
@mmasnick Of course! That gives him the monopoly on live locations.
Show threadHistoPol (#HP) 🏴 🇺🇸 🏴Dec 15, 2022

@mmasnick Exactly.
This is why I was not unblocked today and will probably lose my hard-built account on the Birdsite.

(Would be very stupid to PO the world’s 2nd richest man and then tell him where he xan sue you or worse 😉)

Show threadBradley_JFDec 15, 2022
@mmasnick back when Twitter was pretty new, every Tweet tracked your location. There were apps that would show you Tweets around you on a map. I don't know the context of what you're mentioning yet but thought it was worth mentioning that this is a return to something previously done by Twitter.
Show threadrobert_said_whatDec 15, 2022
@mmasnick @clearing_fog what’s to stop everyone from connecting using a vpn?
Show threadPatrick LewisDec 15, 2022
@mmasnick Elon’s jet rule
Show threadTeufel WolfDec 15, 2022
@mmasnick You also can not post a link on twitter to any site that provides real time location data about him. He is re-writing the AUP in real time.
Elonjet is banned again and Elon says he is going to sue Jack (Elonjet creater).
Show threadTyphoid MangoDec 15, 2022
@mmasnick Bindmoggling.
Show threaddocslackerDec 15, 2022
@mmasnick and now Musk is even suing the kid https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-63978323
Elon Musk taking legal action over Twitter account that tracks his private jet

Twitter's owner says an account tracking his private jet has put his son's safety at risk.

BBC News
Show threadMike Masnick ✅Dec 15, 2022
@docslacker yeah, i posted about that earlier. He hasn't actually sued yet. Not convinced he will, but we'll see.
Show threadOnceoday 🩺🕊🏕Dec 15, 2022

@mmasnick
Now you can follow Elmo's jet from right here on Mastodon. If you care to.

https://mastodon.social/@elonjet/109513053484727445

Show threadMike Masnick ✅Dec 15, 2022
@Onceoday yeah, mentioned that this morning. https://mastodon.social/@mmasnick/109513126880121784
Show threadboycottteslaDec 16, 2022
@mmasnick Elmo has a one way info street
Show threadPatrick Delahanty Dec 17, 2022
@mmasnick “Live location”? I believe you mean “assassination coordinates”. 😂
Show threadMortimer Peabody Aloysious IIIDec 17, 2022
@mmasnick Twitter seems to be running afoul of quite a few things lately. It's almost like the man at the top is out of his element and woefully under qualified to be making some of the decisions governing the core aspects if the platform. I guess that's more of a godsend than a curse. Imagine if he wasn't inept and chose to weaponize his platform. Things could be a lot worse.