blaineJul 6, 2023

When Facebook started, they bootstrapped networks by downloading & matching contacts from email. Twitter, and everyone else, did the same.

Threads is blowing up because Facebook is using their monopoly on the social graph. Legislation to guarantee easy, fast access to your own contact lists for use in non-billionaire-owned media would help level the playing field, because Zuck & co sure aren't going to give the connections they stole back to us otherwise.

Show threadcoldclimateJul 6, 2023
@blaine GDPR request would get access and be a massive PITA for them to serve too.
Show threadblaine
@coldclimate yeah, it does, but not with useful timelines nor format for use by open alternatives. GDPR should specify that access needs to be as fast and specific as internal tools have access.
Jul 6, 2023 at 4:58pmWeb
Show threadcoldclimateJul 6, 2023
@blaine I'd love that. I've had pdfs of JSON before now
Show threadTom ScottJul 6, 2023
@blaine @coldclimate TBH I struggle to see how Threads is compliant with GDPR's principles incl migrating the social graph from one service to another (I assume they would argue it is a 'compatible' purpose?) so providing an API for others to do the same would also be incompatible with GDPR. I think??
Show threadAlistair DavidsonJul 6, 2023
@derivadow @blaine @coldclimate Not if you're accessing it yourself! GDPR mostly just requires consent and legitimate purpose.
Show threadTom ScottJul 6, 2023
@moh_kohn @blaine @coldclimate but it isn’t just your data is it?
Show threadAlistair DavidsonJul 6, 2023
@derivadow @blaine @coldclimate Hmmm. I am allowed to download a copy of my own address book (in fact isn't this a GDPR requirement itself?). Whether it's legal to accept an upload to a different service might depend on how that services uses the data (IANAL)
Show threadTom ScottJul 6, 2023
@moh_kohn @blaine @coldclimate ah yes I see what you mean. I was thinking about the upload bit (or meta just using the data in another product).
Show threadPilumJul 7, 2023

@derivadow @blaine @coldclimate They're not, which is why they're not currently (officially?) launching in GDPR-land.

https://tcrn.ch/3JMuu5f

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Show threadTom ScottJul 7, 2023
@pilum @blaine @coldclimate except for the uk. I assume they are judging that the risk of enforcement is sufficiently low here :(
Show threadPilumJul 7, 2023
@derivadow @blaine @coldclimate Didn't the UK already repeal the GDPR?
Show threadTom ScottJul 7, 2023
@pilum the uk govt has consulted on it, said it will but no at the moment it is still the law.
Show threadPilumJul 7, 2023
@derivadow Ah. Right.