NosuperheroJul 6, 2023
blaine

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.

Jul 6, 2023 at 4:39pmWeb
Show threadThe Skeptic's Book of ListsJul 6, 2023
@blaine I think threads is going to be the next Google Social (or whatever it was called).
Show threadcoldclimateJul 6, 2023
@blaine my levels of anger about the endless clusterfuck that is billionaires in tech is leading me towards the ultimate question: do their houses burn?
Show threadcoldclimateJul 6, 2023
@blaine GDPR request would get access and be a massive PITA for them to serve too.
Show threadblaineJul 6, 2023
@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.
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

TechCrunch is part of the Yahoo family of brands

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.
Show threadOblomovJul 6, 2023

@coldclimate @blaine

The Digital Markets Act should force them in that direction, which is probably one of the reason they aren't launching P92 in the EU

Show threadPelle WessmanJul 6, 2023

@blaine GDPR should let you export your contact list easily, someone should push that issue 😅

As it is now: Thread is one big antitrust case(?)

Show threadEric JenningsJul 6, 2023

@voxpelli @blaine actually… I’m not sure it should. Because why should you be able to give data about your contacts to another company?

I should be in control of data about me. Not friends of mine who have me in their contact lists.

Show threadPelle WessmanJul 7, 2023

@HitokiriEric @blaine I should be allowed to export the list about the data that _I_ have created, so not all the personal data others have added about themselves, but rather a list of who _I_ am following

Pretty much an OPML file for social networks

(This was actually how I planned to implement this at a former job, provide an OPML export of users follow list that contained the RSS of all people they have opted to follow within the platform, so that they can follow them outside the platform)

Show threadJonathan FredericksonJul 6, 2023

@blaine I don't know. They are saying that they're planning to support migrating your followers out of Threads, and I would guess that'll be via the `move` activity since that's how it's generally done on the fediverse. So it kinda seems like they're already doing this?

I do think you're right that it needs legislation though. There's a part of me that feels like they're only doing this because the DMA is about to require them to in Europe anyway.

Show threadblaineJul 6, 2023
@jfred it may be that they're trying to preempt more antitrust legislation; either way they'll be able to leverage all this, so hopefully they follow through.
Show threadChris J. KarrJul 6, 2023

@blaine

You CAN export your data from platforms like Facebook. The missing part is the new social network implementing an importer that can parse that data and start rebuilding your network at your new digs.

Something the PixelFed folks around here are doing right is not ignoring that opportunity and building tools to bring your Instagram content over to their platform.

Next time you see a European, thank them for the GDPR which has resulted in these options.

#PixelFed #DataExport #GDPR

Show threadHalf Cocked LawJul 6, 2023
@blaine yes, what we need is freely-distributed data on everyone's scraped internet presence.
Show threadGuillaume RossJul 6, 2023
@blaine @IoanSaid That’s what everyone freaking out about Facebook APIs and sharing of social graph completely missed, it was massive lock in for Facebook to make this unavailable
Show threadEric JenningsJul 6, 2023

@blaine Actually what’s funny to me about this is that Instagram got started by bootstrapping on Twitter’s social graph before Twitter realized they should lock that data down. Doubt Instagram would’ve taken off if they hadn’t piggybacked on Twitter’s social graph back in the day.

So the idea of Meta now making a Twitter competitor bootstrapped off Instagram is just the next level of sticking it to Twitter.

(Also Facebook shouldn’t have been allowed to buy Instagram.)

Show threadAlekJul 7, 2023
@blaine that's a good point that the social graphs / contact lists are crucial. this sounds like a source of imbalance in the interoperable system built on top of #ActivityPub that will emerge if Threads indeed join it.
Show threadFabianJul 7, 2023
@blaine Courtesy of GDPR we have this ability and when Threads becomes fully supportive of ActivityPub, theoretically you may be able to import your following list from Threads and/or Instagram.