jherazobJul 21, 2023

Google is working on essentially putting DRM on the web

https://beehaw.org/post/6738148

Google is working on essentially putting DRM on the web - Beehaw

The much maligned “Trusted Computing” idea requires that the party you are supposed to trust deserves to be trusted, and Google is DEFINITELY NOT worthy of being trusted, this is a naked power grab to destroy the open web for Google’s ad profits no matter the consequences, this would put heavy surveillance in Google’s hands, this would eliminate ad-blocking, this would break any and all accessibility features, this would obliterate any competing platform, this is very much opposed to what the web is.

Show threadjherazobJul 21, 2023

Note of amusement: The GitHub issues tracker for that proposal got swamped with tickets either mocking this crap or denouncing it for what it is, this morning the person who seems to be the head of the project closed all those tickets and published this blog post, in essence saying “Shut up with your ethical considerations, give us a hand in putting up this electric fence around the web”. Of course that didn’t stop it.

Also somebody pointed out this gem in the proposal, quoted here:

6.2. Privacy considerations

Todo

So, you don't like a web platform proposal

How can you influence the web platform so that a change you don't like is less likely to get shipped?

Show threadBumpingFugliesJul 21, 2023

Wow, that blog post is truly nauseating and infuriating to read, knowing the context.

Fuck Google. They’re the Nestlé of tech.

Show thread👍Maximum Derek👍
I don’t think Google has recently insisted that child slavery is just a thing we all have to be OK with if we want chocolate, or starved millions of babies by convincing their mothers that their breast milk is dangerous. But I also wouldn’t be shocked to learn that they had…
Jul 21, 2023 at 3:58pmWeb
Show threadBumpingFugliesJul 21, 2023

Ha! Fair point. I guess the Internet is ultimately peanuts compared to the real world.

But as far as relative negative effect on its sphere of influence, I’d say they’re comparable.

Show threadfulanoJul 23, 2023

No, but they accepted to publish political fake news ads for one of the running parties (the fascistoid one, of course) in the last elections here in Brazil.

That party has lost, but it was too close. In the 4 last years, during their mandate, hunger, violence, discrimination rape, and other problems rose to the highest levels in the century.

Google and other big tech companies have been influencing elections in a lot of places, and the consequences are enormous.