Mastodawn

Jan 10, 2025

At MacStories, we won't stand for Meta's dehumanizing, harmful moderation practices.

Fuck them and everyone who builds their business upon a semblance of "free speech" to ostracize minorities and all kinds of humans.

For this reason, we're leaving Threads and Instagram behind.

You can read about our decision here, and find some links to support different organizations today: https://www.macstories.net/stories/macstories-wont-stand-for-metas-dehumanizing-and-harmful-moderation-policies/

MacStories Won’t Stand for Meta’s Dehumanizing and Harmful Moderation Policies

Just over two years ago, MacStories left Twitter behind. We left when Elon Musk began dismantling the company’s trust and safety infrastructure, allowing hateful speech and harassment on the platform. Meta is now doing the same thing with Threads and Instagram, so we’re leaving them behind, too. We were initially optimistic about Threads because of

Show thread

Steve Sebban, CSI Jan 10, 2025

@viticci I applaud you 👏🏼

I never had an Instagram or Threads account and I put my FB account to sleep.

The real test is WhatsApp, of course. It cannot be ditched. Without it, we cannot communicate with anyone. I tried for a full year and fold.

Now, what…?

Show thread

Michael Porter Jan 10, 2025

@stevesebban @viticci Signal? I don't know much about it, but I've heard it touted as a private, non-meta alternative.

Show thread

Steve Sebban, CSI

@MichaelPorter @viticci Signal is not really an option since almost no one use it and no business presence at all.

Trying to move yours friends/colleagues/client to a new communication platform is an impossible task. I tried for a full year when WA updated their license agreement a few years ago. I eventually gave up as no one was making the effort.

The same is true about iMessage btw. Huge installation base, virtually no one uses it outside the USA.

Show thread

Michael Porter Jan 11, 2025

@stevesebban @viticci Most of the people I message with (i.e. the vast majority, with one or two exceptions) are on iMessage. We're outside the USA, for now...

Don't know enough about Signal, but when I signed on, it came up with several of my contacts who were already using it.

I get your point about the difficulty of migrating people to another platform. Over the years I've tried changing habits of groups, only to be met with lots of inertia. One time, I was just trying to get people to use an easy, obvious feature in the software they were already using... 🙄
But I'm hoping the blatant enshittification of meta will encourage people to consider leaving. Like I said, their policies are toxic and harmful to a few members of my family.

Show thread

Steve Sebban, CSI Jan 11, 2025

@MichaelPorter @viticci But you’re American, right?

I have to say that WhatsApp is getting better and better. It is evolving much faster than iMessage and it is now more convenient to use. All my friends that still used iMessage switched this year. Some being die hard apple fanboys say volume about the situation. I just wish that it has an iPad and Apple Watch app but I am not holding my breath.

Show thread

Michael Porter Jan 11, 2025

@stevesebban @viticci Nope, 🇨🇦

With respect to WhatsApp, the question isn’t so much usability as it is distaste at Meta’s latest policy changes. They may not affect WhatsApp directly, but when I ditch a company, I try to ditch the whole company.

I recognize that without becoming a tech-free hermit, there’s no way to completely detach from corporate shittiness. But it’s still worth the effort to send a message that we expect better.

Show thread

Steve Sebban, CSI Jan 11, 2025

@MichaelPorter @viticci I hear you. I should have phrased my question as “North America” instead of “USA”.

I am not defending or advocating for WhatsApp, far from it. My point is that we arrived at the state that WA is the de facto worldwide standard for any form of instant message. The exceptions are three markets: China with WeChat, North America with iMessage/SMS, and South Korea. (1/3)

Show thread

Steve Sebban, CSI Jan 11, 2025

Most of today’s direct communications are in the hands of one single, private company. It is quite astonishing that governments all over the world let this happen.

Meta aggressively developed WA for business in the last few years, and we are close to the point that you can’t get service or customer support without WA. More companies don’t even offer a phone number or an email anymore, and they redirect you to their WA support, for the worse, of course. (2/3)

Show thread

Steve Sebban, CSI Jan 11, 2025

You can ditch WhatsApp because you have options; most of the world sadly does not…

We need urgently a public, advanced, feature-rich, open-source, cross-platform, and secure alternative protocol to replace SMS. (And it is not RCS…) I don’t see this happening anytime soon… (3/3)

Show thread

Michael Porter Jan 11, 2025

@stevesebban @viticci True. Two points, though:

First, I'm personally only concerned with what works for me, my family, and friends. We're mostly in NA, so what the norm is in other places doesn't concern me too much. WhatsApp has come to the fore when travelling, though.

Second, all of these services got their start somewhere, as little-known apps that gradually took hold. It's possible for a new paradigm to take their place, we just have to help it along.