Eugen RochkoJul 13, 2025
Please report any account that tells you that you need to verify your #Mastodon account to continue using it through a private message. It is a scam. We do not require identity verification. Real staff accounts either have a special role badge on their profile or are verified through the joinmastodon.org domain and will typically never reach out through private messages.
Show threadLinux Is BestJul 13, 2025

@Gargron

I want to step in and point out that there’s a lot of misinformation circulating.

Some people have been incorrectly claiming that if one country passes a certain law, then everyone — everywhere — must comply with it.

That’s not how jurisdiction works.

You’re responsible for following the laws of your own country. Your government can’t impose its laws on the entire world, and neither can any other government.

For example, if Russia suddenly requires that anyone signing up for a website must pay $5 and submit a DNA sample — but your site, and you are based in France — you’re under no obligation to comply. Russia can make whatever demands it wants, but you’re not Russian, and it’s not your responsibility to enforce their laws.

Show threadMastodon MigrationJul 13, 2025

@Linux

What is particularly troubling about #Bluesky is their aggressive policy of obeying in advance all laws from any jurisdiction. They banned Turkish dissidents under this rationale, and are now preemptively doing UK ID verification. It makes one think these reasons are pretextual, or at the very least cowardly.

Show threadLinux Is BestJul 13, 2025

@mastodonmigration

Blue Sky is a corporation trying to please its shareholders.

I also don’t know where Blue Sky’s offices are. If they’re registered in a particular country, then they’re subject to that country’s jurisdiction.

But if you're running a forum or a Fediverse site, and neither you nor your server is located there, you can tell them to go to hell — because it’s not your problem.

Show threadMastodon MigrationJul 13, 2025

@Linux

All valid points. And that is sort of the whole point. Bluesky, as a US corporation without apparently very deep pockets has got to be afraid of their legal exposure if only due to the potential cost of litigation. So, they are not well situated to protect their user's privacy rights.

Show threadAdam DallianceJul 13, 2025
@mastodonmigration @Linux Bluesky will want to run advert sales in most countries once they get their advert sales departments up and running. That'll make them subject to some degree or another to the laws of every country that they do advert sales in.
Show threadLinux Is BestJul 13, 2025

@pre @mastodonmigration

Yes and No.

Running ads on the Internet freely displayable to the whole world on the World Wide Web does not make you subject to every nation on the planet. Any more than having registration open and available to everyone on the planet.

However, if your business is accepting ads from China (random example) those ads would be under China's jurisdiction. It would be in your best interest to be sure your site in Germany (random example) did not get blacklisted by China, preventing you from doing business with other Chinese companies.

As I said, Blue Sky is trying to please their shareholders, so they're going to follow a lot of jurisdictions from a lot of countries, voluntarily.

Show threadAdam Dalliance

@Linux @mastodonmigration

Yeah, you can /run/ ads anywhere you like but if you're selling them to English companies that are using English Pounds and paying English taxes on the sales then England has a way to sanction you.

Jul 13, 2025 at 2:02pmWeb
Show threadLinux Is BestJul 13, 2025

@pre @mastodonmigration

Who you sell ads to does not make you subject to the jurisdiction of a particular country.

I can sell digital products and services to every country in the world and I don't need to update my terms of services for every country on the planet.

Side note:

I was previously using Russia and China as examples as to avoid patriotism, which unfortunately complicates matters when you try to have rational conversations on the internet. When you involve patriotism, everyone believes their country somehow supersedes everybody else's. Thank you for everybody, that's not how it works.

But since you want to use the UK, for example. If I am a registered business in the UK, than yes, I am subject to UK jurisdiction. If I have offices in the UK, I am, of course, subject to UK jurisdiction. If I am banking in the UK, once more, of course, I'm subject to UK jurisdiction.

But simply having a website on the internet available to everybody doesn't make me suddenly subject to every country on the planet.

Show threadAdam DallianceJul 13, 2025
@Linux That's right. Having the website doesn't, having the office here selling adverts does.
Show threadLinux Is BestJul 13, 2025

@pre

If you have offices in the UK, yes, you're subject to UK jurisdiction.

But selling ads alone does not make you subject to someone's jurisdiction.

For example, if someone bought a campaign ad because they're running against Vladimir Putin, and the Russia government would prefer I not display that ad on my website, that is Russia's problem, not my own.

Show threadAdam DallianceJul 13, 2025
@Linux Yep, but you don't sell many ads that way. Bluesky will want a local office staffed with local sales people taking local money and using it to bribe local politicians.
Show threadLinux Is BestJul 13, 2025

@pre

As I said, Blue Sky is trying to please shareholders.

My comments were generally concerning the Fediverse. There are a lot of people wrongfully believing that everyone, everywhere, must now comply.

The scammer is using that mindset as a form of mental and emotional manipulation.