Randahl FinkNov 25

In theory, if Mastodon revealed which country your Mastodon account was mostly used from, it would not be possible for someone to get paid to influence voters from another country by pretending to be from said country.

For instance, Putin could not pay Russians to influence a US election by posting in English from a secret office in Moscow.

Of course the price would be, Mastodon would then reveal everyone's home country.

Would you like such a feature?

Yes, that would be safer
46.9%
No, that would invade my privacy
53.1%
Poll ended at .
Show threadШуроNov 25

@randahl I am 100% sure it is useless on Twitter too. It won't stop governments or even marketing as VPNs exist, virtual phone numbers exist, etc. Actually it can add false credibility as it is easy to be manipulated but someone is ought to trust it.

At the same time it can be a liability for normal people, especially if the location is updated dynamically.

The only purpose it serves on Twitter is to add more drama (and thus engagement).

Show threadRandahl Fink

@shuro those are good points.

But right now, I could fake being a German voter, WITHOUT jumping through the hoops of VPN or false phone numbers.

We place locks on our front doors, not because they cannot be broken, but because it makes it more difficult to break in.

Nov 25 at 1:01pmIvory for iOS
Show threadШуроNov 25

@randahl it is about cost-effect. The cost of appearing from another country for you is literally €5/month and ten minutes - and that's the easiest path. Can be free. The purpose (effect) for you to bother with it at all would earn you much more.

The cost of breaking a lock is higher - like the risk of getting arrested - and generally requires more preparation. This is like using shoelaces to "lock" your bicycle in risky place. Of course there is certain possibility that potential thieves won't bother with knots or have anything sharp but...

Show threadnoncommutativegeometryNov 25
@randahl @shuro I'm not sure I understand your point then: do you want to stop the random individual who's not too technically competent (which your suggestion would stop), or state actors (you cite Putin in the initial post) for whom I struggle to see how effective this measure would be?
If you are scared that some random thief might break in your home and steal your computer, a lock is a good idea. If you're scared that Putin wants your computer, I don't see what a lock can do to protect it.