mhoyeFeb 20
Once you realize it’s not “age verification”, but actually “identity verification”, then it’s easy to understand that the real goal is “papers, please” for the entire internet.
Show threadtxtx 🇪🇺Feb 20

@mhoye Unpopular opinion:

Identity verification isn't so unattractive in 2026 — social media is destroying democracies via anonymous armies of bot people steered by aggressive foreign actors like Putin and Musk.

The libertarian model that the Internet was built on is failing societies.

Show threadCassandrichFeb 20
@txtx @mhoye Rightfully unpopular. This is not a libertarian position but an anarchist and antifascist one. It's not Ayn Rand bros who are harmed by needing to show ID to participate in public life. It's queer youth, undocumented folks, unhoused folks, dissidents, ppl living under regimes that don't want them having international contacts, etc. who this shit harms.
Show threadtxtx 🇪🇺Feb 20
@dalias @mhoye Facebook & X are anarchist/anti fascist? I don't agree.
Show threadDiogo ConstantinoFeb 20

@txtx some people will accounts there are, and so are people with accounts in other places, because social media it's not just those places, and because the requeriments for id verification are way broader than social media.

@dalias @mhoye

Show threadtxtx 🇪🇺Feb 20

@DiogoConstantino

I don't agree with the premise that there is no possibility for a solution that takes various factors into consideration.

@dalias @mhoye

Show threadDiogo ConstantinoFeb 20

@txtx that's like telling us to nerd harder.

@dalias @mhoye

Show threadtxtx 🇪🇺Feb 20

@DiogoConstantino So? What's wrong with trying harder? Is laziness an excuse?

I want more fellow tech people to step away from the libertarian ideals of the current Internet, and start coming up with ways to help save democracy from aggressive states and their disinformation campaigns.

@dalias @mhoye

Show threadDiogo Constantino

@txtx nerding harder is not working harder, is what people who don't understand tech, tell to nerds to implement their magical thinking.

@dalias @mhoye

Feb 20 at 10:18amWeb
Show threadtxtx 🇪🇺Feb 20
@DiogoConstantino Why do you turn to a personal accusation against me? C'mon, we can do better than that. I've been in this field for over a quarter century thanks.
Show threadDiogo ConstantinoFeb 20

@txtx it's critic of your argument. You are implying others are lazy, and implying others have not tried to solve the problems, and implying there's not other ways to solve these problems. And you're ignoring that there's already laws to address this (DSA), they only mostly not been meaningfully enforced.

People have been thinking about online content moderation since the 1990s, it's insulting that people who have not thought about this for figuratively 5 minutes think they have the solution.

Show threadtxtx 🇪🇺Feb 20

@DiogoConstantino Right and I've been there since the 90s. Have we solved the problems? They've only gotten worse and worse.

The only Internet we've had, outside of a few niches, is a highly libertarian, highly corporate one. I'm just saying, I think it's time to try new ideas.