Fediverse

The DSA isn't a one size fits all. It uses a tiered system where the most intense rules—like mandatory age verification—are aimed at the Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs). The law was clearly designed with Big Tech monoliths in mind, so it doesn't really fit the decentralized nature of the Fediverse. Small instances largely gets a free pass; the focus is on targeting the platforms that actually have the scale to cause systemic risk. I think the limit is drawn at 45 million users. No instance in the EU will (hopefully) become that big!

This is precisely the point of literally all the recent new laws regulating online platforms, including this.

To kill smaller ones that can't comply with those laws, so that only large ones remain (if at all) and it is easier to censor and surveil the users there.

I just hope that at some point, people will figure out how wrong politicians of the 2020s were to do all of this, and a new free and open Internet will rise from the ashes as long as any remain.

No offence to those that run various instances but the LAST thing I would want is for any of them to deal with this stuff on their own servers. that's just a massive can of worms I would assume even they wouldn't want to open.

Centralized platforms, including the big federated ones, might be required to institute this. We'll have to wait and see. Usually laws define the words they use. So they'll have to define "social media" and "age verification" and what does and does not apply. After it's out, then it's up to the courts.

I've been watching the Section 230 discussions in the US, and they don't want to wipe away what's there because they want to protect smaller platforms, but they are looking to amend it to add additional wording for size, revenue, etc.

Also, there's NOTHING stopping you from running your own service and hopping on. Honestly this is why I want to see self hosted plug and play devices for the Fediverse. You don't need age verification if you run it for your family and know everyone's age.

These age verification laws will work on some folks, but I think the vast majority of folks will just be pushed to the outskirts. And honestly, we're it. This could be a boon for the Fediverse.

First of all we should submerge the EU parliament with protests, as we did for the chat-control question. Then protest marches, strikes, and so on. Then simple non-compliance. Whatever is undemocratic has automatically null morally legal validity.

I think we can still use the https://fightchatcontrol.eu/ platform for this. Just need to change the text and protest against age verification.

I would only ever sign up for an instance that is not subject to it, or does not comply, or at least maliciously complies. And by malicious compliance I mean something where it's implemented in such a "buggy" way that it's easy to bypass.

But really I'd just go for instances hosted outside the EU.

How on earth would the EU possibly do this given the entire structure is federated?

They likely don't even know what Lemmy is.

If they make the fediverse illegal, then it will be illegal. There's not much that can be done about it. Obviously we cannot do "age verification."

It would look really bad, politically, so they probably won't go that far right now — they'll just slowly push things in that direction until it seems feasible.

To consider the possibility is part of accepting that it will happen, making it much easier to actually happen. First, I think, people should pressure so it doesn't get to pass, as they seem to be against it. If the worst scenario does come, then people can consider what's the least bad route of actions.

“Fuck you, make me”

Is it implemented the same way beer company websites ask for your age?

Does the App allow random platforms to do verification? Or do we need to be some registered business, do contracts, likely pay for the service...? For the App to speak to our instances?