If you live in Mississippi, you may have noticed that you are no longer able to log into your Bluesky or Dreamwidth accounts from within the state. That’s because, in a chilling early warning sign for the U.S., both social platforms decided to block all users in Mississippi from their services rather than risk hefty fines under the state’s oppressive age verification mandate.

This consolidation of power is a dream come true for the Big Tech platforms, but it’s a nightmare for users. While the megacorporations get more traffic and a whole lot more user data (read: profit), users are left with far fewer community options and a bland, corporate surveillance machine instead of a vibrant public sphere. The internet we all fell in love with is a diverse and colorful place, full of innovation, connection, and unique opportunities for self-expression. That internet—our internet—is worth defending.

  • youmaynotknow@lemmy.zipEnglish
    2·
    17 hours ago

    Then, I apologize, as it seems that I misrepresented your comments. Yes, we can still safeguard our privacy, and we should. This will need a very good chunk of the population making changes, educating children on the dangers of not having privacy, and how the government works for the population, not the other way around. This will require many to get out of their comfort zone, and stop providing data and/money to the corporations that have most individuals convinced that we can’t live without their services, which is completely false. This will be painful, but then again, what revolution isn’t?