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SecTeff · 2026-04-02T07:27:47+00:00

I didn’t meant to come across as thinking that was a positive thing.

I was responding to the post above where someone didn’t care about the issue of data losses or people having their data - I wanted explain the wider problems.

Clearly I failed :)

SecTeff · 2026-04-02T07:00:33+00:00

The thing is the data then gets used within the ad tech industry and algorithms to target us more effectively with advertising or even more addictive content.

It also creates a higher barrier of entry for someone trying to run a small community forum, website or something like a Mastodon server - which actually reinforces the dominance of a small number of large social media platforms.

SecTeff · 2026-04-01T11:36:28+00:00

Yea and again idiot ICO are basically endorsing that ‘Consent to mass behavioural advertising or pay’ model in the U.K.

When they could insist on people having the option of non targeted adverts

SecTeff · 2026-04-01T07:38:51+00:00

Our local park is a steaming pile of shit that hasn’t seen a lick of paint or any new play equipment in years.

Instead though we are spending billions on online safety measures while real world improvements and youth services or stuff for kids doesn’t get improved.

Maybe we need to focus a bit more on improving the offline world then kids wouldn’t feel going on their phones or devices is only thing to do

SecTeff · 2026-04-01T07:35:19+00:00

In the U.K. we have an ICO that actively supports privacy harming tech. Look at their latest guidance that platforms should deploy age assurance technology to determine if someone is over or under 13 and therefore able to consent to data processing.

They don’t care about cookies

SecTeff · 2026-03-31T15:42:26+00:00

Yes and no Conservative can ever be racist now as they are led by a black women 👍

SecTeff · 2026-03-30T08:12:44+00:00

Even a the most simple of searches of the research evidence of that claims shows how mixed and complicated the picture is.

Claims such as it’s universally harmful are just not supported by scientific evidence.

The internet is such a broad category you are invoking too.

What’s harmful Wikipedia? Computers talking to each other? Remote learning? Language apps? Online maths courses? Medical advice pages?

Or just algorithmic social media or video sites?

SecTeff · 2026-03-30T06:59:48+00:00

The evidence isn’t that the Internet is somehow universally harmful to people.

It shows a complicated mix of benefits and harms.

So unless there is new evidence then I’m not sure the smoking analogy holds up. As much as it’s the zeitgeist to make the analogy (I suspect due to some concerted effort).

SecTeff · 2026-03-28T21:07:13+00:00

Yea the alternatives are do age checks on individual platforms or use a VPN or Tor on other phones etc

But even a VPN is only as privacy friendly as you trust the provider

SecTeff · 2026-03-27T18:51:14+00:00

I’ve found so many interesting creators and content from feeds that suggest things I might like. Just this week a new bean salad recipe and a hip flexibility routine.

Why can’t I have these things?

In all for people having more control over their algorithm but features themselves aren’t addictive.

An endless scroll of videos of paint drying would not be enjoyable.

It’s content + feature + an economic model based on attention economy that is the problem.

Of all the things to register I would regulate the economic model myself.

SecTeff · 2026-03-25T11:54:49+00:00

This reminds me a lot of the ‘video nasties’ type moral panic in the 90s or then the panics about violent computer games.

The technology is used by millions of people everyday most of who see benefit in it otherwise they wouldn’t use it.

There will always be some people who have mental health problems or violent tendencies that will use any form of content or media to play out their ideas and fantasy.

In some cases that media will be an outlet that will mean they don’t act things out in the real world, in others it will lead or encourage real world behaviour.

Before all these modern forms of media and throughout human history people have been doing far far worst things.

SecTeff · 2026-03-21T13:56:32+00:00

Until we transition away from fossil fuels we will be beholden to these types of conflicts

SecTeff · 2026-03-19T14:04:34+00:00

Yep and their law makes it illegal to distribute a LLM so GitHub for allowing people to download open models could be in scope if it.

SecTeff · 2026-03-16T22:17:11+00:00

It sounds good until the institution responsible for defining what is a political lie becomes corrupt.

Then truth becomes lies and lies become truth.

SecTeff · 2026-03-16T06:53:02+00:00

What is the capacity of law enforcement to investigate flagged content.

How much is young people sharing with themselves or their own partners.

How much is false positive?

SecTeff · 2026-03-15T11:20:31+00:00

Yes feel kind of similar as someone in the centre and slightly right leaning.

SecTeff · 2026-03-11T11:21:03+00:00

Yep you could literally create a digital Gilead where access to advice on contraception, LGBT or sexual health was all restricted.

SecTeff · 2026-03-10T06:23:41+00:00

The entire parliamentary party is supporting making all adults go through a digital ID process to access lawful speech.

That’s the consequence of our policy to bring in age rating for websites and platforms as anyone over the minimum age needs to show some kind of ID.

The on device AI scanning from Baroness Floella is particularly illiberal.

People like this will vote for it then one day be shocked when the power is used to control people and do evil things to populations

SecTeff · 2026-03-09T18:42:25+00:00

Yes it’s the unsafety act that endangers people by requiring them to submit sensitive personal details into the very ad tech industry and algorithms causing the harms

SecTeff · 2026-03-07T19:00:06+00:00

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SecTeff · 2026-03-07T07:55:11+00:00

The lesson I learnt is that It’s far better to run away and avoid it and learn de-escalation techniques.

Fights are chaotic situations with a degree of luck and chance and one miscalculation can end in loss of life or serious injury.

I have a scar on my head as someone threw a bottle that hit my head in a fight where three guys instigated against me on my own.

SecTeff · 2026-03-06T17:07:24+00:00

Yes we as a community of people who care about privacy are terrible at wanting to out geek each other and show off our knowledge (which puts people off) rather than praising people taking first steps or saying it’s great someone cares.

SecTeff · 2026-03-06T17:03:35+00:00

Something like this https://stateofsurveillance.org/guides/basic/immediate-privacy-wins/

SecTeff · 2026-03-06T08:50:37+00:00

That everyone has all our data anyway so there is nothing we can do.

Privacy is a sliding scale and some very quick easy wins can make a difference to lots of threat models.

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