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Meta blocks human rights accounts from reaching audiences in Saudi Arabia, UAE

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Re: Meta blocks human rights accounts from reaching audiences in Saudi Arabia, UAE

#21
post #12

Do folks have a suggestion for a Facebook alternative? I'm about fed up with the state of things, but still want to feel connected to social circles (even if they're online only) and politics (ideally without the hate spam bots).

Bluesky

Re: Meta blocks human rights accounts from reaching audiences in Saudi Arabia, UAE

#22
post #9

Well, it's that or the accounts get removed completely. Sometimes you have to pick your fight, and this doesn't look like one that's worth it.

Not true, there’s a third option: Stop operating in those countries. Which used to be a common choice for tech companies, until it somehow became unthinkable for some reason.

Operating in these countries helps gather information in them.

Re: Meta blocks human rights accounts from reaching audiences in Saudi Arabia, UAE

#23
post #12

Do folks have a suggestion for a Facebook alternative? I'm about fed up with the state of things, but still want to feel connected to social circles (even if they're online only) and politics (ideally without the hate spam bots).

Mastodon has been great for me to follow niches I'm interested in.

Re: Meta blocks human rights accounts from reaching audiences in Saudi Arabia, UAE

#24
post #3

The title should read "Saudi Arabia". Cutting a country name in half (unless its an accepted way of abbreviating it) is not a good say of modifying a headline. What is next? Zealand ?

The title as it is right now is 79 characters long, the limit is 80.

Re: Meta blocks human rights accounts from reaching audiences in Saudi Arabia, UAE

#27
post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not true, there’s a third option: Stop operating in those countries. Which used to be a common choice for tech companies, until it somehow became unthinkable for some reason.

Is it better for human rights for a channel of communication to exist only if every single person can use it? Or is it a net positive for these communication channels to exist, albeit in an imperfect form?

Communication channels like Meta are a strict negative for human rights everywhere (including in the West), because they funnel all communication into a single channel that is easy to surveil and censor.

Re: Meta blocks human rights accounts from reaching audiences in Saudi Arabia, UAE

#28
post #12

Do folks have a suggestion for a Facebook alternative? I'm about fed up with the state of things, but still want to feel connected to social circles (even if they're online only) and politics (ideally without the hate spam bots).

The trick is to get your friends and family to jump ship with you.

Re: Meta blocks human rights accounts from reaching audiences in Saudi Arabia, UAE

#29
post #7

[flagged]

I wish I could get my friends to stop using WhatsApp

I communicate with direct family and many friends through Signal. Don't tell them to replace WhatsApp by Signal. Ask them to install Signal besides WhatsApp.

Both can exist at the same time and this is a route with much less friction and slowly builds the network effect.

Re: Meta blocks human rights accounts from reaching audiences in Saudi Arabia, UAE

#30
post #3

The title should read "Saudi Arabia". Cutting a country name in half (unless its an accepted way of abbreviating it) is not a good say of modifying a headline. What is next? Zealand ?

People say "States" or even US all the time, usually forgetting the other country that has "United States" in their name.
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