this post was submitted on 24 Feb 2025
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Privacy

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John Oliver cited a 5000% rise in search queries related to leaving Meta and deleting accounts. Among the topics mentioned in the analysis, attention was drawn to early Facebook's naivete with regard to moderation requirements, the constitutional framework, and a history of governmental interference.

Oliver debunks common right-wing "cry censorship" talking points, as well as the objective difficulty of moderation endeavors, and how direct threats by Trump may have influenced Zuckerberg's turnaround.

Oliver went on to suggest Signal, Mastodon, Bluesky, and Pixelfed as alternatives that "do not seem as desperate to fall in line with Trump". For those reluctant to completely ditch Meta, Oliver revealed a new site with step-by-step instructions to "make yourself less valuable to them".

The guide was a collaboration with the EFF, and includes settings' tweaks for Facebook and Meta, whose 98% of revenue comes from micro-targeting ads, the host previously cited, to increase privacy, and recommends Firefox, Privacy Badger, as "other measures" to take in order "to block advertisers and other third parties from tracking you".

The segment culminated in a mock advert, in which the new Meta's approach to moderation is coined as "Fuck it", and hints to racism, internet scams, and calls to genocide running rampant on Meta's platforms.

The clip reminds the origins of Facebook as a site to "rank college girls by hotness", and its implication in genocide in Myanmar, which was more thoroughly discussed in an Oliver's previous special on Facebook in 2018.

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[–] toastal@lemmy.ml -1 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

For the masses maybe, but Signal & Bluesky ain’t it for a Privacy forum

[–] ChaoticNeutralCzech@feddit.org 9 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

How is Signal not privacy-friendly? It's the most private thing that can be called a "messenger app".

[–] amzd@lemmy.world 2 points 1 hour ago* (last edited 1 hour ago) (2 children)

I think the main red flag is that they are spending so much money. In 2023 they had 55m monthly active users and they spent $35m. The casual WhatsApp user that might switch to Signal is definitely not gonna pay for this so either Signal fans have to donate more or Signal has to start finding other monetization which if we look at other companies means selling private data.

(Also, half their spending is on hosting and they are not self hosting so a donation to Signal is basically a donation to Amazon and Google.)

[–] Earflap@reddthat.com 7 points 38 minutes ago (1 children)

Signal doesn't have private data to sell; that's the whole point.

[–] amzd@lemmy.world 2 points 36 minutes ago

And my point is that since their costs are so high they will either have to become a paid app or start collecting data to sell. Or become more efficient but you’d think if they knew how they’d already done that.

[–] whydudothatdrcrane@lemmy.ml 3 points 39 minutes ago (1 children)

either Signal fans have to donate more or Signal has to start finding other monetization which if we look at other companies means selling private data.

Lo and behold, after RiseUp now Signal is accused of selling data. Well, it is well known (and audited) that Signal keeps so little metadata it is not even useful to the authorities that have subpoeana-ed it.

This is an extra-ordinary claim you have to back with extra-ordinary evidence, in order to save face.

[–] amzd@lemmy.world 1 points 32 minutes ago* (last edited 32 minutes ago)

Where did I accuse them of selling data right now? I’m simply noting the risk that they will have to cover the insane costs of their inefficient infrastructure through either becoming a paid app or collecting data to sell.

[–] Corgana@startrek.website 37 points 12 hours ago

Took a long time, but nice to see this topic getting mainstream attention.

[–] lord_ryvan@ttrpg.network 60 points 13 hours ago (1 children)

John Oliver's show is doing amazing things, including the Drumpfinator addon.

What is that URL, though? I'm guessing I'm know it if I (happily) watch the episode?

[–] fushuan@lemm.ee 20 points 12 hours ago (2 children)

it's an inside joke of the show where he presents himself as a """secret""" furry that loves rat erotica. The content of the link is legit though.

[–] SkaveRat@discuss.tchncs.de 14 points 11 hours ago (2 children)

with the sometimes quite insider-y references, there absolutely is at least one furry on the writing team

[–] grue@lemmy.world 7 points 4 hours ago (1 children)
[–] Petter1@lemm.ee 2 points 19 minutes ago
[–] fushuan@lemm.ee 9 points 11 hours ago

Oh, absolutely! That's maybe why the jokes feel so pure and not disrespectful.

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[–] Sunny@slrpnk.net 46 points 15 hours ago (1 children)

John Oliver for president ✊

[–] Oni_eyes@sh.itjust.works 34 points 14 hours ago (3 children)

He can't because he wasn't born here, but we could totally elect his wife and let him do the whole first husband thing while still advising if she needs it.

[–] leadore@lemmy.world 18 points 12 hours ago (1 children)

Yep after all that's how musk did it by using trump as the symbolic figurehead

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[–] Majestic@lemmy.ml 3 points 9 hours ago (2 children)

You do know his wife is a Republican right? A proud Bush/Obama era Republican? They literally met at the GOP convention in 2008.

What is with liberals and playing fantasy games with politics? On the one hand liberals will say elections are important and have consequences and on the other they'll treat it like a game of putting in your celebrity faves without bothering to care about their actual views.

Who knows what Jon himself actually thinks given he married a proud Republican and the fact he's a TV comedian playing a character. For all you know deep down he could personally be a never-Trump Republican himself.

[–] didntwemeetin2007@lemmy.world 4 points 3 hours ago

She isn’t a Republican based on the last 30 seconds..

https://youtu.be/ESlnpceQ3zA

[–] Oni_eyes@sh.itjust.works 6 points 9 hours ago

All I was doing was correcting a misconception and giving the actual path to what they wanted.

Nowhere did I say it was good or bad or whether I supported it.

Please take your words out of my mouth and keep them in yours.

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[–] perishthethought@lemm.ee 64 points 16 hours ago (20 children)

Why don't stories like this EVER mention Lemmy?

[–] breadcat@sh.itjust.works 13 points 10 hours ago

it's not an alternative to any meta platform

[–] OneTwoThree@mander.xyz 81 points 15 hours ago (4 children)

Well, I get that Lemmy is an alternative social media, but it's not really an alternative to Facebook. Anonymous usernames, text-based posts, you can't follow people, Fediverse is somewhat confusing.. I'd recommend it as an alternative to Reddit, but probably not the website where boomers want to check up on their neighbors and friends

[–] jagermo@feddit.org 39 points 15 hours ago (1 children)

you can't follow people

Challenge accepted

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[–] DMCMNFIBFFF@lemmy.world 20 points 12 hours ago

I guess the hate for Reddit isn't as great as for Shitter and Fakebook. (yet)

[–] HobbitFoot@thelemmy.club 15 points 14 hours ago (5 children)

Because Lemmy is nowhere near as ready for primetime as other platforms.

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[–] Redditsux@lemmy.world 13 points 14 hours ago

I think we're too weird and niche.

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[–] SomeAmateur@sh.itjust.works 131 points 19 hours ago (7 children)

Good, glad it's getting some main stream attention. If more people start taking advantage of these settings and alternatives it's going to hurt Meta's bottom line eventually

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[–] Greg@lemmy.ca 75 points 18 hours ago (13 children)

I don’t want to get my hopes up but is this Facebook’s MySpace moment?

[–] Scrollone@feddit.it 59 points 18 hours ago

My personal MySpace moment for Facebook was 10 years ago. Best choice ever made.

[–] Lumidaub@feddit.org 27 points 16 hours ago

MySpace was way smaller than Facebook, it wasn't even available where I am for most of its (meaningful) existence (I never had a MySpace despite being the exact target age range).

[–] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 10 points 14 hours ago (3 children)

So much of Facebook is just automated accounts responding to automated accounts in order to milk gullible advertisers. If everyone logged off tomorrow, I don't know if Zuckerberg would notice.

[–] PrettyFlyForAFatGuy@feddit.uk 14 points 13 hours ago

i have certainly notices a SHARP downturn of new content being added to insta and facebook by people i actually know over the last few years.

All that seems to be left is AI Slop and ragebait. a venn diagram that overlaps considerably

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[–] grid11@lemy.nl 45 points 17 hours ago
[–] morgunkorn@discuss.tchncs.de 46 points 19 hours ago (6 children)

good initiative but uh what's up with that domain name?

[–] honeybadger1417@lemmy.world 93 points 19 hours ago (5 children)

There was a whole saga of him buying expensive rat erotica artwork at one point, which is a sentence I never thought I'd write.

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