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@scrubbles@poptalk.scrubbles.tech
Post #2107251
2026-05-04 04:18 UTC
Thank you for calling this out. I think people assume that since it’s held by private instance owners that the fediverse is secure. I’ve posted this comment many times, that no, the fediverse is quite literally by design open and unencrypted.
A post is literally blasted out to anyone who listens, same with comments, upvotes, downvotes, everything can be saved, stored, and used for whatever anyone who listens wants. It should be completely assumed that nefarious agencies are currently listening and storing everything we do here. This is by design. It’s the tradeoff we have of having an open platform. Anyone can spin up a server, and that means anyone.
DMs are similar, they’re blasted out to the other server. If the server admin of the user in question wants to read them, they can. Lemmy/the fediverse is not a secure messaging platform. That’s why the Lemmy devs literally put a Matrix handle option in the profile, to encourage people to use Matrix instead. A DM on here should be simple, to the point, and if need be, inviting them to speak on something secure.
Edit - As a perfect example of the fact that there should be no expectation of privacy here on Lemmy, as an Admin myself, I can see that @A_normy_mouse has been downvoting all of my comments here. Absolutely everything here is public and visible, even if I weren’t an admin there are tools to view this, regardless of your opinions. It’s imperative that everyone understand this.
Edit 2 OP as well has downvoted me. @rimu@piefed.social I’m sorry if you disagree, but it’s irrelevant. Everything you do here can and should be assumed will be used in any way that you disagree with, that is the nature of the fediverse. Mastodon, Pixelfed, Piefed, Lemmy: ActivityPub is an open and unencrypted protocol. Even if it were encrypted, you still put 100% of your trust in your server admin, and beyond that each server admin you are blasting your messages out to.
I’d highly suggest accepting this fact before trying to push for rules. The very nature of the Fediverse is that no one can dictate rules, and to do that the tradeoff quite literally is that everything is open and unecrypted.
Another way to think of this. I run a server myself. I made my own rules and decided how to run it. Now your server starts sending activity to my server. That’s your server’s choice. I didn’t agree to your rules, I may disagree with your rules, but you’re sending your data to my server, of which I have complete and total ownership over. I didn’t click accept on a ToS, I didn’t agree to anything. Hell on my server I could literally have a “By sending me your data you accept that I can do whatever I want with your data”. You sent me your data, I quite literally can do whatever I want. (Personally I won’t, but that’s how you should think of the fediverse)
Replies (3)
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You’re hyperfocusing on one point, as if that’s the only part that matters and ignoring all the rest. I don’t consider that helpful, hence the downvote.
What is especially unhelpful is abusing your admin access to call out people’s votes. Leave that shit alone.
Open ##2107259
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While you are technically correct, you’re implying that the “natural” state is a good enough state and nothing should be done about it.
My house has walls and a door; it doesn’t mean anyone can do anything they want with this. Even if the windows are clear, you’re not supposed to install a camera that watches my bedroom. Even if the door is open, you’re not supposed to open. A a society it has been decided that we should respect each other, respect each other’s privacy. We have created rules, some written down and some implicit, for how to interact with each other.
That is the point of OP. The “natural” state of whatever exists with the technical means, but that doesn’t mean it’s ok (or not ok): do we want to respect each other ? To take care of each other ? I very much want that, because the technical means should be only a means to an end, and in that end I want respect. The technical means, to me, must adapt to the end, not the other way around.
Open ##2107319
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lol @ Rimu downvoting your post. Be careful he’s probably going to make a hit piece against you next!
Open ##2107329