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@randahl @potus It’s a ridiculous implementation of activity pub that means only a very small percentage of Threads users will be discoverable in the fediverse.

@anderspuck @randahl @potus Huh‽ @threads made #ActivityPub opt-in for legal reasons. @wordpressdotcom did the same thing. Both are massive, for-profit corporations who are under a lot of scrutiny.

Turning on #Fediverse sharing as a default option would open #Meta to not only potential personal lawsuits, but more wrath from the @EUCommission (which they are trying to avoid right now).

@darnell @randahl I don’t quite follow. Threads was a brand new app with no prior users. Surely Meta is allowed to make a client for the fediverse if they want to.

@anderspuck @randahl Yes, & #Threads is a #Fediverse app.

However, user privacy is a big deal, & if #Meta made #ActivityPub the default setting, they could end up with a privacy lawsuit from users who found their info on an evil instance or billion dollar fines from @EUCommission (who penalize based on global revenue).

Making #Fediverse opt-in saves Meta from spending more money on lawyers later on.

@darnell Mastodon is being developed in the EU. They have no problem federating.

@anderspuck @EUCommission

@randahl @anderspuck @EUCommission No Mastodon site is seen as a gatekeeper company, nor are any under scrutiny for how they handle user information as a major corporation.

Meta is right now, which is the primary reason they held off on activating ActivityPub in EU nations.

Other companies, such as Apple, are also not releasing new features (like Apple Intelligence) in the EU for similar reasons.

@darnell the server mastodon.social is literally run by the corporation Mastodon gGmbH.

Legally, there is no difference between that and Meta running facebook.com.

@anderspuck @EUCommission

@denspier @randahl @darnell @EUCommission I think this thread has run off on a tangent. Of course Meta is allowed to make an app that uses ActivityPub if they are open about it when people sign up for the service. The DMA is about ensuring openness and breaking monopolies – not about forcing gatekeeper companies to keep creating walled gardens.

@anderspuck @denspier @randahl @EUCommission I believe this is the primary reason #Meta has not activated #ActivityPub for @threads in #EuropeanUnion nations: https://www.techrepublic.com/article/apple-eu-digital-markets-act/

My theory: if Meta is fined 20% of their global revenue then they will abandon #Fediverse integration in #Europe out of spite (& could pull out of the region entirely).

I am not sure about #Apple though.

@darnell what specific EU law do you believe, Meta violates by turning on federation, just like every other company that runs a federated server does?
(Including the EU itself I might add.)
@anderspuck @denspier @EUCommission @threads

@randahl @anderspuck @denspier @EUCommission @threads #Meta is already under investigation over how they handle user information when it comes to advertising on #Facebook & #Instagram.

Turning on #ActivityPub in #Europe means Meta is sending out personal information to other instances, as well as obtaining information from other instances. That is the issue here, which can result in potential fines.

@darnell @randahl @denspier @EUCommission @threads Meta hasn't turned on any fediverse integration for EU users yet, but it is not EU legislation that is holding them back in the rest of the world.

@anderspuck @randahl @denspier @EUCommission @threads EU has strict policies when it comes to using user information for targeted advertising.

I doubt Meta will turn on ActivityPub for EU Threads users while their cases about Instagram & Facebook are pending.

@darnell @randahl @denspier @EUCommission @threads I think you are right about that. Though what could get them into trouble is perhaps rather the opposite, if they start profiling users from other instances that are federated with Threads.