• EnglishMobster@kbin.social
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    1 year ago

    There’s also the regulation angle. The Digital Markets Act is likely why they’re federating: https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/priorities-2019-2024/europe-fit-digital-age/digital-markets-act-ensuring-fair-and-open-digital-markets_en

    Examples of the “do’s” - Gatekeeper platforms will have to:

    • allow third parties to inter-operate with the gatekeeper’s own services in certain specific situations
    • allow their business users to access the data that they generate in their use of the gatekeeper’s platform
    • provide companies advertising on their platform with the tools and information necessary for advertisers and publishers to carry out their own independent verification of their advertisements hosted by the gatekeeper
    • allow their business users to promote their offer and conclude contracts with their customers outside the gatekeeper’s platform

    The interoperability is the big one. Being federated means that Threads isn’t considered a “gatekeeper platform”. I wouldn’t be surprised if Instagram and maybe even Facebook itself start to federate as well.

    This also means that fears of “Embrace, Extend, Extinguish” are likely overblown. Breaking fediverse interoperability means that they’d be a gatekeeper again and subject to EU regulation.

    • OldFartPhil@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      Very good point! I don’t think the threat from Meta is technological, they also seem to be good citizens on the the open source projects they collaborate on.

      I am far more concerned about how Threads is going to change the community. Not the vapid influencer crap, but the toxicity, divisiveness, bigotry and disinformation coming out of Facebook.