Em :official_verified:

Public-interest technologist and digital rights activist, with a focus on privacy rights, privacy laws, and privacy technologies.

I'm a consultant, writer, researcher, advocate, programmer, and designer (from a previous career).

Spending most days writing, reading, and talking about privacy.

Member of the Lockdown Systems (npub1w0j…nr5d) collective 🐢

Previously 🔒
Journalist + Activism & Outreach Lead at Privacy Guides (npub1dm2…7754)

Currently 👇
Available for a new remote opportunity!

Located in Canada 🇨🇦
She/Her 🏳️‍🌈

Privacy tips: #TinyPrivacyTip
Mastodon tips: #TinyMastodonTip
Other hashtags I talk about:
#DigitalRights #HumanRights #Privacy #Security #FOSS #OpenSource #NoAI

Secondary accounts (don't contact me there):
🐘 infosec.space/@Em0nM4stodon
🐘 mastodon.social/@Em0nM4stodon

#nobridge #nobot #nobots #noai #noindex #nosearch #noarchive #fedi22

This is a personal account. Opinions expressed here are my own and do not necessarily reflect my employer. Especially emojis :awesome:

Web: https://emontheinternet.me
Code: https://snakecase.software
Privacy Guides Articles: https://www.privacyguides.org/articles/author/em/

Public Key

npub1gmnuxx4vhn5hs7zfcqst9ev2ra7s9hflz4yvnaasqpf8338mek8sgszh7q

NIP-05 Address

em0nm4stodon_at_infosec.exchange@momostr.pink

Profile Code

nprofile1qqsyde7rr2kte6tc0pyuqg9juk9p7lgzm5l32jxf77cqq5nccnaumrcpz3mhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuerpd46hxtnfduqs6amnwvaz7tmwdaejumr0ds2h0722

Publishing to

relay.damus.io

nos.lol

Author Public Key

npub1gmnuxx4vhn5hs7zfcqst9ev2ra7s9hflz4yvnaasqpf8338mek8sgszh7q

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Published at

2026-09-09T09:05:42Z

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Last Notes

2026-04-06 16:52:26 UTC

"Texting a stranger is better for reducing loneliness than an AI chatbot, study finds"
From CTV News: https://www.ctvnews.ca/vancouver/article/texting-a-stranger-is-better-for-reducing-loneliness-than-an-ai-chatbot-study-finds/
"The study found that only those who texted with a fellow human reported feeling less lonely at the end of the experiment.
'We thought that interacting with AI might be as helpful as texting with a random fellow first-year student,' said the study’s author, psychology PhD candidate Ruo-Ning Li, in a media release.
'But to our surprise, only the human-to-human texting reduced loneliness over time. The chatbot, even though we designed it to be the ideal supportive friend, didn’t shift loneliness.'"
#NoAI #Loneliness

2026-04-01 05:55:18 UTC

There is so much disinformation in the world right now.
And in recent years, all of it gets amplified by AI web scrapers that eat it up to spit it out at a later date, in an inappropriate context.
Be careful what data you add to the slop soup on April 1st.
The world is in dire need of more truths and knowledge these days, not the opposite.
#AprilFools #AIFools #NoAI

2026-03-31 16:07:00 UTC

- reply

Amazing! Thank you for doing this! 💚

2026-03-29 18:51:50 UTC

If you have missed reading my articles,
know that there were 25 new mini-articles just published that I have personally written for Privacy Guides' new Activism section.
Those are all tips to support privacy advocacy work and actions, both for individuals and organizations.
Check #PrivacyActivistToolbox for the links to see them all 🧰👀
#Privacy #Activism

2026-03-28 10:57:10 UTC

We need a solution to process international payments that isn't an American fintech company or cryptocurrency and is privacy-respectful like yesterday.
Please 🙏

2026-03-24 22:51:36 UTC

You must ask for consent *before* you collect someone's information or do something to them.
Informing them after the fact, then offering them to delete the information, *isn't* respecting consent. And in many cases, isn't legal either.
#Consent #Privacy

2026-03-24 14:32:59 UTC

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This is infringing so many privacy laws...

2026-03-23 16:33:00 UTC

An excellent article by Jean-Christophe Bélisle-Pipon on OpenAI's reaction to the Tumbler Ridge tragedy:
OpenAI’s safety pledges in the wake of Tumbler Ridge aren’t AI regulation — they’re surveillance
https://theconversation.com/openais-safety-pledges-in-the-wake-of-tumbler-ridge-arent-ai-regulation-theyre-surveillance-278364
"True AI regulation asks whether a model might facilitate or amplify harmful ideation through its interaction patterns. It asks how the system is built, what it’s tested for and what obligations attach to its deployment.
The current arrangement asks none of these questions. Instead, it builds a pipeline from private AI interactions to law enforcement, administered by a corporation, governed by proprietary policy.
I call this the surveillance substitution: a governance vacuum gets filled not with democratic regulation, but with corporate surveillance of users. It is not regulation of AI. It is regulation of the people who use AI, conducted by the AI company itself, with the police as the endpoint."
#NoAi #AI #OpenAI #CanPoli

2026-03-23 15:14:34 UTC

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This is unbelievable. They literally cannot take no for an answer 🙄

2026-03-21 16:29:45 UTC

The goal isn't to protect children,
the goal is to de-anonymize every comment and action on the internet, associating it with a legal ID, by eventually requesting official identification from every adult using a computer.
Some politicians have already stated this plainly.
This leads to censorship of anyone criticizing their government.
This leads to repression of marginalized people, especially immigrants, people of color, and trans and gender diverse people.
This leads to self-censorship of any comments or actions that could be interpreted against the system. Such as speaking out against fascism and authoritarian surveillance, or defending human rights publicly.
This leads to total control of the population and its tools of communications.
This leads to the end of democracy, centralizing power even more in the hands of a few.
Do not let them do this to us.
#MassSurveillance #AgeVerification #Authoritarianism #HumanRights

2026-03-21 16:09:18 UTC

First they ask for your date of birth,
but later they claim it's not enough.
Then they ask for your full name and location,
but later they claim it's not enough.
Then they ask for a copy of your passport,
but later they claim it's not enough.
Then they ask for your facial scan,
but later they claim it's not enough.
Then they ask for your fingerprints,
but later they claim it's not enough.
Then they ask for your palm scan,
but later they claim it's not enough.
Then they ask for a scan of your iris,
but later they claim it's not enough.
Then they ask for ...
#MassSurveillance #Authoritarianism #AgeVerification #Privacy #Democracy #HumanRights

2026-03-13 15:50:07 UTC

- reply

Depending on your router model, it can be quite simple if you know how to set up a VPN at the router level.
1- You can follow these instructions from Proton VPN and download a few WireGuard configurations files, then set them up on your router and activate one. It's good to test the servers you choose first at the client level for speed: https://protonvpn.com/support/openwrt-wireguard
2- Check that the server is well setup using something like Speedtest.
3- Enable a regular Proton VPN connection from the client app. Verify that the IP shows as the client's server one using something like Speedtest.
4- If there is an IP leak at the client level, the connection should fall back on the router's VPN server and protect your real IP. To make sure of this, your router configuration might also have a killswitch you can enable.
5- Additionally, if your router has a customizable physical switch like mine, you can set it up to turn your router VPN on and off. This allows you to turn off your router-level VPN quickly in situations where you need speed and don't mind possible IP leaks.
6- Voilà! VPN Cascading accomplished! ✨

2026-03-13 02:25:22 UTC

- reply

I use VPN cascading to mitigate this (VPN running both at the router and client level). It slows the connection, but it works.

2026-03-12 14:59:23 UTC

The age-assurance industry shouldn't exist.
Stop age verification now, and tell your governments and service providers they cannot trust these predatory corporations.
#AgeVerification #Privacy #MassSurveillance

2026-03-12 06:49:12 UTC

Whenever you hear "ban for kids" on the internet, read in reality "ID collection by a sketchy third-party company that will definitely use it or leak it or both for every adult."
Because that's what this truly means.
Also, it doesn't even help the kids.
#AgeVerification #Privacy #MassSurveillance #Authoritarianism

2026-03-12 00:33:12 UTC

- reply

For anyone who would like to read/share some supporting material on the issue of age verification, I wrote this article about it back in May 2025: https://www.privacyguides.org/articles/2025/05/06/age-verification-wants-your-face/
The @npub1m24…d9a3 also has this excellent resource with many helpful articles on the topic here: https://www.eff.org/issues/age-verification

2026-03-11 21:23:12 UTC

If enough Canadians contact
their local representatives, as well the Mark Carney's office this week, we might be spared from this authoritarian mass-surveillance measure called "Age Verification" in Canada.
The time to fight back is NOW: https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/article/social-media-ban-for-kids-under-consideration-in-online-harms-bill-carney/
Privacy is a human right essential to safety and democracy. If we do not fight to protect it, we will lose it.
#AgeVerification #MassSurveillance #Privacy #Democracy #HumanRights #Canada #CanPoli

2026-03-08 16:17:04 UTC

Bad news 😔💔
I am sad to announce today that unfortunately I will not be working with Privacy Guides anymore after the end of this month.
Good news! 🚨 :awesome:
I will be available for a new position or contract, starting in April!
I am looking for a position or contact for:
✊ Digital rights activist (with a specialty in privacy rights)
🔒 Privacy expert or consultant
:mastodon: Fediverse and Mastodon advocate
🙌 Managerial position
📰 Tech journalist
💻 Technical writer
💚 Or any other fitting positions
I am especially interested in working with nonprofit organisations, cooperatives, open-source projects, privacy-oriented software companies, or any other organisations working for the public good.
🇨🇦 Remote from Canada
:no_AI_logo: All the work I produce is guaranteed to be AI-free
Let me know if you hear of any good opportunities!
#FediHire #GetFediHired #Tech #Jobs

2026-03-07 11:26:26 UTC

What do you think is missing the most currently in the privacy and digital rights activism landscape?
#Privacy #DigitalRights #Activism

2026-03-07 01:20:14 UTC

Here's the thing about Proton Mail:
With Proton Mail, the *content* of your email is fully end-to-end encrypted and inaccessible to service providers IF (and only if) you are communicating with another Proton Mail account, or you have set up a PGP key exchange otherwise.
The *metadata* of your email, however, isn't end-to-end encrypted. It is accessible in plain text to Proton. This includes:<li>Your payment information </li><li>The subject line of your emails</li><li>Your IP address(es), which can reveal your location </li><li>The email addresses you have communicated with</li><li>The time you have sent and received emails</li>
If Proton is legally forced to provide this information to law enforcement, they will. They have to.
If your threat model makes it that it's dangerous for you when this metadata is shared, you need to use another, more private, method of communication.
#ProtonMail #Privacy

2026-03-06 18:20:02 UTC

Mass surveillance 🤝 Targeted advertising 🤝 Age verification 🤝 Censorship 🤝 Authoritarianism 🤝 Chat control 🤝 Fascism 🤝 Surveillance capitalism 🤝 Dictatorship 🤝 Full-mode dystopia
#Privacy #HumanRights #Democracy

2026-03-06 16:36:40 UTC

A world without privacy is also a world without intimacy, without individuality, without diversity, and without democracy.
Certain politicians have clearly expressed they want a world without privacy.
We cannot let them have it passively. We must fight back for our rights. Now.
Or we will lose them.
#Privacy #MassSurveillance #Authoritarianism #AgeVerification

2026-03-03 23:50:35 UTC

- reply

Thank you!!

2026-03-03 17:04:13 UTC

Good News! 🚨👀
I am delighted to finally announce today what I've been working on in the past few weeks:
Privacy Guides' new Activism section! :awesome:
https://privacyguides.org/activism/
The Activism section offers a new way to empower the digital rights community. It will progressively grow with more tools to support the community in its privacy activism effort, both for individuals and organizations 💛
As Privacy Guides' new Activism & Outreach Lead, I will be working hard on developing this section even further in the coming weeks, adding many more tools to support our community.
I hope this can be a helpful resource for anyone who is ready to fight for privacy rights ✊🔒
#PrivacyGuides #Activism #Privacy #DigitalRights #HumanRights

2026-03-01 17:20:38 UTC

- reply

I can relate

2026-02-28 17:04:31 UTC

I had a rough week. Send cats please :neocat_pleading:

2026-02-28 03:09:09 UTC

AI corporations can't get your money, because most people don't want to pay for that. And they need a lot of money to justify their investment.
So they're going after government contracts, with their powerful network of lobbyists. That way, *your* government can give them *your* money anyway. To pay for that, they will very likely cut in public services.
If you don't want that to happen, email or call your government representatives.
#NoAI

2026-02-25 22:42:19 UTC

Mass surveillance is incompatible with freedom and democracy.
Which one do you want to pick?
#Privacy #Democracy #HumanRights #MassSurveillance

2026-02-25 01:19:25 UTC

When people are not celebrating the small victories in the long battles for human rights we are fighting, I am terrified.
I am terrified of the worse threat of all to our movements: Giving up.
I am terrified that when people forget to celebrate their wins, they get so tired and discouraged that they give up the fight entirely. Discouragement leads to apathy. And apathy leads to defeat.
Please please, I implore you:
Take care of your mood :blobheartcat:
Celebrate the small wins 🎉
Give others some time to celebrate, even when victories are only partial :neocat_heart:
We need hope to survive and thrive 💚
#HumanRights #DigitalRights #Activism #Burnout

2026-02-24 21:43:19 UTC

YES! This is AMAZING! 🎉
Keep pushing against abusive practices, and keep fighting for your privacy rights!
IT WORKS! ✊🔒
https://9to5mac.com/2026/02/24/discord-just-canceled-its-planned-age-verification-rollout-for-now/
#Privacy #AgeVerification #Discord #PrivacyWin

2026-02-24 20:30:46 UTC

The control of the computer is getting shifted from you, who bought the computer, to the seller of the computer.
This should not happen.
You should be angry about this.
You should refuse to be controlled.
You should resist.

2026-02-22 20:18:10 UTC

Pseudonymity saves lives.
It is vital to healthy democracies.
#Privacy #Pseudonymity #HumanRights

2026-02-22 07:10:42 UTC

Age Verification isn't a technical problem to solve. If you think that, you're missing the point.
It's a social problem used by authoritarian governments as an excuse for population control and censorship.
It's a fundamental attack on free speech and democracy.
It must not be accommodated.
It must be stopped.
#MassSurveillance #AgeVerification #Privacy #Democracy #HumanRights

2026-02-21 17:35:44 UTC

I'm not using any LLM or "AI" for anything that I write or draw. Never had, and never will.
I'm making this choice because:
• This technology was built by unethically stealing the hard work of millions without any consent or compensation.
• This technology has and is still constantly scraping data, including personal data, from people without their knowledge or consent, in complete disregard of the privacy laws we have to protect us.
• This technology unnecessarily uses vast amounts of energy in a world where using more energy sadly usually means more pollution.
• This technology is working on devaluating labor in order to enrich even more the already rich, aggravating poverty everywhere.
• This technology is misleadingly being sold as a solution to problems it cannot solve.
• This technology is supercharging disinformation and manipulation online, centralizing an incredible power of influence in the hands of a few controlling billionaires.
• This technology is increasingly being used by authoritarian governments in order to surveil and control the people.
• This technology atrophies our creativity and capability to think, as well as harming our social relationships.
• This technology makes my writing voice feel flat and boring. I'd rather learn to live with my human tipos.
• This technology...
#NoAI

2026-02-20 17:35:56 UTC

Anyone who is about to complete, or already has completed, an age-verification or identity-verification process online should read this short article.
Especially if it's on LinkedIn or Discord.
"I Verified My LinkedIn Identity. Here's What I Actually Handed Over." by @npub1wja…ph0q
https://thelocalstack.eu/posts/linkedin-identity-verification-privacy/
#Privacy #LinkedIn #Discord #AgeVerification #IdentityVerification #MassSurveillance

2026-02-20 15:35:16 UTC

Do not comply.
Do not share your ID or biometric data with abusive platforms requesting it. You have a choice to say no, complain, and leave.
This is an important act of resistance for the future of humanity.
This isn't just about privacy, this is also about safety, diversity, democracy, and human rights.
#Privacy #MassSurveillance #HumanRights #Fascism #AgeVerification #IdentityVerification

2026-02-17 18:47:30 UTC

Surveillance glasses recording people without their knowledge and consent, and especially if they collect nonconsensual data using AI or facial recognition, need to be banned and illegal to sell everywhere.
Tell your local representatives they need to outlaw this harmful technology.
Privacy is a human right.
We need to defend it.
#NoAI #MassSurveillance #BanRayBan #Meta #CreepGlasses #Privacy

2026-02-15 19:40:08 UTC

We need a noncommercial AI-free parallel internet curated by librarians.
Created and consulted by humans only.
It's the only way :no_ai:
#NoAI #Libraries

2026-02-13 20:25:19 UTC

If you own glasses that record people without their consent, we can't be friend, and please don't talk to me.
#Meta #RayBan #CreepGlasses #Consent #Privacy

2026-02-13 06:43:55 UTC

“People tell chatbots about their medical fears, their relationship problems, their beliefs about God and the afterlife.
Advertising built on that archive creates a potential for manipulating users in ways we don’t have the tools to understand, let alone prevent.”
https://globalnews.ca/news/11664538/anthropic-ai-safety-researcher-mrinank-sharma-quits-concerns/
#Privacy #NoAI

2026-02-10 06:47:57 UTC

- reply

https://infosec.exchange/@Em0nM4stodon/116042481643735408

2026-02-09 20:09:09 UTC

There's never been a better time to
abandon Discord and start using Matrix with [Element](https://www.privacyguides.org/en/social-networks/#element ) for your communities 💚
#Discord #AgeVerification #Censorship #MassSurveillance #Privacy #E2EE #Matrix

2026-02-09 18:54:47 UTC

Each time a new privacy-invasive
feature like facial scanning is implemented, if people in majority comply and accept to use it, it will soon become normality, and other options will be marginalized or even removed entirely.
If each time a new privacy-invasive
feature is implemented people opted to refuse it, it would soon be discontinued.
Each individual opposition to privacy-invasive features matters.
It is an act of self-protection but,
perhaps even more importantly,
it is also an act of protest.
A protest against the normalization of mass surveillance and the loss of privacy rights.
The fact that there are other cameras around doesn't mean that more cameras or additional scanning is not making things even worse.
If we do not refuse,
if we do not fight for our privacy rights,
we will lose them all.
#Privacy #MassSurveillance #AgeVerification #FacialRecognition #HumanRights #DigitalRights

2026-02-09 04:47:25 UTC

I didn't watch any football today.
And I didn't watch any ads either.
I know, my life is weird.

2026-02-08 22:13:37 UTC

I had already read the essay,
but watching it was as fantastic.
This Cory Doctorow talk is so awesome. One of the most punk proposal I have heard lately.
I really hope Canada does it!
Thanks @npub1fdr…lvhs 🤘💚
https://www.youtube.com/watch?&v=iZxbaCNIwg8
#Canada #CanPoli #ElbowsUp

2026-02-08 18:52:10 UTC

I'm not going to waste my precious human time reading something that you didn't spend your precious human time writing.
I really don't care about the well-aligned randomly stolen words of a text-generating machine you are using for cheap marketing.
#NoAI

2026-02-08 17:59:32 UTC

After years of using only Mastodon,
I became completely "de-accustomed" with quote-posts.
Now that they've been implemented here, and are getting increasingly more used, I realize I don't really like them in most circumstances actually.
I think I'd rather keep boosting and replying, and boosting replies. I'm very grateful they can be opted out of here.

2026-02-07 21:19:54 UTC

I wish I could force every legislator
in favor of Age Verification to watch this amazing talk by Carissa Véliz,
So that they understand the dangers
of the surveillance infrastructure they are currently putting in place.
You should watch it too: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSPRouBvgFE
#Privacy #Democracy #HumanRights #AgeVerification #MassSurveillance #Fascism

2026-02-05 17:35:02 UTC

- reply

To the excited reply guys in my replies:<li>No, I'm not claiming that Mojeek doesn't use AI anywhere, I'm simply stating that when I search a term, the result page displays no AI answer to me by default, and it seems the AI-slop results are greatly deprioritized ("no AI pollution" in my results), compared to what I get on DuckDuckGo and Start Page (and would also get with Google and Bing, but I don't use these directly). </li><li>This is only a post about my own personal experience, it isn't a full review of the engine, obviously. </li><li>If you dig into the settings and find an AI feature you could enable and don't like that, you are free to not use it, and you really don't have to tell me about it (please don't).</li><li>If you want to research and write a full review of search engines, please do! And please do it outside of my replies, without tagging me. </li><li>For anyone who knows me, yes I dislike AI features a lot, and I don't enable any of them anywhere. I seem to be able to use Mojeek getting genuine informative results free from the AI plague, and I wanted to share this joy with you. Whenever AI is put in my face against my will (like with many other search engines and countless software do) doesn't mean I'm using it. I don't use AI, ever. But yes, it's everywhere around me, to my greatest sorrow.</li>

2026-02-04 17:51:51 UTC

Since DuckDuckGo has decided to regionalize all my search results even when no region is selected (why?!? 😩),
Making my work impossible (I don't spend my day writing about Canada DuckDuckGo! 🙄),
I have started to use @npub1d0g…7n90 and I must say that it is a real joy. I find what I'm looking for much quicker, no patronizing regionalization based on IP, and no AI pollution. It feels like I found back the 2010s web and I'm here for it.
Thank you Mojeek 💚

2026-01-31 18:20:14 UTC

Privacy Guides' Program Director @npub14vu…9wlz gave an amazing speech last night in our weekly livestream!
It's a truly moving speech,
and an incredibly important statement in our current troubled times.
Fighting for privacy rights is a battle for human rights. Nobody lives in a vacuum.
We must build our communities to fight collectively 💛✊
Please watch it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQ5_4Li9Gsc
#USpol #HumanRights #Privacy #ICEout #ICE #MassSurveillance #Minnesota #StandWithMinnesota

2026-01-28 16:20:38 UTC

Today is Data Privacy Day 🔒✨
On this day, remember that privacy isn't some luxury we can live without.
Privacy is a fundamental right that
is essential to safety, to community, to freedom of speech, and to democracy.
Authoritarians are trying to
undermine our privacy rights because they are well aware of this. Do not let them ✊
This year, let's fight for our privacy rights like we never did before. So many of our other human rights depend on it 🔒💚
#DataPrivacyDay #Privacy #Democracy #DigitalRights #HumanRights

2026-01-27 20:04:01 UTC

I've solved about 20 traffic photo Captchas so far and I'm still getting new ones to solve.
Should I:

2026-01-27 17:27:52 UTC

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I'm glad I had the chance to visit the United States when it was still open to tourists. Too bad it's closed now.

2026-01-27 00:25:40 UTC

Conversely to popular CEOs' beliefs,
my job would actually be much easier if AI-generated shenanigans wouldn't exist at all.
#NoAI

2026-01-25 20:24:08 UTC

I despise how security updates are
bundled with feature updates.
Now we have to choose between risking getting malware from random criminal gangs when refusing to update, or getting embedded malware from the tech company itself that comes with their update.
And honestly at this point, I'm not sure which is worse.
#Tech #Enshitification #NoAI

2026-01-24 17:26:03 UTC

By producing content on a platform you are encouraging others to stay on that platform.
Think about this responsibility seriously.

2026-01-24 07:03:49 UTC

Recipes are just eatable food memes.

2026-01-24 00:04:06 UTC

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I really miss the time computers were that fun.

2026-01-23 03:07:42 UTC

Americans, and especially Minnesotans,
the world will be rooting for you tomorrow 💚
#USpol #ICEout #ICEOutForGood

2026-01-23 01:12:27 UTC

I just found this amazing online resource
that I feel many people in the US might find incredibly helpful right now: https://commonslibrary.org/
#USpol

2026-01-21 21:23:14 UTC

It's not anonymity that makes Twitter/X a terrible place, it's the nazis.
#X #W #Why

2026-01-21 19:39:48 UTC

Stay vigilant about your online communities.
If each time someone engages their post is received with hostility or negative feedback, they will soon disengage and leave.
This behaviour might be done on purpose to chase some marginalized people away, or might be done subconsciously from internalized biases or systemic discrimination.
Sadly, the result is the same.
If you are part of a privileged group, observe how marginalized people are being replied to in your online communities, and use your privilege to intervene when necessary.
Sometimes, just showing a little support or positive feedback can make a significant difference to keep your communities diverse, inclusive, and happy.

2026-01-19 18:32:29 UTC

I used to be excited about new tech and new gadgets. Now I'm just scared it's going to be more surveillance and more AI shenanigans.
*long sigh*
#Tech #NoAI

2026-01-17 17:20:56 UTC

AI assistants are the archnemesis
of data privacy.
Because AI models are inherent
data collectors.
They rely on large data collection for training, improvement, operation, and customization.
More often than not, this data is collected without clear and informed consent (from unknowing training subjects or from platform users). This data is then sent to and accessed by a private company with many incentives to share and monetize this data.
By using these platforms, we are encouraging them to collect even more nonconsensual data on everyone. This is an important social responsibility to consider. Choose carefully.
#Privacy #Consent #Ethics #AI #NoAI

2026-01-17 16:56:47 UTC

If you just left Bluesky today to join or come back to Mastodon, welcome (back)!
We are glad you are here with us :blobheartcat:
#Bluesky #Mastodon #Fediverse

2026-01-17 16:48:38 UTC

Creativity is like a muscle. If you want to become more creative, you have to exercise it.
When I was in art school (years ago), we exercised every day to become more creative. Artists have to train to get there too. It's not magic or "talent," it's hard work.
When you use AI to give you "inspiration," you are doing the opposite of that. You are atrophying your creativity muscle.
If you want to become a creator, and become more creative, you should stop using AI entirely. Instead, start training your own genuine creativity. Otherwise, it will eventually dry off completely.
#Art #Creativity #NoAI

2026-01-16 20:00:01 UTC

"Your prompts remain private while using our AI" isn't the pro-privacy statement most AI companies seem to believe it to be.
What about the data of the subjects you used to train your AI model? Did you ask consent from all of them? What's that? Your product isn't possible if you ask for consent first?
Well, it's definitely not private then.
#Privacy #NoAI #Consent

2026-01-16 17:02:25 UTC

If you collect it, someone at some point will come to exploit it.
#Privacy #DataMinimization

2026-01-15 16:38:13 UTC

Ethically, I don't feel there's much difference between having an account on Truth Social and having an account on X at this point.
If you wouldn't create an account on Truth Social, perhaps it's time to finally delete your account on X.
#DeleteTwitter #DeleteX #USpol #Democracy

2026-01-14 21:38:41 UTC

Why can't the world get better instead of worse?
I'm too tired for worse.
*sigh*

2026-01-14 15:56:23 UTC

There will never be an AI tool that
is truly private unless it hasn't trained on nonconsensual data.
Even if a platform were able to
create the perfect protections for its users' prompts and results,
If the platform is built from or utilizing an AI model that was trained on or is updated and optimized with data that was scraped from millions of people without their consent, then of course this platform isn't "privacy-respectful."
How could it be?
The company is saying:
"We respect the privacy of our users while they are using our platform, but outside of it, it's fair game."
Users thinking they are using a privacy-respectful platform are in fact saying:
"Privacy for me and not for thee,"
And are directly contributing to the platform needing to scrape even more nonconsensual data to improve.
Always ask: Where the training data comes from?
Without the assurance that a platform *only* uses AI models that have *only* been training on data acquired ethically, it is not a privacy-respectful platform.
#Privacy #AI #Consent #HumanRights #NoAI

2026-01-14 15:27:34 UTC

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Yes! Thank you! This is excellent, and exactly what we need 🇨🇦✊
Send a copy to Mark Carney please ;)

2026-01-08 02:39:01 UTC

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I worked hard on that! Many switches upgrades! :ablobcatbongokeyboard:

2026-01-08 02:35:23 UTC

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I miss doing that. My mechanical keyboards are all optimal now, I have no more keycaps to change :blobcatverysad: :ablobcatbongokeyboard:

2026-01-07 16:34:29 UTC

Do you see how rights and freedoms are removed from the people in the name of supposedly protecting the children,
But when *actual* child abuse happened from the powerful, whether literally or by proxy in the form of AI algorithms on popular commercial platforms, the same actors demanding child protections are completely silent?
1- Chat Control and Age Verification isn't about protecting the children, it's about surveilling and controlling us.
2- As long as the abuse is perpetrated in the name of "AI" or corporate profits, no laws or protections seem to apply anymore.
This should make everyone *extremely angry*, and should be enough to make everyone with a moral compass delete their account on X immediately.
#CSAM #X #ChatControl #AgeVerification #Privacy #HumanRights #DeteleTwitter

2026-01-07 04:40:07 UTC

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Self-boost without shame! It's actually good to boost a post at a different time of the day, since the timeline is chronological. It helps reaching out to new people who are active at different times.

2026-01-07 04:32:10 UTC

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Not naive, but lied to by greedy or lazy organizations and institutions. That's the part we need to fix. The responsibility shouldn't be on the user.

2026-01-07 04:30:12 UTC

Periodic reminder to boost the posts you like to keep the Fediverse alive.
WE are the algorithm here :boost_ok:
#Mastodon

2026-01-07 04:25:22 UTC

The data isn't "deleted" if it's possible to "undelete" it 🙄
#Privacy #DataDeletion #PrivacyWashing

2026-01-01 20:08:14 UTC

If you use an AI-generated image for your article/post, this indicates to me you might have also used AI-generated text.
If you use AI-generated text for your article/post then:
1- I have no idea if you verified the veracity of any claimed facts.
2- I have no idea what your own voice is.
3- I have no idea if this truly expresses your own views, and if you even cared to read it.
4- I have no idea what your intention is with this, other than exploiting my attention and clicks with the least amount of efforts on your part.
5- This shows me you have no respect at all for the labour that was stolen to build these tools, exploiting millions of artists and writers to make billions of dollars without any compensation to them whatsoever.
Why would I want to engage with any content like that?
• I don't want to communicate with a machine (I can do that by myself).
• I don't want to participate in this disgusting exploitation of artists and writers.
• And I want to communicate with another human, of course.
If your intention isn't to communicate with another human, then stop deceiving them making them think they are :no_ai:
#NoAI #StopTheSlop

2026-01-01 08:10:11 UTC

Happy New Year West Coast!! :apartyblobcat:
#NewYear2026

2026-01-01 05:01:52 UTC

Happy New Year to everyone on the Eastern time zone!! :ablobcatrainbow: 🎉✨
#NewYear2026

2025-12-31 21:08:13 UTC

I think this year we're done with resolutions.
It's time for revolutions instead ✊
#NewYear2026

2025-12-31 20:30:07 UTC

If you click on any of these,
it will bring you good luck for 2026 :blobcatrainbow:
#NewYear2026

2025-12-31 13:07:51 UTC

Happy New Year 2026 to all the Fediverse in Australia! :awesome: 🎉
#NYE #NewYear2026

2025-12-30 18:21:16 UTC

I really wish everyone would stop making fun of the people they don't like based on their physical appearance.
We really need to collectively grow up from this high-school bully mindset.
When you use appearance instead of ideas and behaviors to criticize someone, even someone deserving mockery, you are also shooting at everyone who might look like them, even the ones that might be incredibly good people.
There is more than enough content to talk against when it comes to the tyrants that currently surround us. Talk against their ideas, their words, and their actions. Be relentless for that. But their physical appearance is irrelevant to their moral deficiencies.
Mock their words, but not their looks.

2025-12-28 05:57:09 UTC

:em_rainbow:

2025-12-26 20:14:03 UTC

Men in tech stop patronizing women in tech 2026 challenge.

2025-12-26 20:07:18 UTC

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Just to be clear, this is a subpost about some people pointing out my typos assuming I do not know and explaining them to me in a very arrogant way like I'm a stupid person instead of, you know, a regular tired human posting from my bed. Please practice tolerance for things that aren't hurting anyone.

2025-12-26 19:38:28 UTC

Just so you know, sometimes I inadvertently write typos. Yes, typos are a fact of writing life. Especially when posting when I'm tired, or without my glasses on. My autocarrot is working against me for this.
If I catch a typo early, I will edit it (thank you edit feature 🙏), but if I don't catch it early I might decide not to correct it.
The reason for this is each time you edit a post, it sends a notification to each person who interacted with it. If I edit a post with 500 boosts for a minor "it/is" typo that isn't really changing the meaning, I will be annoying at least 500 people with a notification just for this. And it's worse if I edit an already edited post.
I try to be considerate in my estimation of the annoyance of the typo vs the annoyance of the notification.
Thank you for your patience and tolerance with my typos.

2025-12-26 18:56:44 UTC

I love that on the Fediverse thinking "this is such good moss content" and "wow, these mushrooms are really cool" is totally normal.
🍄‍🟫🌱
#Fediverse

2025-12-26 18:39:06 UTC

My code phrases to signify distress if I ever get kidnapped will be:
"I agree with Sam Altman"
"You should stay on Facebook"
"I use AI every day, it's so useful!"
🙃

2025-12-26 17:29:23 UTC

Abusers always try to test how far they can push the line, how far they can push you without consequences.
Billionaires, tech bros, and politicians you know well but that I will not name are the same.
Trying to "appease" or "ignore" them never works.
Anyone who has dealt with abusers before knows this. The only thing that does work is stating and *enforcing* strong boundaries firmly right from the start.
Right now, absolutely nobody is doing this with them. And so, the abuse will only escalate.

2025-12-26 17:14:25 UTC

What is your favourite Canadian organisation defending privacy and digital rights? 🔒🇨🇦
#Privacy #DigitalRights #Canada

2025-12-26 17:04:40 UTC

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Here's some examples, from an article I wrote: https://www.privacyguides.org/articles/2025/03/10/the-privacy-of-others/

2025-12-26 17:01:46 UTC

Be very mindful about the content you consume online.
You might think you are above its negative influence on your mood and thoughts, but you aren't. Nobody is.
The content you consume influences the way you think overtime. Even if you are on a platform to fight the opposition, what the algorithm is feeding you there *will* have an influence on yourself overtime.
Be careful what you feed to your brain.
#DeleteX #DeleteFacebook #DeleteTikTok

2025-12-25 17:59:20 UTC

Can you imagine if the billionaire tech bros were spending all their energy developing solutions to clean the planet and distribute resources better instead of incessantly enshittifying our lives and trying to devaluate labour?
What a different world that would be.
I wish them all a Ghosts-of-Christmas experience.

2025-12-24 18:41:08 UTC

Happy Holidays to all who celebrate,
in one way or another! 🎄✨
Whether it's spending time with your family, your chosen family, your friends, your partner(s), resting by yourself, treating yourself with some candy canes while at work, or posting on the Fediverse with us! :awesome:
No matter the reason for our social gatherings, they all play an essential role in strengthening the human bonds that unite us, and building communities.
Take this time to dream of a future where humanity values empathy, community, equality, consent, and solidarity above all 💚
#JoinIn

2025-12-24 02:30:41 UTC

I can't believe how many good pieces of software we've lost to AI garbage.
It's like a disease! 🦠🤖
#NoAI