Mastodon CEO Raises Concerns Over Meta’s New Moderation Policies
In a recent development that has sparked considerable debate, Meta announced a significant shift in its moderation strategy, opting to replace traditional fact-checking with a crowdsourced community notes system. This move, reminiscent of X’s approach, has drawn criticism from various quarters. Eugen Rochko, CEO of Mastodon, expressed his apprehensions, labeling Meta’s decision as “deeply troubling” and a matter of concern for those with a conscience.
Rochko’s concerns are particularly relevant for users who cross-post content from Threads to Mastodon through Threads’ fediverse-sharing feature. He emphasized that Mastodon is committed to enforcing its policies against hate speech and will take necessary actions against any accounts that breach these rules.
“Hate speech is prohibited, and we will take action on any Threads account found violating our policies,”
— Eugen Rochko, Mastodon CEO
The changes announced by Meta are especially concerning for marginalized communities, including LGBTQ users. With the integration between Threads and Mastodon through the fediverse-sharing feature, many Mastodon users are questioning the implications of these changes on their decentralized network.
- Meta’s fediverse-sharing feature was opened to all Threads users after beta tests in the U.S., Canada, and Japan.
- This feature allows posts from Threads to be published directly on Mastodon, broadening user reach.
Rochko had previously highlighted the benefits of this integration, noting that it made Mastodon a more appealing option due to the decentralized nature of social media it promotes. However, not everyone in the fediverse shares this sentiment. Numerous smaller Mastodon servers have chosen to block Threads completely, preventing interaction between their users and those on Threads.
The recent policy shifts by Meta prompt questions about how larger Mastodon instances like mastodon.social will respond. While it remains uncertain how extensive the moderation challenges might be, Rochko’s statement underscores Mastodon’s commitment to maintaining its community standards.
For those dissatisfied with Meta’s direction, Rochko suggests considering a move to Mastodon. However, transitioning from Threads is not yet as seamless as moving between different Mastodon servers due to current integration limitations with the fediverse.
