Month: March 2024

View of the sun setting above the clouds, lighting up the sky with an orange glow, with an aeroplane wing tip on the left

Why is Wikimedia (still) blocking contributions via VPNs?

Wikimedia has blocked anyone using Virtual Private Networks, including Apple’s Private Relay service, from editing pages — even when logged in 😬 It’s easier to block wiki-vandals if they can’t easily hop from one IP address to another. But it means anyone using a VPN to protect their privacy — including Tor and Apple’s Private Relay — is collateral damage.

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Cartoon of blue Twitter bird, with a black X-eye

X to become DMA-designated gatekeeper?

Exciting news indeed from Brussels. Apparently X has told the European Commission it meets the criteria to be designated as a gatekeeper under the Digital Markets Act 🤩🍿. If so, then we REALLY need the DMA Art. 7 messaging interoperability mandate expanded to social networking services, and aggressive enforcement of those existing provisions which would partly enable this.

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