FYI for Lemmy/fediverse sites: YOUR DMS ARE NOT ENCRYPTED
Your login info is encrypted but everything else is open. Everything I've posted, said, and done could be seen by a fed, especially stuff I've said to users "privately".
There are protocols in the works to resolve this issue but until then do NOT message anyone with anything personally identifiable and personally incriminating of any kind. Instead immediately suggest a safe platform such as signal
Encryption doesn't mean much when it's for a public group or forum. Make seperate accounts and use them exclusively with a vpn that's only used for that account.
Encryption of public rooms can help prevent mass scraping of content, they still have to join to get keys.
And how else is scraping going to happen? The traffic is already encrypted, only party that can 'scrape' at that point is the app/site itself. And if you don't trust them with not doing that you shouldn't trust that they wouldn't use the keys they already have to decrypt the content neither
Loops.video is a new tiktok alt you could add to The list of places that will be safer.
I think registration is open again, but it's developed by the same guy who made pixelfed, so it should have similar policies about privacy and security.
Still, Loops is in alpha phase. Just wait for developers to contribute to development.
Loops seems to still be in development. Where is the best safe place currently to watch videos? YouTube besides tracking everything and ads has unblockable far right propaganda on recommendations. There is also a lot of censorship of content.
I haven't found any alt platform that has much content. Haven't ever tried TikTok though because of various privacy and ethical reasons.
There's another Tik tok alt for the Fediverse called Vidzy, I'm not entirely sure about their privacy and security things, but the devs seem pretty cool, it doesn't have a dedicated app though, only web ui.
I know loops is working towards being compatible with vidzy in the future tho.
Last night I talked to my best friend who was in a manic state - total meltdown. I'm glad they called me. I was able to talk them away from the metaphorical cliff. If you feel like you are at that cliff know that people out there care about you. Please grab the handrail again.
My friend recently came out to me as having queer or bi feelings and I think I was the first person in their real life that they had done this for; I felt so honored and touched that they trusted and felt safe with me like that. And I've heard the way they speak on trans issues lately. I think they aren't ready to come out to people as trans or somewhere on that spectrum yet. But I am concerned for them deeply and I'm pretty sure they would be coming out soon if not for this (or maybe not, I can not know I just know they are exploring themselves which I encourage and support).
I know things are so scary right now. I wish I could tell them or any of you beautiful comrades right now that things aren't so bad or it's all going to be all right. I don't think anybody knows that. But I do believe that a better world is possible. A world that fully includes you. Please stick around with us and do whatever you need to do to be safe. If it happens in our lifetimes I want you to see it.
Love.
