> "shoved down my throat."

Who shoves it down someone's throat though? I can't remember the last time I used tiktok, probably 3 or 4 years ago, and I don't feel like anyone forces me to.

The American government is actively working to move its communication exclusively to Twitter.[0]

[0] https://www.wired.com/story/social-security-administration-r...

Not as much since Elon’s bribery lost in Wisconsin. Even the SSA is denying that rumor: https://www.snopes.com/news/2025/04/15/ssa-using-x-communica...

Wired is the ministry of truth apparently.

Vendors. Mobile phone providers, Television companies, News Corporations, Advertising companies.

I am locked out from viewing reading groups unless I have a facebook account. I can't even read reviews on Amazon without a Amazon account.

You do have the choice not to view, watch or use. And if you desire to create your own site for "social media" the uphill battle is so greatly regulated in their honour you can't due to not having the resources to do so.

Have you read the new UK rule sheet for internet websites?

How many sites do I visit where I get a Google popup asking if I want to sign in?

Stack-overflow does this, Reddit does too.

> "But if you desire to create your own site for social media the uphill battle is so great regulated in their honour, it's not possible."

Fediverse exists quite successfully.

You mean an open-twitter clone that caters to a very niche set of individuals? A complex system to work with.

I hate the whole gimmick of 150 character messages. That's not independent like the web was once.

Discord makes you pay to upload videos, sounds and those were all existing on MSN, Yahoo, A!M for free.

Everyone at my school knew of NewsGrounds, mySpace, BeBo, LiveJournal. Me and my friends had hosted ProBoards forums where we used to discuss stuff. You can't even do that according to the new Ofcom laws.

> "You mean an open-twitter clone that caters to a very niche set of individuals?"

It's not just one instance and not even one frontend existing for what can be described as "fediverse". Decentralization is the whole point.

> "a very niche set of individuals?"

Everything depends on the instance you're using. Some of them, like mastodon.social, are very active, others are not.

> "I hate the whole gimmick of 150 character messages"

Find a better instance. On the one I use it's 2k characters limit.

> "That's not independent web like it was."

Yes, because it's a whole new level of independence. NewGrounds, Myspace and everything you mentioned are centralized platforms, which is practically vendor lock-in, because you're dependent on just one vendor for everything you do on these platforms, while on fediverse, you aren't. Instances are completely (except for showing posts from one another) independent from each other - there's no central "authority" controlling all of them like there would be on a centralized platform. Thousands of them exist for every frontend imaginable, and you can create one yourself.

There is a reason why common people picked Bluesky instead of the fediverse.

Yes, and that is because "common" people became used to centralized platforms and don't bother. That's also why fediverse's main audience is techies.

Just ignore the Ofcom laws. If all you need is social media with friends, you can host it on tor and be good to go. The UK giv can't get at you.

I believe the term of art is "the Joneses".

It's incredibly easy to just not use those websites. My throat remains surprisingly clear with no effort.

It actually isn't, have you ever tried attending any real life function? An account with Meta is almost a requirement to even get in the door.

Uh, yes? What kind of functions are you trying to attend? If you go to C3 and show people your Facebook account, you will rightfully be mocked (unless it's an admin account you're not supposed to have).

Pretty much any major gathering of people older than 25 will have people asking for your facebook/instagram. At least in my experience. This includes real life functions like fundraisers, meet-ups, club events, anything involving a charity or an official event. As someone without a Meta account, I'm just as shocked by it as anyone else.

Thats insane. I have never been carded for a meta account IRL.

If you live outside of a city in America you will be shocked how many community events are organized and advertised exclusively on Facebook, how many local businesses eschew any online presence aside from a Facebook page, etc. Some towns got into the internet in 2012-2015 and basically got stuck there.

You better believe 4chan is as much of a government space as those other social media sites are. Just because you don't have to give three forms of ID and a mobile phone number to post doesn't mean they're not involved.

It's an illusion, a very believable one in an internet where billionaires try to goad you to include your name and address with every thing you post. I don't see why people care so much about Doxxing when every social media company makes them do it for free.