God, I hate posting a Reddit comment, but this is huge. Every claim is sourced (I have not verified personally).
Edit: Well, Reddit does what reddit does, it’s been removed. Here is a github link: https://github.com/upper-up/meta-lobbying-and-other-findings
cross-posted from: https://lemmy.bestiver.se/post/985257
tl;dr it was Meta (because of course it was). It is a little strange though, I would think they would absolutely want this sort of PII but they’re pushing for Google and Apple to deal with it.
I’m guessing one of the motives is to be able to get more data from non meta users. If the API exists at the operating system level, they can then use the code behind that stupid little Facebook button that every website has to get user age as well as the normal browser fingerprinting data.
God, I hate them so f-n much. Ad-supported social media must die.
My understanding is the API only applies to app stores.
Nope. Most of these legislations are pushing for OS level.
Yes, and the OS communicates this to the app stores.
App stores and anything else that makes a call to that API.
Your browser would have to allow that.
You mean the browsers all based on code from Google and Apple, who also want that info, and will be pressured to use that API to “protect the children” from adult websites?
And everything else, including via the little Facebook button on various pages.
No.
You’ve convinced me with such a compelling
argumentstatement of fact.
That is incorrect, the OS communicates the data to any “app” running on the system that asks for it. The text of the bill (the CA bill specifically is the one I have read) states that any developer of any app must ask for the age bracket from either the OS or the App Store, so the OS will have to have the API open to any “app” running on the device, not just the “app store”. Also, they define “app store” as any website or software that people can download and install software from, which is VERY broad.
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They don’t want to deal with the costs, just get the data. At least that’s what I got from the text, as a reason why they were pushing to make social networks extempt and keep it on app/OS level.
Fuckers.
But they’re not getting the data. The data is going to Google, MS and Apple. All they’re getting is an age bracket.
For now… But they are pushing laws that require the infrastructure for data harvesting be built into the OS level and then broadcast the data to any program that asks for it without question…
I recall reading an article a few days ago saying it was Meta behind it. I feel like tons of research wasn’t needed when the answer key was already known.
Independently verifying it is still worthwhile.
And provided an insight to the whole flow of dark money.
Edit: Otherwirse they could just brush it off as a rumor/conspiracy theory.
Horrible company is responsible for horrible thing they claimed to have done. More at 11.
Horrible company says “what? Me? No, guv, we just run ads”.
Best to get receipts.
Inside scoop having talked to the company meta uses. Since they use face identification to check age, my belief is that it burdens them with biometric data that the federal government wants rights to. That puts them in a precarious situation if they don’t want to share said data, or can’t make enough off it for the risk, just like problem Discord had. Much safer to have ad-focused data.
I deploy hundreds of docker containers every day that run general purpose operating systems. These bills seem dumb at a fundamental level regardless of the terrible privacy implications.
And then some kid buys a used raspberry pi or wipes an old computer and circumvents it all anyway.
Or go straight to the linked github page which seems to be where they’re storing all the data and analysis
https://github.com/upper-up/meta-lobbying-and-other-findings
TY for your service.
I’m glad to have an answer that allows me to direct my hate. Problem is, I already hated Facebook and The Heritage foundation.
Same -_-
I miss the old internet. It’s the most conservative thing I’ll ever say.
It really throws a light on the shit that they’re up to over this side of the Atlantic.
https://www.irishtimes.com/technology/big-tech/2025/10/30/data-protection-rules-completely-out-of-control-meta-tells-government/ https://archive.is/M8wbm
https://noyb.eu/en/former-meta-lobbyist-named-dpc-commissioner-meta-now-officially-regulates-itself
Meta has engaged in significant lobbying activities within the European Union regarding privacy and content regulations, often overlapping with discussions on “chat control” (a controversial EU proposal to scan private messages for child sexual abuse material, or CSAM).
Key developments regarding Meta’s influence in the EU, based on recent reports, include:
Lobbying on AI and Tech Regulation: As of April 2025, reports suggest Meta has been actively lobbying to influence or dilute EU artificial intelligence and technology regulations.
Influence on Digital Privacy Legislation: Meta and other “Big Tech” entities have been subject to intense scrutiny and lobbying investigations concerning how they affect European privacy laws, including GDPR compliance and potential chat control measures.
Regulatory Independence Concerns: Civil society organizations (including the Centre for Countering Digital Hate and EDRi) have raised concerns about the influence of former Meta lobbyists on EU regulators, notably the Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC), which is the lead supervisor for Meta in the EU.
Antitrust and Competition Conflicts: In February 2026, the European Commission notified Meta of a statement of objections regarding the exclusion of third-party AI assistants from WhatsApp, viewing this as an abuse of its dominant position. This indicates that while Meta lobbies, it is also facing heavy EU regulatory action.
Data Protection Fines: Meta has previously faced substantial fines, such as the €1.3 billion fine in 2023 linked to US-EU data transfer practices.
The “chat control” legislation has faced delays and significant debate regarding its impact on privacy vs. security, with civil liberties groups opposing the mandatory scanning mechanisms that the proposal would introduce.
lobbyists are why most people get into politics. all soulless piece of fucks…
So Meta (and their allies) are actively pushing and lobbying (illegally, if you look at DCA that doesn’t even exist?) for laws that force operating systems to build a permanent age API thats full time accessible for apps?
Why not use a digital identity wallet like Europe : You can prove that you are 18+ without sharing your date of birth, name, or other information (via zero-knowledge proofs), it’s like a confirmation paper from a bank or another institution without any actual information about yourself. Plus there’s parental consent to children’s accounts (as COPPA in the U.S. already does), or like by doing verification locally or through open-source systems, not through commercial companies with a central Database.
They knowingly ignore better, more privacy friendly alternatives to age verification because by forcing operating systems to implement a permanent age API, they create a system that burdens competitors like Apple and Google and Free and Open Source software who sometimes cant even abide to those rules, all-the-while meta’s own platforms are often excluded. Apparently this fits into a broader strategy to normalize surveillance and increase dependence on commercial verification companies, which Meta indirectly benefits from.
I dont really see this changing, I expect meta getting away with everything and getting worse cause look at the inauguration. But musk also got booted so who knows. But in the end America usually doesnt care about customer rights, privacy rights, or childrens rights ig.
Im awaiting the results of the latest lawsuit where zuckerberg had to testify about accusations that social media, including Instagram, harm children’s mental health. https://edition.cnn.com/2026/02/19/tech/takeaways-mark-zuckerberg-testifiessocial-media-child-mental-health
Why not, not do age verification at all?
I don’t want the government or any corporation involved in verifying anything about me online.
Yeah we should deffo support privacy watchdogs who lobby for us(customer rights, consumer rights, privacy rights etc) and advice the government and when its election time, check who’s the nerd vote
The idea of a national ID would never pass in the US. Both parties are against it for various reasons.
Well it would facilitate ICE’s work somewhat.
Thank you for this. Like, I heard a bit about this but set it aside as “to be researched later” without realizing how far along the stupidity had gotten.
That’s an impressive investigation.
It would be tough to find a better example of why lobbying in the US is fundamentally broken. An entity like Meta has ample funding to break up an operation into distinct cells that do not directly interact in public forums, while tracking the whole process in documents protected by ACP. I think it’s particularly telling that Meta lobbyists are quietly nodding along legislation pushed by “grass roots” activists and that Meta’s new OS just happens to implement the technology exactly as described in the law.
It’s that sort of coordinated effort that the RICO act was drafted specifically to address, but it’s perfectly legal.
while tracking the whole process in documents protected by ACP.
ACP?
Attorney-Client Privilege. Sorry, I should have just said it.
For anyone who might have avoided this part of the world, ACP makes communications between you and your counsel inadmissible in court. In big companies, it’s somewhat common to bring lawyers into discussions under the auspices of seeking legal advice, but primarily to ensure that if any artifact from that discussion were to be uncovered by an adversary, it couldn’t be used in a lawsuit.
“The research is published in a git repository with every source embedded. It does not depend on Reddit’s infrastructure to survive.”
proceeds to post on Microslop’s Github
Shouldn’t be hard to clone it to any other git server. Since you’re concerned, get on it.
Sdf probably even has their own.
Yup, they do! It’s on the list of 101 SDF things I should be using but somehow amn’t.
I wonder how many forks outside of Github there would be going for this repo by end of tomorrow…
Legend
That kind of surprised me too, so I downloaded the repository. Now it’s sitting on my archival drive in case I need to put it somewhere, and dumped on a random neocities website for… amusement mostly.
Was there ever any doubt? They’ve been trying to tie devices to identities for years now. This is just the end game.
The funny thing is, it’s kinda hard to prove that surveillance based ads actually work. Ad platforms like to throw numbers of how may people see ads around, but it’s hard to actually tie those numbers to sales. What’s worse is that the way these ads are bought, sold, and how ad placement is commodified means that everything remains intentionally vague to the people buying ads. In most cases, all they know is that “everyone is doing it” and “making lots of money” and if they don’t they’ll be left out of the revenue party.
Right now, enough people are still drinking the kool-aid that it’ll remain a safe revenue stream for companies like Meta unless something happens that hurts the cash flow of their customers. But, it kinda makes you wonder, if the vagueries of the online add ecosystem caused companies to reconsider the investment during an economic crisis, how would these ad platforms that have recently gotten very cozy with fascists make money?
good old reddit, must have been a real wrench for you
wait a second what are you doing reading reddit in the first place?
traitor! impure!
Actually, it was a hackernews link originally.
But for some interest-based subs, I still stick my nose in a hoover up knowledge without contributing back. Considering I janitored about 30 niche subs before the appageddon, I think they’re net negative since I left roughly about when you did. I was probably replaced by a bot, so maybe they’re happier.
If you’re also trying to avoid github because Microslop, looks like this is further hosted on https://tboteproject.com/, with a decentralized repository on https://tboteproject.com/git/hekate/attestation-findings
wow great post
Social media is optional. Quit relying so much on the internet for entertainment. Sail the high seas. Arr.
Wish the platform owners didn’t make enough money shearing sheep that they can use it to fuck it up for the rest of us.
The EPSTEIN CLASS which the Government is doing EVERYTHING to Protect is Behind wanting you AND your Child’s IDS? I COULDNT have Guessed!
Yes. The way these laws are written, our devices could be mandated to take a quick picture of our underage children during setup and/or login.
Then that picture can be secured to today’s standards, ensuring a data breach.
I can imagine why the Epstein class would want that to happen - more information when they are choosing which of our children to kidnap.
