LEAKED: A New List Reveals Top Websites Meta Is Scraping of Copyrighted Content to Train Its AI (Including Many Fediverse Instances!!!)

"The tech giant is sidestepping guardrails that websites use to prevent being scraped, data show, in a move whistleblowers say is unethical and potentially illegal."

ARTICLE: https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/meta-facebook-tech-copyright-privacy-whistleblower

FULL PDF: https://www.dropsitenews.com/api/v1/file/b3555944-e204-4f5e-9a64-e44281b19a82.pdf

#FediPact #meta #threads #AI

INSTANCES KNOWN TO HAVE BEEN SCRAPED BY META INCLUDE:

• mastodon.social

• mastodon.online

• tech.lgbt

• hackers.town

• chaos.social

• mastodon.org.uk

• mastodont.cat

• mastodon.de

• mastodon.xyz

• mastodon.coffee

• mastodon.cloud

• mastodon.scot

• mastodonapp.uk

• mastodon.green

• mastodon.ml

• mastodon.au

• mastodon.eus

• mastodonczech.cz

• mastodon.sdf.org

• mstdn.social

• troet.cafe

• techhub.social

• tchncs.de

• kolektiva.social

• mamot.fr

• defcon.social

• meow.social

• social.linux.pizza

• ioc.exchange

• eldritch.cafe

• yiff.life

• furry.engineer

• infosec.exchange

• blahaj.zone

• woof.group

• union.place

• queer.party

• sakurajima.moe

• pawb.social

• digipres.club

• journa.host

• corteximplant.net

• corteximplant.com

• octodon.social

• bitbang.social

• jorts.horse

• tenforward.social

• pnw.zone

• spore.social

• hear-me.social

• neuromatch.social

• vt.social

• cosocial.ca

• chitter.xyz

• tooter.social

• cloudisland.nz

• social.seattle.wa.us

• masto.es

• nobigtech.es

• mastodon.gal

• masto.host

• toot.community

• pony.social

• climatejustice.global

• pleroma.envs.net

• indiepocalypse.social

• anarchism.space

• disroot.org

• dragonscave.space

• toot.bike

• fuzzies.wtf

• norden.social

• beige.party

• ohai.social

• freeradical.zone

• metalhead.club

• treehouse.systems

• icosahedron.website

• sunbeam.city

• sunny.garden

• zeroes.ca

• ursal.zone

• chaosfem.tw

• mas.to

• mathstodon.xyz

• rubber.social

• todon.nl

• cupoftea.social

• nerdculture.de

• toad.social

there're definitely more, i just did ctrl+f when i thought of an instance name so i definitely missed some. will be editing this list to add them as i think of them

#FediPact #meta #threads

i'm gonna be editing that list as i think of more so be sure to view it directly on cyberpunk.lol to make sure you get the whole thingy

#FediPact #meta #threads

@mods

Is this true WRT to tech.lgbt?

@FediPact

@essjayjay @mods @FediPact This is the first I'm personally hearing of it, but you do have to understand that scraping does not have to be a consensual process and scrapers have been doing all sorts of shady stuff to hide themselves. I can't personally speak more on the topic. However, I have raised it to the team to draft a proper response.

@bluestarultor
@essjayjay @mods
@FediPact

You said scraping was legal. Presuming we're talking about the U.S.A. here, can you explain how that can be in a country that presumes everything I write defaults to being subject to my personal copyright?

At least so far, individuals haven't succeed in copyright claims against web scrapers. Here's a good article on the US legal landscape as of a couple of years ago (with the caveat that it's by somebody who sees scraping as generally a good thing) https://blog.ericgoldman.org/archives/2023/08/web-scraping-for-me-but-not-for-thee-guest-blog-post.htm From a privacy perspective, https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4884485 looks at the challenges.

@VictimOfSimony @bluestarultor @essjayjay @FediPact

@thenexusofprivacy @VictimOfSimony @essjayjay @FediPact Also literally no one in this thread said it was legal. XD

Even the original article notes that it's illegal to be slurping up copyrighted works, but that they failed to convince the judge of meaningful damages meriting restitution.

I said scraping is "not necessarily consensual" and that's because various sites have entered partnerships to sell off their users' creations with some half-assed nod to getting their consent.

At least so far, individuals haven't succeed in copyright claims against web scrapers. Here's a good article on the US legal landscape as of a couple of years ago (with the caveat that it's by somebody who sees scraping as generally a good thing) https://blog.ericgoldman.org/archives/2023/08/web-scraping-for-me-but-not-for-thee-guest-blog-post.htm From a privacy perspective, https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4884485 looks at the challenges.

@VictimOfSimony @bluestarultor @essjayjay @FediPact

Fair enough, I was just responding to @VictimOfSimony's question about scraping and copyright.

@bluestarultor @essjayjay @FediPact

@thenexusofprivacy
@bluestarultor
@essjayjay
@FediPact

This article seems to think the problem is that a third party is asserting the copyright. The fact that these class actions are becoming more popular with first parties seems to suggest you're mistaken. Also, the trespass issue I mentioned remains since there is no implied right of access to chattels for an illegal purpose. There's a tort here.