Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20250123193435/https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/social-media

A lot of gov services use the same shitty social networks. But it’s just a bit extra disgusting when the FCC uses them along with the not-so social platforms. It’s an embarrassment.

The FCC privacy policy starts with:

“The FCC is committed to protecting the privacy of its visitors.”

Fuck no they aren’t. And we expect the FCC in particular to be well aware of the platforms that would make their privacy claim a true statement.

In particular:

• MS Github (98 repositories and maybe a bit strange that they are hosting UK stuff there.

• MS LinkedIn: “Visit our LinkedIn profile for information on job openings, internships, upcoming events, consumer advice, and news about telecommunications.” ← At least it’s openly readable to non-members. But I clicked APPLY on an arbitrary job listing (which had no contact info) and I was ignored, probably for not having a LinkedIn account. Which is obviously an injustice. Anyone should be able to access government job listings without licking Microsoft’s boots.

• Facebook: “Keep informed and engaged about consumer alerts, Commission actions and events.” ←Non-Facebook members cannot even view their page. And they are relying on it for engagement and consumer alerts.

• Twitter: “Follow @FCC for updates on upcoming meetings, helpful consumer information, Commission blog postings, and breaking FCC and telecommunications news with links to in-depth coverage.” ← At least it’s openly readable to non-members. But despicable that non-Twitter users cannot engage with the FCC. It’s an assult on free speech in the microblogging context. If you don’t lick Elon’s boots and give Twitter a mobile phone number (which they have been caught abusing before twtr contractors were caught spying on old accts, which came before Twitter was breached [twice in fact]), you cannot microblog to your government.

• YouTube: “Playback recorded webcasts of FCC events and view tutorials, press conferences, speeches and public service announcements on the FCC's YouTube channel.” ← One of the most atrocious abuses of public resources because Youtube is no longer open access. You cannot be on Tor, you cannot use Invideous. Due to recent extreme protectionism by Google, you are subject to surveillance advertising tied to your personal IP address.

Public money finances the FCC to make whatever videos the FCC produces. Since we already paid for the videos, they should be self-hosted by the FCC, not conditional upon entry into an paid-for-by-advertising walled garden with Google as a gatekeeper. It should be illegal to do that -- and we would expect the FCC to drive a just law in that regard. We would also expect the FCC to have the competency to either stand up their own peertube instance or simply put the videos on their website. People should be fighting that shit for sure.

What a shitty example they set for how government agencies should implement comms.