I wish the Atmosphere had content warnings (like on the fediverse)... because I'd like to show you the limits of free speech absolutism and the kind of content that is allowed on #WSocial: blatant racism, xenophobia and transphobia. X vibes... but hey, it's "hosted in Europe" 😒
Aug 19, 2026 at 3:50 PM
The secret rules of the internet
The murky history of moderation, and how it’s shaping the future of free speech.
It’s Not 2006 Anymore; The Useful, Vernacular Institution; What Is Free Our Feeds, Anyway?
This issue explores emerging alternatives to centralized social media platforms and the institutional forms that might support them. The newsletter connects reflections from the ATMosphere Conference…
It's the (Democracy-Poisoning) Golden Age of Free Speech
At a time when anyone can broadcast live or post their thoughts to a social network, we should be living in a utopia of public discourse. We're not.
Open social tech and geopolitical risk - ATmosphereConf 2026
Building resilient social media
Next week I’ll be in Berlin, speaking at a Franco-German “Summit on European Digital Sovereignty” satellite event to help launch…
The Faux Free Speech Warriors Attacking Free Speech
There’s a particularly insidious and cynical form of censorship gaining prominence in America: the weaponization of “free speech” rhetoric, combined with abuses of the judicial sy…
The Uncensored Library – Reporters without borders
I support The Uncensored Library and the fight for press freedom. #TruthFindsAWay
ATmosphere Report #147 - Year's end reflections - Connected Places
Some themes I'm watching for 2026: censorship resistance, the politics of interoperable spaces, and who gets to shape how atproto talks about itself.
Meta: Systemic Censorship of Palestine Content
Meta’s content moderation policies and systems have increasingly silenced voices in support of Palestine on Instagram and Facebook in the wake of the hostilities between Israeli forces and Palestinian armed groups.
An Attack on Tech Freedom, an Assault on Dissent
We live in a world of surveillance states, militarized police, and crackdowns on dissent. Meanwhile, corporate behemoths will often ally with the state to shut down dissident speech or aid and abet surveillance. In this context, it’s important for independent groups to develop and maintain encrypted communications platforms and independent web hosting. But the Trump...
Studying social media through the Atmosphere - - ATmosphereConf 2026
Dear ATmosphere developers and users, I usually don't make these kinds of posts. But just this once, I'd like you all to sign a petition to make sure our privacy stays important in the modern web. You can read more in the attached thread below. (1/3) 🧵 change.org/chat-control-1-0
Petition unterschreiben
www.change.orgSome thoughts on #WSocial, how they have been responding to criticism and why I believe they are showing the limits of free speech absolutism. I agree with @echna.bsky.social that "W Social seems to be on an X speedrun - without ever having been like Twitter." 🔗: aseachange.com/@elena/statuses/01M0SDV98GRDW…
![[3 media attachments] Dear friends,
Please gather around for a long post about #WSocial and how they are responding to critiques.
I have noticed a trend: W Social leaders and staunch supporters are ...](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:vggsjzvhakoa7l2m2mguqv4w/bafkreihcldgcq7zjkfhikbwpjeqo6qqqw443ywuxo6rl2y6xh55tsszjim)
Elena Rossini on GoToSocial ⁂ (@elena@aseachange.com)
aseachange.comThe forced global adoption of puritanistic American cultural norms vis sexuality and nudity via app store/payment processor rules is one of the least-discussed free speech issues of the last decade and this lack of attention is going to hurt online expression so much in the years to come.
♍ Bee 🐝
I think also we cannot ignore the potential social and cultural ramifications of normalizing the demonification of anything adult or sexual The whole system is stacked against any sort of movement in the other direction and it's not something the porn industry can handle alone at this point
Apparently, “free speech absolutism” now comes with a daily usage cap. Speech on X is now even less free. Free X accounts are limited to 50 posts and 200 replies a day unless they pay for a blue checkmark. That’s down from the previous 2,400 posts per day limit. engadget.com/2175771/x-free-accounts-limit…
X accounts are limited to 50 posts and 200 replies a day unless they pay for a blue checkmark - Engadget
www.engadget.com
