So Bluesky just locked someone out of their account until they verified their age. The options? Hand over a copy of your government ID to some third-party verification company called KWS, submit to a face scan, or provide the last four digits of your social security number. Their response? Delete the app and walk away. Can’t say I blame them one bit.

This age verification push is spreading like wildfire across social media platforms, and it’s being sold to us under the oldest political con in the book: “think of the children.” Various states in the US are mandating these requirements, and platforms are scrambling to comply. The article someone linked shows that this isn’t just a Bluesky decision – they’re being forced into it by state legislation. But here’s the thing that really gets under my skin: this has absolutely nothing to do with protecting children, and everything to do with dismantling what little online privacy we have left.

There’s something darkly amusing about watching Nintendo—a company that built its empire on plumbers jumping on turtles—gearing up to legally demolish the U.S. government over tariffs. But before we get too caught up in the spectacle, let’s be clear about what’s actually happening here: we’re all still getting screwed.

I’ve been following this tariff debacle since it kicked off, and honestly, the sheer incompetence of it all has been staggering. The plan was supposedly to protect American interests, but what we got instead was a masterclass in how to transfer wealth from regular people to corporations while making everyone feel like they’re “winning.”

There’s been an interesting dust-up in the selfhosted community lately that’s got me thinking about where we draw the line between civility and accountability. The short version? Someone posted an AI-generated backup tool, people called it “AI trash,” mods removed the criticism citing harassment rules, and the community went ballistic.

Let me be clear from the start: I’m not a fan of AI-generated code flooding open-source communities. There, I said it. But this isn’t just about my personal preference – it’s about security, maintainability, and what we owe each other as a community that values transparency and competence.