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by fc417fc802 26 days ago
I don't think so. Section 230 only applies if you host other's content. If you are self hosting only your own content then it does not apply to you.

In case we have a misunderstanding, I wasn't describing the current common practice of rather large multi-user AP nodes. Rather I had in mind the idea of each user hosting his own instance, or at most perhaps exceedingly small multi-user instances for immediate family or a hobbyist group or similar. Those are all situations where section 230 currently offers approximately zero benefit to the operator as I understand it.

1 comments

> I don't think so. Section 230 only applies if you host other's content.

230 protects every site with a comment section (from SLAPP, etc suits). That includes a lot of blogs, inc self-hosted.

Agreed, it would make hosting a comments section where you solicit contributions from the world at large somewhat less appealing. However a self hosted federated social media protocol such as AP or ATProto isn't substantially impacted. Under such a model your blog can still have comments you just can't host those comments yourself unless you're willing to assume some amount of risk (probably not much in practice TBF).

As such I'm not convinced that anything of value would be lost. That said as I've stated in other comments I'm also not in favor of that.