☆the Glitter Wizard☆

Typing this from Graphene now, in fact. But, both of those take the Android Open Source Project, without all the bloatware--and largely de-Google the whole thing. They give you much more control over privacy and what the apps you choose to install can do and access on your phone.

I know Graphene sandboxes everything, including the optionally installed Google Play Services which a lot of apps unfortunately require to run. (Lineage uses an alternative to Play Services instead.) So, you can install what would normally be unacceptably intrusive apps and just lock them away from pulling any funny shit with your data, or phoning home. Including the couple of Google things I do still keep around.

I also prefer running much more transparent, privacy-respecting open source apps where possible. Besides the transparency, I'd rather avoid the shitty tech corps entirely where I can. There are pretty good alternatives available for a lot of the usual suspects.

An alternative app store:

Dear Representative [Name],

I am writing to express my strong opposition to H.R. 8250 (The "Parents Decide Act"). As your constituent and a concerned citizen, I believe this bill introduces unprecedented risks to digital privacy and security.

Specifically, I am alarmed by:

SEC. 2(a)(1)(B): Requiring age verification to even use an operating system creates a mandatory "hardware lockout" that ends anonymous computing and forces users to hand over sensitive identification data to major corporations just to power on their devices.

SEC. 2(a)(3): Mandating that OS providers create a system for all app developers to access verification data is a massive security vulnerability. This effectively creates a centralized API of user identities accessible to thousands of third-party developers, many of whom may lack adequate data protection.

This bill does not protect children; it creates a centralized surveillance infrastructure at the OS level. I urge you to protect the privacy of your constituents and vote NO on H.R. 8250.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]

Given that, in the wake of this mandatory identification policy, my country seems to be moving to hand over its citizens biometric data, like fingerprints, Face ID files, and identification documents, over to the USA and to ICE to maintain the visa free travel (ESTA) we have, I strongly urge any US resident to send these emails, or make calls.

But if you can’t do that, the most powerful thing you can do is spread the word. Tell your friends, family, coworkers, anyone who can help.

My reach will likely be small, and so I don’t know if this will mean very much in the grand scheme of things, but I cannot stand to see this tracking happen to another population as it did to mine.

And if you think it won’t affect you, it will. All anonymity goes out the window when your accounts can be linked via your personal ID

find all your mutuals, tag them. we cant let this bill pass.

(These are all the people I can remember-)

@numinouss @emberdragon34 @shakespeare-guy-anon @smallpwbbles @sexy-people-contests-2026

our mom – the only one of the five of us working right now – had to come home from alaska early, the job she was supposed to be on all this week laid her off after two days, and our landlady isn't going to let us stay here past our set move-out date

our bare minimum goal is $5k by the 31st. i understand everyone's broke, and my mom's figuring things out as best she can, but anything anyone can spare on my end will help

all my payhandles are beefbrain, & they all share the same alien with a burger icon. thank you for your time

More info from GLAAD:

https://glaad.org/fcc/

They have some good tips about writing a comment and protecting your privacy which, fuck it, I'll just paste here:

Providing an email address is optional. If you have concerns about privacy, you may use your initials or public address in your local area, such as City Hall. Do not use a joke name. It diminishes the comment’s credibility.

Your submission does not need to be long. A single, well-reasoned paragraph is sufficient.

Do not copy/paste a template comment. The FCC values unique perspectives, and an original comment carries significantly more weight in the public record. You can explain why this matters to you without revealing private or sensitive personal information.

Here's what I said:

“Free speech is a fundamental American freedom. I do not need a warning about seeing queer people, much like I do not need a warning about women, veterans, or any other group of people.”

Here's the link to submit your comment by May 22:

⌯ᵔ ⩊ ᵔ⌯⠀Night  Themed  PNGs   ♡

UK legislation: Online Safety Act 2023

Brazil legislation: Digital Statute For Children And Adolescents

Apple App Store Age Verification

These are not tumblr specific policies. Tumblr is implementing age verification in response to legislative moves that were made months ago.

Tumblr is a failing social media site that has escaped death multiple times already; they do not have the social cachet to defy state regulatory agencies. We know they won't say no to Apple, either--the porn ban on tumblr was in response to Apple's crackdown on explicit content.

If you did not know this was happening, you were behind the curve. That is fine. You're caught up now. The next step is to link up with people in your country who are working to preserve privacy, to roll back these laws where they exist, and to prevent their passage where they do not. In the US the organization you want is Stop KOSA--in the EU you can start with Fight Chat Control.

That's bad enough!!!!!!!! But the entire idea of needing permission from state authorities to access anything labeled mature by our friendly AI overlords is some fucking Boll shit. Die Gedenken Sind Frie baby. This is all a reaction to people getting uppity about their lowly lowly rights and is being propped up by the same bad actors tht have made life unlivable. Fuck that shit.

"Well it's only being rolled out in Brazil and UK" Yeah, to start. "Well they're being forced to do this by laws." YOu know it's always really funny when these tech giants (Or whatever you call owning tumblr dot com) get really antsy about laws considering they pick and choose which ones they abide by.

WOWIE! Come help two disabled furries finally move out of our parents' place and actually start our lives!

I cannot overstate how huge this move will be for us. Almost our entire support system lives in Colorado, and we just simply cannot afford both the financial and emotional cost of living in California anymore. We want to start doing more than getting by and surviving. We want to start thriving! And this is step one to that.

And they haven't even gathered significant information on native women living in URBAN areas. It could be much higher.

good news tho: they might reconsider. especially if more 3D modellers and artists tell them to.

Here's the contact information to do so!

Additionally, here are some of Blender's social medias you can contact:

https://mastodon.social/@Blender

https://bsky.app/profile/blender.org

I thought I’d share the ones i’ve seen and link the channels in light of recent events. beating myself up for not having done this sooner tbh

Wheels and Roses - roller derby & magical girls!

The Three Tomes - a vampire love story

DizzyCat - slice of life adventures of 2 cat siblings

Crocodile Dance - a thriller combining myth and Afrofuturism

Furious and Fat Cat - comedy about 2 childhood friends who reunite as roommates

The Ebony Witch - disney/don bluth inspired fantasy series

I Don’t Want To Be A Magical Girl - yall probably know this one but I’m putting it here anyway