Welcome back to the Web5 newsletter!

Hello everybody!

This is the round-up of my Web5 week. Five links show you what, in my opinion, has been important in the Web5 orbit during the last few days.

Web5 is a new, decentralized web with a priority on privacy and safety. It aims at everyone becoming the owner of his digital identity. In short: Web5 is the better Internet of the future.

And here we go.

1. Meta is building a new decentralized Twitter

The news is very recent and very unexpected. Meta is building a text-based app. The highlight: The new service will support the ActivePub protocol, which allows cross-posting to the Fediverse. Ironically, meta as a pioneer in decentralization and privacy? That seems weird, but we'll see what comes of it. The times, they are a-changing 😀

2. Deutsche Welle and Proton VPN cooperate

This is an interesting partnering. As more and more countries use censorship and internet shutdowns against critics, German TV station Deutsche Welle partners with Proton VPN. Both want to make sure, that the people who need it the most, have free access to news by DW.

For me, there is a fundamental flaw in this collaboration. DW is financed by the German state and therefore is not safe from censorship and propaganda. There could have been better partners for Proton.

3. Podcast: Why we must resist AI 🎧

Listen to the latest episode of the Tech Won’t Save Us podcast. A very relevant one-hour talk to Dan McQuillan about the dangers of AI in political context. In essence, McQuillan warns of AI as the perfect tool for setting up fascism.

Dan McQuillan is a lecturer at Goldsmiths, University of London. But don’t worry, you will understand every word you hear.

4. How to protect data in crisis situations

In East Africa, there is a lot of violence going on against LGBTQ people. In Kenya, Uganda, and more Sub-Saharan countries, homophobia is rising as conservative forces have been coming to power or have a strong voice in their country. That’s why AccessNow, published a thread with some tips on how to protect your phone and data, when you get arrested. Good to know for every activist!

Here’s a link to a Notion side with the thread, in case you don’t use Twitter.

5. Mullvad against Chatcontrol

Mullvad is a top VPN company from Sweden. They offer great service and top privacy. You can even send them cash to pay them without a trace.

With Sweden now holding the EU Presidency, Mullvad has launched a campaign across Sweden to alert citizens and European visitors to the EU's plans for full surveillance. Great campaign, Mullvad!

Nice, really.

This is a clip by Neil Tennant (Pet Shop Boys) and Jake Shears (Scissor Sisters). A live recording for BBC Radio 2's Piano Room in which they perform an extremely listen-and-watch version of the old hit 'Rent'.

For me, the performance is not only interesting musically, but also full of gay irony. I laughed a lot.

Thanks for reading this.

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See you next week!