The head of Insta/Threads explicitly mentions deplatforming as a use case for threads/ActivityPub integration. He frames it as a benefit to the user: if Threads deplatforms you, you can take your users with you.
This is (1) the first actual “why” I’ve heard and (2) makes a *lot* of sense *for Meta*—the political problem for them when they deplatform someone like Trump is very real and very big—could easily justify the cost/expense of ActivityPub federation.
(I’d note that, at least in theory, this would allow Threads to be *more* aggressive than base Facebook in enforcing their ToS, because they could mitigate legal backlash by saying “take your addressbook with you to a fediverse host, not our problem”.)
I’m not sure this is *good* for the fediverse (in this theory, Meta will treat the fediverse as the dumping ground for garbage people) but it’s a lot more plausible as a motive, and overall less bad, than “an entity with 3B MAU wants to suck in the data of 3M MAU”.
@luis_in_brief Yeah I've been suspecting these moves relate to reducing responsibility/accountability/friction for moderation (possibly by confusing the issue).
