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Rian van der Merwe
@rianvdm.com

This is definitely a great feature, but there's something about it that makes me uncomfortable. Couldn't this be used for harassment? Imagine an app that "labels" people in derrogatory ways.

Mike Dimmick
@mikedimmick.bsky.social

It's always up to the user to decide what labels they're going to subscribe to. I don't think there would be any turned on by default. Obviously you have the problem that the designer will subsequently decide to change it in unwanted ways, or will be convinced to hand it off to someone malicious.

Simon Willison
@simonwillison.net

Yeah I'm not too worried about that since seeing these labels is an opt-in thing - it's not much different from someone having a website somewhere else that says nasty things and links to Bluesky profiles

Rian van der Merwe
@rianvdm.com

I'm not sure "it's opt-in" is super relevant. Hate groups can create labels, and allow their followers to follow those labels as a way to know who they want to target.

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Simon Willison
@simonwillison.net

Is that materially different from a hate group using a private WhatsApp group or publishing a Google Doc with a list of accounts to harass? Maybe in turns of making it slightly more convenient for them to remember who to target

Nmn
@nmn.sh

Yes because the labels are on *your* profile and posts. Forever until you unsubscribe. The integration itself is what makes it more problematic.

Rian van der Merwe
@rianvdm.com

Fair point—I would counter that one of the great things about Bluesky (from the beginning) is how deliberate they've been with moderation. So I feel like the bar shouldn't be "is it *not* worse than a Google Doc", but "does it make harassment harder, not easier." (Not fighting btw, just chatting!)

Sandip Bhattacharya
@sandipb.net

Seems like this can maybe counteracted by using a blocklist of people who have subscribed to the labelling account. I wonder if this is technically feasible (generating a automatic list of people subscribed to an account).

thalassa (but scary) (well, maybe)
@th.alassa.pink

otoh, i don't think WHICH accounts have been labeled by a labeler is public, and if a bad labeler were to publish a list of accounts, you're just back to the "mean site" problem. (i don't necessarily disagree with you; i'm just thinking out loud)