Watch Out, Fediverse Users: The FBI Can Seize a Mastodon Server

pcmag.com:

Usually, the feds will subpoena a tech company to obtain data on social media users. But in the case of Mastodon—a decentralized social network—the FBI can apparently straight up seize an entire server copy containing thousands of users' data 

The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) is warning(Opens in a new window) about the potential threat after the FBI seized a Mastodon server backup belonging to an "anarchist/anti-colonial" group called Kolektiva. 

The seizure(Opens in a new window) occurred in May, but went largely unreported. The FBI raided a home belonging to a Kolektiva admin as part of an investigation into a local protest, the group said about six weeks after the incident. 

During the raid, the FBI seized a server copy for Kolektiva’s Mastodon instance, which currently has over 8,000 active users. The database contained user account information, including email addresses, possible IP addresses associated with user accounts, and hashed user passwords. In addition, the FBI acquired a copy of the Kolektiva.social(Opens in a new window) database in an unencrypted state since the raid happened while the admin was troubleshooting an issue. 

The EFF says this shows the FBI can sweep up data on numerous people while investigating a single case when it comes to Mastodon. The decentralized social network isn’t controlled by a large corporation out to monetize your data. Instead, anyone can launch a Mastodon server in their home and connect it to others to create a federated social network. 

But the same decentralized nature makes it easier for the feds to swoop in. The EFF adds: "Many fediverse instances, such as Kolektiva, are focused on serving marginalized communities who are disproportionately targeted by law