Mastodon says it doesn’t ‘have the means’ to comply with age verification laws

Mastodon, a decentralized social network, has stated that it does not have the means to comply with age verification laws, such as the one implemented in Mississippi. The platform claims that it is up to individual server owners to decide how to handle these legal requirements. Mastodon operates on a decentralized model, where users can create their own servers or "instances" and set their own moderation policies. This structure makes it challenging for the platform to implement a centralized age verification system, as that responsibility falls on the individual server owners. The company's stance suggests that it is not in a position to enforce age-based restrictions across its network, which could potentially create legal issues in jurisdictions with such laws in place. Mastodon's position highlights the challenges faced by decentralized social media platforms in navigating the complex regulatory landscape surrounding content moderation and user privacy.