Mozilla wants its users to feel safe online.
The software company behind the Firefox browser has now launched a Mastodon-based social networking site and whilst they do not condone any violence towards "physical, social or cultural attributes or classifications", are not going to advertise themselves as a "neutral platform" but just want users to be able to engage with each other in a friendly way.
Steve Teixeira, Mozilla’s chief product officer, said in a blog post: "We’re not going to advertise that we’re some kind of neutral platform. You have to land on the side of people who don’t want to do harm to others. This is what it means to stake out a point of view on content. And I don’t mean to go on there and be harassed, or receive death threats, or whatever. We believe that it’s really important that people can go online and, like, engage and share cat pictures or yuk it up with my friends."
The tech boss added that social media is a "huge part" of daily life and aims to give new voices a "public platform" with the new venture in a way that has not been done before.
He said: "Love it or hate it, there’s no denying that social media is a huge part of our lives. At its best, it’s how we connect with one another across space and time, discover new ideas, learn what’s happening in the world, and get introduced to content that makes us feel. It provides critical services, like alerting us to catastrophic weather or that the train you’re waiting for is delayed. It’s helped chip away at traditional power dynamics, giving a public platform to voices that haven’t had one before and offering a way for us to have influence over the powers and decision-markers that shape our lives. "
