# In This Issue

- Twitter CEO wants to decentralise Twitter using an open source standard

- PM tells tech companies to create a voluntary code of conduct by late-2020 or be regulated

- You can’t be a big time dickhead on YouTube as of today (mild dickheads still allowed)

- How does NordVPN stream Disney+ when other VPN providers don’t?

- Cheap Sony wireless headphones & earbuds, Circles.Life 100GB plan, Vodafone pre-paid SIM, Death Stranding PS4 game, Zero Latency VR sessions, Yamaha soundbar, Sonos Playbase, Nintendo Switch Lite

# News

#### Twitter CEO wants to decentralise Twitter using an open source standard

Jack Dorsey tweeted overnight that "Twitter is funding a small independent team of up to five open source architects, engineers, and designers to develop an open and decentralized standard for social media. The goal is for Twitter to ultimately be a client of this standard". He didn't give much details on the technical aspects, but went on a little rant about why he reckons it needs to be done. Sounds like he reckons Twitter's value is not so much in the hosting of social media, but in the curation of it. Everyone dumps their messages into the same protocol and the users can pick the nicest front end/curator of it. This sounds... good? What's Jack been smoking? Did he see Mastodon and get inspired? Let's see what Twitter's board reckon of Jack's open source brainfart - sounds too good to be true to actually happen.

#### PM tells tech companies to create a voluntary code of conduct by late-2020 or be regulated

Our federal government has responded to the ACCC's digital media inquiry, announcing that it will establish a unit within the ACCC to "monitor and report on the state of competition and consumer protection in digital platform markets" and "examine online advertising and ad-tech services that determine how consumers are targeted through the use of data". The Prime Minister also said that Facebook, Google and other tech companies are "on notice" and if they don't construct a voluntary code by late 2020 to clear up how "advertising revenue is shared, how media content is accessed and presented, and will ensure that media businesses are given forewarning about changes to algorithms that determine how content is ranked online", the government will create a mandatory code for them.

#### You can’t be a big time dickhead on YouTube as of today (mild dickheads still allowed)

YouTube has refined its harassment policy to no longer allow "content that maliciously insults someone based on protected attributes such as their race, gender expression, or sexual orientation" as well as "veiled or implied threats" including content "simulating violence toward an individual or language suggesting physical violence may occur". All YouTubers, politicans included will be subject to these new policies and if you're part of the YouTube Partner Program (i.e: you get ad money through YouTube), you'll be suspended or banned for repeated infractions and have content removed. Shout all you want about free speech, but ultimately YouTube is an ad-platform and bullying, anti-social behaviour and general nastiness isn't exactly an advertiser's delight.

# Not News

#### How does NordVPN stream Disney+ when other VPN providers don’t?

Disney's done a Netflix and blacklisted most of the IP addresses associated with VPN providers so those outside the official country list can't watch Mickey's content stash. Derek Johnson noticed that NordVPN promotes that Disney+ works on its platform, is "linked closely" to a Lithuanian company called Tesonet and that Tesonet is also "linked closely" to Oxylabs.io, who have 32 million residential proxies available to rent, but don't explain how they got access to those internet connections (hint, it's malware and the users are unaware their internet connections are being abused in this way). Derek did a few tests and it appears that NordVPN is using these residential internet connections as mules so their customers can watch geoblocked streaming services. So now you know how NordVPN gets around geoblocks and it isn't pretty, is it?

# Bargains

- Sony WF1000XM3 wireless headphones - $319.20 from VideoPro’s eBay store

- Sony WH1000XM3B wireless earbuds - $316.80 from VideoPro’s eBay store

- 100GB/m of Optus 4G for $28/m (first 6 months) from Circles.Life

- $40 Vodafone starter kit for $15 at 7-Eleven

- Death Stranding (PS4) - $59 at JB Hi-Fi

- 15% off Zero Latency VR gaming sessions in North Melbourne

- Yamaha YAS109B soundbar - $188 at Harvey Norman

- Shopback is doing 12% Amazon AU cashback

- Sonos Playbase - $662 (after cashback)

- Nintendo Switch Lite - $246.10 (after cashback)

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😁 The Sizzle is curated by Anthony "@decryption" Agius and emailed every weekday afternoon. Join us on Slack and chat with other Sizzle subscribers.

The Sizzle is created on Wathaurong land and acknowledges the traditional owners of country throughout Australia, recognising their continuing connection to land, water and community. I pay my respect to them and their cultures and to elders both past and present.​