September 21, 2025
Tech News
Mastodon, the non-profit organization behind the decentralized social network, has revealed a new revenue strategy. This involves offering paid hosting, moderation, and support services, moving away from a reliance on donations and grants alone to sustain its operations.
In this new model, organizations interested in the open social web can run their own servers with help from Mastodon’s team. This enables them to manage their platforms according to specific needs, similar to how businesses may choose between self-hosting or opt for hosted solutions from traditional platforms like WordPress.
To enhance its revenue diversity, Mastodon is partnering with various clients including the European Commission and other governmental bodies. These partnerships allow Mastodon to establish a more stable income stream while still maintaining its ethos of a free and decentralized network.
In a different domain, the UK government is addressing the repercussions of a cyberattack on Jaguar Land Rover (JLR). This incident halted production at the UK’s largest car manufacturer for over three weeks, prompting concerns about its impacts on the supply chain that sustains tens of thousands of jobs.
While JLR plans to resume operations by September 24, the Unite trade union warns of potential job losses and urges the government to provide support if shutdowns persist. Officials are closely collaborating with JLR to ensure production can be restored swiftly, highlighting the importance of cybersecurity in modern industrial frameworks.
Meanwhile, China’s efforts in public security technology were on display at the Global Public Security Cooperation Forum. The event showcased AI-enhanced body cameras linked to facial recognition systems aimed at aiding police forces in developing countries, highlighting China’s global outreach in security solutions.
The exhibition featured various advanced security systems designed for law enforcement, emphasizing collaboration and technology sharing across borders. This marks China’s continuous commitment to building international partnerships through the promotion of its policing technology.
Tech Explained
Server – A server is a system that provides resources, data, or services to other computers, known as clients, over a network. In the context of Mastodon, servers allow organizations to host their own instances of the software for decentralized communication.
Moderation – Moderation involves overseeing content to ensure it adheres to specific guidelines or standards. Mastodon offers moderation services to help organizations maintain community rules and manage interactions on their servers.
ActivityPub – ActivityPub is an open standard used for decentralized social networking. It enables different platforms to communicate and interact seamlessly, allowing users across various services to connect with one another.
Cyberattack – A cyberattack refers to any offensive action taken against computer networks or systems, typically with malicious intent. The attack on Jaguar Land Rover showcases how vulnerable large organizations can be to cybersecurity threats.
Facial Recognition – Facial recognition technology uses algorithms to identify individuals by analyzing facial features. The AI-enhanced body cameras presented in China utilize this technology to improve law enforcement effectiveness in identifying suspects.
