4 ms·

Barinsta, the open source client for Instagram got a C&D from Facebook

66 points by prirai 5y ago

From https://t.me/barinsta_updates : Hello, At approximately 21:33 UTC July 26 2021, I have been hit with a cease & desist letter from a law firm repsenting Facebook. The letter was sent to one of my personal email address as well as Barinsta's public inbox (and as a result, it is published). https://github.com/austinhuang0131/austinhuang0131/issues/2 In response, the source code has been taken down, and all promotional materials within my control has been adjusted to reflect the fact. While I believe it is nearly impossible to fight a resourceful multinational firm and reinstate the app, we will still try to get as much resources as we could to navigate in this crisis. At this dire moment, I ask you to do 1 thing: Please let others know what is happening here. Such bullying behaviour against a young university student is in no way excusable. Such bullying behaviour against many internet users is in no way excusable. It has been an honour of a lifetime to serve as one of the main contributors of Barinsta. I am forever grateful for the countless supporters along the way.

unbad505 5y ago
https://archive.org/details/github.com-austinhuang0131-barinsta_-_2021-07-14_18-29-29 https://archive.org/details/github.com-austinhuang0131-barin... https://stackoverflow.com/questions/27955263/how-to-open-a-bundle-file https://stackoverflow.com/questions/27955263/how-to-open-a-b... If anyone wants the sourcecode, here it is.
- brunoqc 5y ago
  or ipns://k51qzi5uqu5dkfcg3q0ezkn8xyil7kqukp65aqi2yxsaojysp3gmm95cpwf31m Last commit: commit 77bca1b8ecc5144a4c0371134f912e80393e5853 (HEAD -> master, origin/master, origin/HEAD) Author: Austin Huang <im@austinhuang.me> Date: Tue Jul 20 17:37:41 2021 -0400 convert profile backend stuff to kotlin
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
gitgud 5y ago
Seems logical to me. This was a privacy-based client for one of the biggest platforms ever made. Anonymous browsing is antithetical to what Facebook and Instagram stand-for and profit off...
ntnlabs 5y ago
Reading thru that C&D You have a win(win?). It says that You "Have stopped and will not in the future access the Facebook and Instagram websites and/or use Facebook’s and Instagram’s services for any reason whatsoever;". As soon as You get on any page where there is the famous Facebook pixel, (like cloudflare.com) You have accessed a Facebook Ad services without Your knowledge. So essentially they wanna ban You from the internet (which they cannot IMHO) or they will have to delete Your data from their database in compliance with their C&D. I'm pretty sure this can be elevated as something pretty ridiculous and maybe there will be a lawyer keen enough to protect You and kick FB in the ass for this.
- Mordisquitos 5y ago
  Much as I would love Facebook's pervasive presence bite them in the ass thanks to a legal technicality, I'm pretty sure that being exposed to advertising or being tracked would not be covered by any reasonable legal interpretation of "accessing a website" or "using a service" .
  - ntnlabs 5y ago
    Was just a wild idea. Anyway, how can they check if prirai is obeying with the C&D?
    - prirai 5y ago
      Hey, its not me. I posted it as a gesture of support to the developer. The app actually used to fetch content just as the instagram on the website does and also gave very less user data in that process, only limited to a fetch request. While there are a lot of instagram mods out there who are a real threat, facebook only has problems with projects who care about privacy on their platforms. Also, the app hwas built from scratch up and had many anti-addiction features. The app's still up and you're free to try it.
      - ntnlabs 5y ago
        My bad. Anyway, as a developer I think to ban anyone from using my services just because I dont like how my services are used is a stupid idea.
vfclists 5y ago
Don't these points mean you are obliged to keep the repository available? A detailed description of the methods used to automate Facebook and Instagram functionality and provide Instagram or Facebook related services, including a full list of all apps or APIs that you utilized or developed; A detailed description of the methods You used to obtain data from Facebook, Instagram,or any of its affiliate companies A copy of each and every version of any software code You have developed or used to interact with the Facebook and Instagram websites and/or services, including any libraries, frameworks, or other code, and the source for that code if not Your own development. PS. There is nothing in the letter that indicates that you are required to comply with their demands.
hermitsings 5y ago
And then Facebook encourages hack culture, conducts hackathons and has a programming language literally named Hack. But when what you promote hurts you back, you go nuts. Hypocrisy at its best.
throwaway151151 5y ago
Decentralized Gits: - Git over SSB https://git.scuttlebot.io/%25n92DiQh7ietE%2BR%2BX%2FI403LQoyf2DtR3WQfCkDKlheQU%3D.sha256 https://git.scuttlebot.io/%25n92DiQh7ietE%2BR%2BX%2FI403LQoy... - Git over IPFS : https://docs.radicle.xyz/docs/what-is-radicle.html https://docs.radicle.xyz/docs/what-is-radicle.html - Git over dat: https://github.com/substack/git-dat https://github.com/substack/git-dat
iavalos 5y ago
https://codeberg.org/avalos/barinsta https://codeberg.org/avalos/barinsta

66 points by prirai 5y ago

unbad505 5y ago

https://archive.org/details/github.com-austinhuang0131-barinsta_-_2021-07-14_18-29-29 https://archive.org/details/github.com-austinhuang0131-barin... https://stackoverflow.com/questions/27955263/how-to-open-a-bundle-file https://stackoverflow.com/questions/27955263/how-to-open-a-b... If anyone wants the sourcecode, here it is.

brunoqc 5y ago
or ipns://k51qzi5uqu5dkfcg3q0ezkn8xyil7kqukp65aqi2yxsaojysp3gmm95cpwf31m Last commit: commit 77bca1b8ecc5144a4c0371134f912e80393e5853 (HEAD -> master, origin/master, origin/HEAD) Author: Austin Huang <im@austinhuang.me> Date: Tue Jul 20 17:37:41 2021 -0400 convert profile backend stuff to kotlin
deleted 5y ago
[deleted]

gitgud 5y ago

Seems logical to me. This was a privacy-based client for one of the biggest platforms ever made. Anonymous browsing is antithetical to what Facebook and Instagram stand-for and profit off...

ntnlabs 5y ago

Reading thru that C&D You have a win(win?). It says that You "Have stopped and will not in the future access the Facebook and Instagram websites and/or use Facebook’s and Instagram’s services for any reason whatsoever;". As soon as You get on any page where there is the famous Facebook pixel, (like cloudflare.com) You have accessed a Facebook Ad services without Your knowledge. So essentially they wanna ban You from the internet (which they cannot IMHO) or they will have to delete Your data from their database in compliance with their C&D. I'm pretty sure this can be elevated as something pretty ridiculous and maybe there will be a lawyer keen enough to protect You and kick FB in the ass for this.

Mordisquitos 5y ago
Much as I would love Facebook's pervasive presence bite them in the ass thanks to a legal technicality, I'm pretty sure that being exposed to advertising or being tracked would not be covered by any reasonable legal interpretation of "accessing a website" or "using a service" .
- ntnlabs 5y ago
  Was just a wild idea. Anyway, how can they check if prirai is obeying with the C&D?
  - prirai 5y ago
    Hey, its not me. I posted it as a gesture of support to the developer. The app actually used to fetch content just as the instagram on the website does and also gave very less user data in that process, only limited to a fetch request. While there are a lot of instagram mods out there who are a real threat, facebook only has problems with projects who care about privacy on their platforms. Also, the app hwas built from scratch up and had many anti-addiction features. The app's still up and you're free to try it.
    - ntnlabs 5y ago
      My bad. Anyway, as a developer I think to ban anyone from using my services just because I dont like how my services are used is a stupid idea.

vfclists 5y ago

Don't these points mean you are obliged to keep the repository available? A detailed description of the methods used to automate Facebook and Instagram functionality and provide Instagram or Facebook related services, including a full list of all apps or APIs that you utilized or developed; A detailed description of the methods You used to obtain data from Facebook, Instagram,or any of its affiliate companies A copy of each and every version of any software code You have developed or used to interact with the Facebook and Instagram websites and/or services, including any libraries, frameworks, or other code, and the source for that code if not Your own development. PS. There is nothing in the letter that indicates that you are required to comply with their demands.

hermitsings 5y ago

And then Facebook encourages hack culture, conducts hackathons and has a programming language literally named Hack. But when what you promote hurts you back, you go nuts. Hypocrisy at its best.

throwaway151151 5y ago

Decentralized Gits: - Git over SSB https://git.scuttlebot.io/%25n92DiQh7ietE%2BR%2BX%2FI403LQoyf2DtR3WQfCkDKlheQU%3D.sha256 https://git.scuttlebot.io/%25n92DiQh7ietE%2BR%2BX%2FI403LQoy... - Git over IPFS : https://docs.radicle.xyz/docs/what-is-radicle.html https://docs.radicle.xyz/docs/what-is-radicle.html - Git over dat: https://github.com/substack/git-dat https://github.com/substack/git-dat

iavalos 5y ago

https://codeberg.org/avalos/barinsta https://codeberg.org/avalos/barinsta