MANILA, Philippines (Aug 2026) — Digital spaces are tightening up their legal frameworks, and users on the popular decentralized network mastodon.social will soon have to agree to formalized rules instead of the usual informal guidelines.
The platform is rolling out a brand new user terms of service that officially takes effect on Aug. 31, 2026. The update replaces the old, informal instance rules with a structured legal format designed to cover new features and keep community standards transparent.
What the new rules cover
For Pinoy users hosting their accounts on mastodon.social or mastodon.online, the new formal structure lays down clear guidelines on content ownership and the mechanics of post federation. It also introduces strict definitions regarding user responsibilities, account management and acceptable use on the platform.
Fortunately, these changes only impact users registered directly on the servers managed by Mastodon GmbH. Independent servers across the broader fediverse will continue to operate under their own separate administrations, as the central organization maintains it has no interest in dictating rules for servers outside its control.
What you need to do
If you plan to keep using your account, you do not need to do anything, as continued use of the service automatically implies agreement with the updated terms. However, users who disagree with the new legal structure can choose to terminate their agreement at any time by deleting their accounts.
