[feature] Use hidesToPublicFromUnauthedWeb and hidesCcPublicFromUnauthedWeb properties for web visibility of statuses (#4315)

This pull request implements two new properties on ActivityPub actors: `hidesToPublicFromUnauthedWeb` and `hidesCcPublicFromUnauthedWeb`.

As documented, these properties allow actors to signal their preference for whether or not their posts should be hidden from unauthenticated web views (ie., web pages like the GtS frontend, web apps like the Mastodon frontend, web APIs like the Mastodon public timeline API, etc). This allows remote accounts to *opt in* to having their unlisted visibility posts shown in (for example) the replies section of the web view of a GtS thread. In future, we can also use these properties to determine whether we should show boosts of a remote actor's post on a GtS profile, and that sort of thing.

In keeping with our stance around privacy by default, GtS assumes `true` for `hidesCcPublicFromUnauthedWeb` if the property is not set on a remote actor, ie., hide unlisted/unlocked posts by default. `hidesToPublicFromUnauthedWeb` is assumed to be `false` if the property is not set on a remote actor, ie., show public posts by default.

~~WIP as I still want to work on the documentation for this a bit.~~

New props are already in the namespace document: https://gotosocial.org/ns

Reviewed-on: https://codeberg.org/superseriousbusiness/gotosocial/pulls/4315
Reviewed-by: kim <gruf@noreply.codeberg.org>
Co-authored-by: tobi <tobi.smethurst@protonmail.com>
Co-committed-by: tobi <tobi.smethurst@protonmail.com>

docs/federation/actors.md

@@ -248,6 +248,90 @@ Another difference between GoToSocial and other server implementations is that G
 
 Instead, to build a view of a GoToSocial user's pinned posts, it is recommended that remote instances simply poll a GoToSocial Actor's `featured` collection every so often, and add/remove posts in their cached representation as appropriate.
 
+## `hidesToPublicFromUnauthedWeb` and `hidesCcPublicFromUnauthedWeb`
+
+GoToSocial uses the properties `hidesToPublicFromUnauthedWeb` and `hidesCcPublicFromUnauthedWeb` to indicate whether an actor prefers to hide posts addressed `to` or `cc` public from unauthenticated (ie., logged-out) visitors to web pages, web apps, and web APIs.
+
+Some background for this: many ActivityPub server softwares allow unauthenticated visitors to the profile web page of an actor to see a list of posts that an actor has created that are addressed either `to` or `cc` public. These are often called "public" posts, and "unlisted", "unlocked", or "quiet public" posts, respectively. GoToSocial provides [a settings flag](../user_guide/settings.md#visibility-level-of-posts-to-show-on-your-profile) that allows GtS accounts to hide posts from the web view of their profile, as one layer of protection to make it more of a nuisance to scrape/stalk someone with a GtS account.
+
+While this setting works for hiding posts of an actor *on their own instance*, prior to GoToSocial v0.20.0, this preference was not federated out to other instances, nor was it federated in from other instances. This leads to two problems:
+
+1. Many other fedi server softwares permit logged-out visitors, via a web app, to look up profiles of *remote* accounts, and to see public and unlisted posts created by those accounts. This means that it is trivial to work around the ability of GtS users to hide their posts from the web. For example, say a GtS user at `@someone@gts.example.org` locks down their profile by setting the visibility of posts on their profile to "none"; this prevents visitors to `gts.example.org` from seeing posts, but one could visit eg. `mastodon.example.org` and, while logged out, look up `@someone@gts.example.org`, and see all the posts there that have been sent to, or dereferenced by, actors on `mastodon.example.org`. This makes the GtS user's choice to hide their posts significantly less meaningful.
+2. In an effort to support this extra layer of privacy, by default GoToSocial instances do not show posts from remote instances unless they are addressed `to` public. For example, if someone from `mastodon.example.org` were to reply to a post by `@someone@gts.example.org`, and the reply was only addressed `cc` public instead of `to` public, the GtS instance `gts.example.org` would *not* show that reply in the web view, as it could not determine the preferences of the user from `mastodon.example.org` with regard to showing the "quiet public" post to logged-out visitors to the web page. This could be frustrating for the GtS user, as they might want to show a more complete picture of the thread that they started, right there on their instance; this could also frustrate the Mastodon user, as are used to their "quiet public" posts being visible on the web even when logged out.
+
+The actor properties `hidesToPublicFromUnauthedWeb` and `hidesCcPublicFromUnauthedWeb` are a move towards solving these issues, by allowing actors to signal their preferences for hiding or showing `to`- and/or `cc`-public posts to unauthenticated visitors via the web.
+
+For example, the following actor representation indicates that the actor is happy to show both "unlisted" and "public" posts via unauthed web view (this represents the de-facto default for actors on Mastodon and most other server softwares):
+
+```json
+{
+  "@context": [
+    "https://gotosocial.org/ns",
+    "https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams"
+  ],
+  "type": "Person",
+  [... other properties here ...]
+  "hidesToPublicFromUnauthedWeb": false,
+  "hidesCcPublicFromUnauthedWeb": false,
+  [... other properties here ...]
+}
+```
+
+By contrast, the following indicates that the actor hides "unlisted" posts but is happy to show "public" posts unauthed (this is the default for actors on GtS instances):
+
+```json
+{
+  "@context": [
+    "https://gotosocial.org/ns",
+    "https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams"
+  ],
+  "type": "Person",
+  [... other properties here ...]
+  "hidesToPublicFromUnauthedWeb": false,
+  "hidesCcPublicFromUnauthedWeb": true,
+  [... other properties here ...]
+}
+```
+
+And the following shows that the actor wants to show no posts unauthed at all:
+
+```json
+{
+  "@context": [
+    "https://gotosocial.org/ns",
+    "https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams"
+  ],
+  "type": "Person",
+  [... other properties here ...]
+  "hidesToPublicFromUnauthedWeb": true,
+  "hidesCcPublicFromUnauthedWeb": true,
+  [... other properties here ...]
+}
+```
+
+Both `hidesToPublicFromUnauthedWeb` and `hidesCcPublicFromUnauthedWeb` are defined in [the GoToSocial json-ld `@context` document](https://gotosocial.org/ns).
+
+In line with its emphasis on having people opt-in to greater visibility rather than opt-out, when receiving a post from a remote actor that does not set these flags, GoToSocial assumes `hidesToPublicFromUnauthedWeb` = `false`, and `hidesCcPublicFromUnauthedWeb` = `true`. That is, the pre-v0.20.x behavior of GoToSocial is still the default for remote servers that don't (yet) use these flags.
+
+!!! note
+    While unusual, it's possible for an actor to also specify that they want to show "unlisted" posts but hide "public" ones:
+    
+    ```json
+    {
+      "@context": [
+        "https://gotosocial.org/ns",
+        "https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams"
+      ],
+      "type": "Person",
+      [... other properties here ...]
+      "hidesToPublicFromUnauthedWeb": true,
+      "hidesCcPublicFromUnauthedWeb": false,
+      [... other properties here ...]
+    }
+    ```
+    
+    GoToSocial respects these flags for incoming posts, but it does not let accounts set this combination of flags for outgoing posts. It may be desirable for other implementers to also prevent users from being able to set this state, as it doesn't make a lot of sense.
+
 ## Actor Migration / Aliasing
 
 GoToSocial supports account migration from one instance/server to another through a combination of the `Move` activity, and the Actor Object properties `alsoKnownAs` and `movedTo`.

docs/user_guide/settings.md

@@ -115,15 +115,15 @@ Some examples:
 
 #### Visibility Level of Posts to Show on Your Profile
 
-Using this dropdown, you can choose what visibility level(s) of posts should be shown on the public web views of your profile, of your statuses, and in your RSS feed (if you have enabled RSS).
+Using this dropdown, you can choose what visibility level(s) of posts should be shown on the public web views of your profile and posts, and in your RSS feed (if enabled).
 
 **By default, GoToSocial shows only Public visibility posts on its web views, not Unlisted.** You can adjust this setting to also show Unlisted visibility posts, which is similar to the default for other ActivityPub softwares like Mastodon etc.
 
-You can also choose to show no posts at all on GoToSocial's web views. This allows you to write posts without having to worry about scrapers, rubberneckers, and other nosy parkers visiting your web profile and looking at your posts.
+You can also choose to show no posts at all on the web view of your profile. This allows you to post without having to worry about scrapers, rubberneckers, and other nosy parkers being able to easily look through your posts by opening your profile in a browser.
 
-This setting only applies to the visibility of your own posts. Other user's Unlisted posts are never shown.
+Please bear in mind that this setting only applies to the logged-out (unauthenticated) web view of your profile and threads that people visit in their web browser, and RSS feed (if enabled). It does not change the visibility of your posts over the ActivityPub protocol. So even if you choose to show no posts to logged-out visitors to your web profile, folks on instances you federate with will be able to see your posts via ActivityPub if they follow you, have your posts boosted onto their timeline by other people, use a link to search a post of yours, etc.
 
-This setting does not affect visibility of your posts over the ActivityPub protocol, so even if you choose to show no posts on your public web profile, others will be able to see your posts in their client if they follow you, and/or have your posts boosted onto their timeline, use a link to search a post of yours, etc.
+Furthermore, while GoToSocial does [transmit a flag to other instances](../federation/actors.md) indicating your preference of what post visibility level to show to logged-out visitors, not all servers will respect this flag; indeed, many servers allow logged-out visitors to look up remote profiles, which can expose your public and unlisted posts. If you require stricter control over who sees your posts, consider posting things at the [followers-only](./posts.md#privatefollowers-only) visibility level, which almost all server softwares respect and properly gate behind authorization.
 
 !!! warning
     Be aware that changes to this setting also apply retroactively.