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Security report for mastodon.art

Mastodon.ART · Technology · United States

Medium risk. 4 critical or high findings in GDPR outside view and SSL/TLS.

Security score

68/100

Risk levelMedium

0–100, higher is better. How it is calculated

Mastodon.ART is a community-driven Mastodon instance launched in 2017, focused on providing a safe, ad-free social media platform for creatives and artists within the fediverse. It emphasizes inclusivity, safety for marginalized groups, and prohibits AI-generated content and NFTs to maintain artistic integrity. The platform operates on a donation-supported model without ads or data monetization, fostering a trusted environment for its users. Technically, Mastodon.ART runs Mastodon version 4.4.1 with a modern React-based frontend, hosted by Masto.host. The website is well-optimized for mobile and accessibility, with good SEO practices and a clean, professional design. The domain registration is consistent with the business claims, showing legitimacy and stability since 2017. From a security perspective, the site enforces HTTPS and has domain transfer protections but lacks DNSSEC and explicit security headers. There is no public security or incident response policy, and no cookie consent mechanism is present, which are areas for improvement. The site maintains strict federation policies to block hateful or abusive instances, enhancing community safety. Overall, Mastodon.ART presents a strong security posture and privacy-respecting environment with excellent content quality and business credibility. Strategic recommendations include enabling DNSSEC, adding security headers, publishing security policies, and implementing cookie consent to further enhance trust and compliance.

Scanned

This is an earlier scan of mastodon.art. View the latest report

NIS2 and GDPR posture

GDPR outside view
58/ 100 · Medium
Checks completed
7of 7

NIS2 Art. 21(2)

  1. (a) Risk analysis and security policies: Not visible from outside
  2. (b) Incident handling: One indicator
  3. (c) Business continuity, backups and crisis management: Not visible from outside
  4. (d) Supply chain security: Not visible from outside
  5. (e) Secure acquisition, development and maintenance, including vulnerability handling: Partly checked
  6. (f) Assessing the effectiveness of security measures: Not visible from outside
  7. (g) Cyber hygiene and security training: Not visible from outside
  8. (h) Cryptography and encryption: Partly checked
  9. (i) HR security, access control and asset management: One indicator
  10. (j) Multi-factor authentication and secured communications: Not visible from outside

This scan rated NIS2 with an earlier keyword method that is no longer shown; rescan for the per-article view. Risk management, continuity, supply chain, training, MFA, management oversight (Art. 20) and incident reporting (Art. 23) need internal evidence, and Guard cannot tell whether NIS2 applies to this organisation.

GDPR is indicative only, based on publicly visible signals: Articles 7, 12, 13 and 32 of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 and Article 5(3) of the ePrivacy Directive. Not a certification or legal assessment.

Priority findings

4 findings rated critical or high. Fix these first.

  1. GDPR outside view

    These are the privacy signals visitors and data protection authorities look for under GDPR.

    • High

      No Cookie Policy found

      GDPR requires clear information about cookie usage

      What to do: Add a dedicated cookie policy explaining cookie usage and purposes

    • High

      No Cookie Consent Banner found

      GDPR requires explicit consent for non-essential cookies

      What to do: Implement a cookie consent banner that appears on first visit

  2. SSL/TLS

    TLS encrypts the connection and proves the site is really yours. Weak or expiring certificates trigger browser warnings and put traffic at risk.

    • High

      Weak Protocols Supported

      Server supports weak protocols: TLSv1.1

      What to do: Disable TLS 1.0, TLS 1.1, and all SSL versions

      • CWE-327
      • OWASP A04:2025
      • ASVS V12.1.1
    • High

      Weak SSL Key Length

      SSL certificate uses 384-bit key, which is considered weak

      What to do: Use at least 2048-bit RSA or 256-bit ECC key

      • CWE-326
      • OWASP A04:2025
      • Mozilla TLS: Mozilla Server Side TLS 6.0 intermediate: rsa_key_size 2048

Need hands-on remediation? Email guard@offseq.com

Keep watching mastodon.art

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  • TLS certificates and expiry
  • DNS records
  • SPF, DKIM and DMARC
  • Security headers
  • GDPR and NIS2 posture
  • Exposed services
  • Third-party trackers
  • Security score drift

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Results by check

Each check with its score, findings and the evidence it collected.

How this score is calculated

The security score runs 0–100, higher is better. It is the plain average of the security checks that completed in this scan, each counted equally. A check that could not run is left out: it counts neither as a pass nor as a fail.

Counted in this score

SSL/TLS
42
Security headers
75
Email security
50
DNS health
80
Network security
100
GDPR outside view
58
Average
68

Not counted

  • NIS2 outside view: Re-weights evidence from the TLS, email, DNS, network and hygiene checks, so counting it would count that evidence twice. Shown on its own.
  • OffSeq Observations: An AI reading of the site, useful context but not reproducible evidence. Shown on its own.

Findings that cap the score at 49

Each of these is serious on its own, so while any is present the site cannot rate better than high risk, however good the other checks are.

  • The certificate is not trusted by browsers
  • The website is not served over HTTPS
  • A database, remote desktop, file-sharing or Telnet service is reachable from the internet
  • The page loads a script from a compromised source
  • The domain registration has expired
  • SPF authorises every server to send mail as the domain

Partial scans

When the site blocks Guard or most checks cannot run, the score covers only the checks that ran (usually DNS and email), is capped at 75 and is shown as partial, without a risk level.

Risk levels

  • Critical0–25
  • High26–49
  • Medium50–75
  • Low76–100

Technical appendix

Business context, site observations and technical notes gathered during the scan, and the standards behind each reference.

Business context

Business profile

Mastodon.ART occupies a niche market as a Mastodon instance dedicated to artists and creatives, differentiating itself through strict moderation, community ownership, and an ad-free experience. Its business model relies on community donations via platforms like LiberaPay, Ko-Fi, and Patreon, avoiding traditional advertising revenue. The instance targets creators who value safe, inclusive social networking without algorithmic interference or data tracking. Its partnership with Masto.host for hosting services supports operational stability. The presence of a detailed code of conduct and active moderation team strengthens community trust and retention. Growth indicators include a stable user base (~3.9K active users) and ongoing community engagement. The instance's stance against AI-generated content and NFTs aligns with its artistic integrity focus, appealing to a specific segment within the fediverse.

Security posture

Mastodon.ART demonstrates a mature security posture with enforced HTTPS, domain transfer lock, and strict federation policies to protect its community from hateful or abusive content. However, the absence of DNSSEC and security headers like Content-Security-Policy or X-Frame-Options indicates room for enhancement. No public incident response or security policies were found, which could impact transparency and readiness. The site does not track users or serve ads, reducing privacy risks. Forms are minimal and do not collect sensitive data beyond standard Mastodon account registration. Overall, the security culture is community-focused with zero tolerance for harassment and abuse, but formalizing security policies and technical controls would strengthen resilience and compliance.

Recommendations

  1. Enable DNSSEC on the domain to improve DNS security and prevent spoofing.
  2. Implement standard security headers such as Content-Security-Policy, X-Frame-Options, and X-Content-Type-Options.
  3. Publish explicit security and incident response policies to increase transparency and preparedness.
  4. Add a cookie consent mechanism if any cookies are used to comply with privacy regulations.
  5. Continue community engagement and moderation to maintain a safe and inclusive environment.
Site observations

Automated reading of the public site. Ratings are indicative.

Business

Company
Mastodon.ART
Description
Mastodon.ART is an independent, community-run Mastodon instance focused on creatives and artists, providing a safe, ad-free, and community-owned social media platform on the fediverse. It emphasizes inclusivity, safety for marginalized members, and prohibits AI-generated content and NFTs.
Key services
Mastodon social networking, Community moderation, Safe space for creatives, Ad-free and algorithm-free timelines
Content quality
excellent
Branding
consistent

Technology

Stack
Mastodon 4.4.1, React, JavaScript ES Modules, CSS, HTML5
Frameworks
Ruby on Rails (implied by Mastodon), React
Platforms
Fediverse, Mastodon
Performance
moderate
Mobile
good
Accessibility
good
SEO
good

Security

Observed score
80/100
Good practices seen
  • HTTPS enforced (implied by URL)
  • ClientTransferProhibited domain status
  • No tracking or ads
  • Strict federation policies blocking hateful instances

Analytics and tracking

Tracking level
minimal
Privacy practices
excellent

Advertising

Transparency
excellent

Site quality

Design
excellent
User experience
excellent
Content relevance
excellent
Navigation
excellent
Professionalism
excellent
Trustworthiness
high

Key observations

  1. Website is a Mastodon instance dedicated to creatives and artists.
  2. Strong emphasis on community safety and inclusivity.
  3. No ads, tracking, or monetization of user data.
  4. Clear and detailed code of conduct and moderation policies.
  5. Donation-supported business model.
  6. Modern tech stack with React and Mastodon platform.
  7. No signs of security or privacy policy gaps except missing cookie consent.
  8. WHOIS data supports legitimacy and consistency.
Technical notes

Notes

The website is built on Mastodon 4.4.1 with a React frontend, leveraging modern JavaScript ES modules and CSS for styling. Hosting is provided by Masto.host, a specialized Mastodon hosting provider, ensuring platform-specific infrastructure support. The site is mobile-optimized and accessible, with good SEO metadata including Open Graph tags. Performance is moderate, typical for social networking platforms with dynamic content. No CMS is detected, as Mastodon is a custom platform. The domain is stable and well-registered, but DNSSEC is not enabled. The technical stack is modern and appropriate for the service offered, with opportunities to enhance security headers and formalize privacy compliance mechanisms.
Standards and sources

Reference chips under each finding point to the standard, regulation or specification the finding relates to. They are taken from the official datasets below and mapped conservatively: a finding with no defensible link shows none. NIS2 and GDPR references mark where a finding is relevant evidence, not a compliance verdict. Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/2690 binds digital infrastructure and digital service providers; for other entities it is the most detailed public reading of the Article 21 measures. WCAG, EN 301 549, European Accessibility Act and Web Accessibility Directive references name the requirement an automated accessibility rule relates to; they are not a conformance verdict.

Retrieved 2026-10-25

Earlier scans of this domain

  1. 68/100 −1Medium31 findingsView report
  2. 69/100 +1Medium30 findingsView report
  3. 68/100Medium25 findingsView report
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