Why would this be available from an api?
Why not? This is one of the more tame things Musk screwed up.
But no, this is most likely fake. It’s way too convenient for it to be true.
It’s not how code works. There’s no reason to send this information to the client because the filtering runs server side, so the client never needs to know about it.
You’re assuming proper design. I’ve worked on systems where filtering was done client-side (and fixed that), it’s stupid, but it’s what happens when a FE is assigned a task and uses the tools at their disposal. In fact, I think Lemmy used to filter deleted comments clientside a few versions ago.
I’m not an expert but this seems likely fake, it just feels real because they really do let those accounts say whatever
Anecdotal but I’ve encountered a lot of this lately. It seems people have taken to dropping the term “API” arbitrarily into posts and conversations to signal knowledgeability with recognizable lingo, often resulting in nearly plausible but not quite accurate technical descriptions.
TBF I bet it works most of the time, due to the ubiquity of interfaces in software, and I may only notice it when they feel emboldened by the success of their first attempt.
