The moment the UK does this, politicians in other Western countries are going to start thinking that its a good idea and attempting to copy the UK.
yokoprime 3 hours ago||
This will be interesting to follow. I dont see how this can be fully enforced. Maybe for iOS and other platform where app distribution is highly restricted, but on linux, windows and even macOS i can use mullvad, sending cash in an envelope without ever revealing my identity.
rgblambda 2 hours ago||
The idea is that it doesn't matter if the ban is fully enforced. Most children only have a smartphone and they're the target of the ban.
ekianjo 3 hours ago||
they can forbid mullvad.
drnick1 3 hours ago||
How would that work? The UK can presumably ban Mullvad from operating in the UK, but I don't see how it can prevent outbound connections to Mullvad servers elsewhere, short of implementing a nation-wide firewall like China or Iran. And even in those places the firewall is pourous and routinely circumvented.
SheinhardtWigCo 2 hours ago||
This will obviously not become law, because it would cause significant collateral damage to businesses, and they won't risk the gravy train derailing.
sowbug 5 hours ago||
Doesn't the UK already have geo-targeted age verification infrastructure in place? A website or app could require the user to submit a live video of themselves quaffing a local beer.
maccard 4 hours ago||
No. It has laws that websites must follow to serve content in the UK. It’s up to the websites to do the age verification themselves, and the majority use third party ID verification services. Reddit used an American company to do it,
wbl 4 hours ago||
Damnably hard to find local ales. I had to wander for hours last time I was in London to get Fullers.
harel 4 hours ago||
While I do support restricting social media to younger minds, the way they go about it, and the collateral damage that will result is unacceptable. For about 500ms I thought I might have found the "one thing" I agree with this government, but nope... I'm considering whether it's time to leave the UK. There is an air of hostility here towards... well everything.
chronogram 4 hours ago||
Where would you go to then? European countries, Australia and American states already have implemented or are keen to implement ID requirements/tracking for websites.
als0 4 hours ago||
Leaving is not the hard decision. The hard decision is where to go. Do you have any suggestions?
SilverElfin 1 hour ago||
Safetyism is the actual biggest threat to free societies
Kim_Bruning 5 hours ago||
At some point there has to be a line past which you can still get a clean network between A and B somehow. At very least for corporate, right?
vld_chk 2 hours ago|
There is very little doubt that we need to find a way to update our relationship with social media. The evidence of their harm in current form is overwhelming.
However, using this reason to induce censorship rules, word by word matching Russia/China playbook is making the goal less achievable if anything.