this post was submitted on 02 Nov 2025
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The age verification effect: adult site traffic plummets, VPN use soars (www.techradar.com)
submitted 1 day ago by cm0002@lemmy.zip to c/technology@lemmy.zip
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[–] HexesofVexes@lemmy.world 6 points 4 hours ago (1 children)

All such laws fail to appreciate one key point - if little Timmy wants titties, little Timmy is going to move heaven and earth to get them.

Credit card for id? Sorry mum, the call of the boobies was too great.

Scanned photo id? Sorry dad, just borrowing your license - you understand.

Facial age estimation? Time to buy a grandpa facerig and voice morph with my pocket money!

On the upside, the next generation is going to be very very very tech literate, for necessity is the mother of invention. Sadly, they're also likely to be into some dark shit as only non-conforming sites are easily accessible.

[–] fluffykittycat@slrpnk.net 1 points 1 hour ago

This is a really terrible idea and you touched on why, mainstream websites that aren't compliance with the law do things like make sure there's no children on their website and other such things but on regulated sites who the fuck knows what's going on and I don't even want to find out. It also can't restrict someone who's younger finding an adult will verify it and have a place, which could lead them to some dark places if they're looking for an adult who would Age verify for them on a porn website, or even just any social space online now

[–] thatradomguy@lemmy.world 3 points 5 hours ago* (last edited 5 hours ago) (1 children)

Going off the headline alone... wouldn't that imply that people aren't using VPNs to watch porn? If they were, the porn sites wouldn't be seeing a decline. Anyway, just a random nitpick.... carry on...

EDIT: Ok, I'm just realizing that the site may only be seeing the same VPN IP address for like 50 people at a time. Sorry, forgot my CCNA.

[–] fluffykittycat@slrpnk.net 1 points 1 hour ago

They're probably also showing up as non-uk addresses because UK address and points would be just as horrible as coming out in Iran or somewhere like that

[–] oneser@lemmy.zip 124 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Next up: "Why VPNs are ruining our lives/children and how this next law will ban them. Don't worry, only bad people have something to hide!"

[–] plyth@feddit.org 6 points 20 hours ago

As can be seen in Michigan.

[–] lvxferre@mander.xyz 11 points 23 hours ago (1 children)

I wonder if that isn't exactly the goal behind all this shit.

[–] Pieisawesome@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 9 hours ago

Yes. Anything to extract more data from us and sell it

[–] ryannathans@aussie.zone 49 points 1 day ago (5 children)

The UK isn't doing so well, when did it become so ultra authoritarian as to overtake Russia? Even number of arrests for social media comments online?

[–] fluffykittycat@slrpnk.net 1 points 1 hour ago

Capitalists are doing a way of democracy and implementing outright fascism because nothing short of that will be able to maintain the extreme levels of wealth inequality that we have now and continue to accelerate

[–] SoftestSapphic@lemmy.world 19 points 13 hours ago (3 children)

There are more cctv cameras per sq mile in the UK than China

It's absolutely a surveillance state

[–] WALLACE@feddit.uk 6 points 9 hours ago

China has twice as many cameras per person than the UK

[–] Pieisawesome@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

Doesn’t china have massive deserts that no one lives in? Doesn’t seem like a great comparison

[–] SoftestSapphic@lemmy.world 4 points 9 hours ago

So you can do things and go places more often in china without being tracked

We are allowed to notice dystopian tendencies in western governments as well

[–] ThePyroPython@lemmy.world 1 points 11 hours ago

See this here u/Jhex, this is a comparison that makes sense because it is a criticism of the "surveillance state" by comparing numbers of CCTV cameras between a parliamentary democracy with free and fair elections and an authoritarian state which does not and highlights that whilst one has much more political freedoms they both have a large surveillance state apparatus and you'd expect one of them to have a smaller one.

[–] ThePyroPython@lemmy.world 6 points 18 hours ago (2 children)

Please explain how the UK is now more authoritarian than Russia; a country that rigs elections, disappears/assassinates political opposition, and invades neighbouring sovereign nations to ethnically cleanse them?

[–] Jhex@lemmy.world 5 points 15 hours ago* (last edited 12 hours ago) (2 children)

so you want to wait until it beats Russia in all authoritarian metrics before acknowledging the problem?

[–] ThePyroPython@lemmy.world 1 points 11 hours ago (1 children)

No, I think we can acknowledge the problems surrounding digital ID, the surveillance state, prosecuting whistleblower journalists who leak classified information, and many other problematic policies and institutions WITHOUT resorting to a rediculous comparison and insane hyperbole.

[–] Jhex@lemmy.world 3 points 11 hours ago (1 children)

so being half way into authoritarianism is "insane hyperbole"?

[–] ThePyroPython@lemmy.world 3 points 11 hours ago (1 children)

I have yet to see UK election officials being caught on CCTV stuffing ballet boxes.

I have yet to see the Police arresting people for being gay in public.

I have yet to see the BBC be handed notes live on air and completely change the narrative around an ongoing war.

So yeah, the original comment saying "the UK is more authoritarian than Russia" is insane hyperbole.

Ironically, your comment about the UK being halfway to as authoritarian as somewhere like Russia is more interesting as we can get into the details as how they are currently similar and how much further the UK would have to slide to be there, and presumably how to stop it.

[–] Jhex@lemmy.world 2 points 11 hours ago* (last edited 11 hours ago) (2 children)

again, so you want to see all the boxes ticked before you call a spade a spade?... not a great strategy but you do you

I have yet to see the Police arresting people for being gay in public.

No, but there is this:

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9vrjkev802o

I have yet to see the BBC be handed notes live on air and completely change the narrative around an ongoing war.

No, but there is this:

https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/ideas/media/64534/how-the-government-captured-the-bbc

[–] ThePyroPython@lemmy.world 2 points 11 hours ago (1 children)

And so what's your threshold for calling a spade a spade? Is a trowel a spade? Is a spoon a spade? Is a flat bit of wood a spade?

Do you understand the concept of neuance or shades of grey or do you doggedly stick to black and white?

Must be blissfull to see the world with strict category boundaries and be willingly ignorant of anything on a spectrum that doesn't fit into your nice and neat categories.

Not my thing, but you do you boo.

[–] Jhex@lemmy.world -1 points 10 hours ago* (last edited 10 hours ago)

Dude my point is as follows:

  • there is an exaggerated claim on the table
  • you can call it hyperbole, as it is, maybe even criticize it, and then move on a discuss the merits it stands on

Instead, you call it hyperbole and proceed to explain why it's hyperbole and refuse to discuss any merit. That is just being pedantic.

OP: "so a priest and a rabbi walk into a bar"

You: "no, I refuse to hear the joke because it's extremely unlikely religious people of different denominations drink together at bars"

Do you understand the concept of neuance or shades of grey or do you doggedly stick to black and white?

I do, which is why, I understand calling the UK worse than Russia is hyperbole but still get the gist of the comment

Must be blissfull to see the world with strict category boundaries...

Are you talking about yourself? refusing to even acknowledge the gist of the OP comment because it is hyperbole and not a check list like the one you provided?

[–] WALLACE@feddit.uk -1 points 9 hours ago (2 children)

  1. Palestine Action is a terror group. They committed violent terror acts against the UK and got designated as such in response. It doesn't matter if you're a senile 83 year old woman, it's still illegal to support a terror group.

  2. Wtf is that "prospect magazine" link? Looks like some weird anti-jew conspiracy website. I really hope you don't get your news from places like that.

[–] Jhex@lemmy.world 2 points 9 hours ago* (last edited 9 hours ago)

sure brother.. I guess all these people asking for a stop the genocide were also tERroRisTSs

https://www.amnesty.org.uk/press-releases/uk-police-conduct-end-genocide-protest-and-subsequent-arrests-are-seriously

keep your head in the sand as long as you feel safe... just be aware that when fascism has taken over and satisfies your definition, it will be too late.. just look at USA

[–] jwmgregory@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 9 hours ago

  1. Sesame Street is a terror group. They commited violent terror acts against the UK and got designated as such in response. It doesn't matter if you're a senile 83 year old woman, it's still illegal to support a terror group.

  2. Wtf is that “BBC” link? Looks like some weird anti-muppet conspiracy website. I really hope you don’t get your news from places like that.

This you? Choking on a bag of boots and dicks?

You’re a fucking joke and your progeny will be ashamed to be descended from such a milquetoast rat.

[–] cassandrafatigue@lemmy.dbzer0.com -4 points 12 hours ago* (last edited 12 hours ago)

Yes, and then ideally wait some more while i masturbate about the problem. And ideally bit more until i die of old age sucking this sweet delicious boot.

[–] TacoButtPlug@sh.itjust.works -3 points 10 hours ago (1 children)

I mean, the UK invented invading and ethnic cleansing.

[–] WALLACE@feddit.uk 3 points 9 hours ago

Pretty sure that was being done for millennia before the UK was around. The UK itself suffered multiple invasions and genocides before the empire was a thing.

[–] Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 4 points 23 hours ago

maybe because its being pushed by russia

[–] Endymion_Mallorn@kbin.melroy.org 36 points 1 day ago (21 children)

I mean, isn't that first part exactly what the legislation was about? They want to ban porn and make people angry and desperate for a revolution. They're removing the circuses to go along with the removing the bread thanks to SNAP and other funds being frozen. They absolutely must want a violent revolution.

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