HexesofVexes

User to user communication is considered a risk - so any forum falls under this law.

Small sites are not exempted (see reply for petition to remove this legislation).

No leg to stand on there - it's a solid unworkable overreach.

I mean, if small forums are having to shut down, it isn't a big tech issue. It's an overreach of regulation issue.

I do wonder if the limit varies between personally operated transport (walking, bike, car) and public transport (bus, tram, train).

A 1 hour bus journey is much more relaxing than a 1 hour drive.

I mean, reanimating an army of the undead to conquer the surrounding lands does fill me with joy...

Every year I tell timetabling "don't inflict 9am classes on my students, it provably punishes poorer students (commute costs) and drives poor engagement", every year they ignore me.

Many of your teachers hated morning classes too.

That sounds a bit like fear mongering from Reform: a VPN is safety 101 when using public networks, and most businesses make use of VPNs to secure their data. They are also a key component if WFH (you use the company VPN).

If Labour are stupid enough to go after VPN usage, I suspect it would guarantee their loss at the next election.

Trouble is, there is little that can be done.

Enough folks drank the coolaid, and now we're stuck with surveillance laws masquerading as child protection laws.

Those laws can, and will, get worse over time. However, new mediums will arise, or old ones will rise to the occasion (IRC goes brr). The main thing to do is remain calm, make it a key voter issue, and watch the bastards fold right before the next election.

See, there are a few ways this could go.

1. Age verification is as secure and private as promised, and it's left at that. I like to call this "the miracle", and we all know those don't happen.

2. Age verification is as secure and private as promised, but a government asks for "access to data to prevent crime" - things degenerate from there. This is the "systemic failure" scenario.

3. Age verification is as secure and private as promised, but new scams evolve around it to make it dangerous. This would be the "criminal element" scenario.

4. Age verification is not as secure and private as promised, and a leak occurs destroying lives and careers. This is the "system failure" scenario.

5. Age verification is as secure and private as promised, but a few companies start scraping and selling data, leading to widespread harms. This is the "unethical merchant" scenario, and the most likely outcome.

All in all, there is only one "ok" scenario, and a lot of horrific ones. The math says we're entirely boned ^_^

Well we all saw that coming.

The parental and elderly voting bloc is very hard to ignore, and those groups tend to be less privacy conscious (as well as pro-anything "protect the children").

The only way it's getting repealed is if enough labour voters raise a fuss. Given Reform's messaging (i.e. repeal it) and how worried Labour are over Reform's polling, that is likely the only lever that'll work. However, that's a long game - one that will take years to play out.

True, though that's just begging to use a VPN anyway.

Fun fact, you have to go into an account and verify you're of legal age for most big phone networks in the UK before they'll let you see adult content.

Simple on/off switch for the account with parental settings.

The whole protect the kids thing? Absolute fabrication.

Yeah, should be an option to pay the fine online. No court summons needed (waste of taxpayer money).