ukpol
People are focusing on the VPN angle of this but this bit is even worse if anything
"Regulated user-to-user services" are any service where user-generated or user-shared content may be encountered by another user
https://reclaimthenet.org/uk-house-of-lords-votes-to-extend-age-verification-to-vpns
re: ukpol
This isn't an "Australian-style ban", as bad as that was, it was at least targeted to specific, named large social media platforms
This is saying that under 16s may not use ANY online communication platform AT ALL. Not just social media. Messaging, chat, videos, streams, blogs, forums, anything
re: ukpol
I'm sure when people catch onto this they'll go off about the privacy implications of forcing adults to verify ID to communicate online and that's of course true and a big problem but
I also need to say the POINT of this is bad. Not just the side effects. The kids should be able to communicate too
re: ukpol, abuse mention
Blocking them from communicating with anyone outside of their family or school is not "safety", it's not "protection"
It's ripping away friends, communities, hobbies, support, advice, information, expression, identity
It's isolation. It enables abuse. It's practically abusive in itself
re: ukpol sort of but more than that
I don't have kids. Maybe I never will. But I do care about them. I want them to thrive and be happy and live their lives and be their authentic selves and have rights and agency and be part of the world and part of our communities and not be locked up and locked out and hidden away
re: ukpol sort of but more than that
You know so many of us queers were isolated and lonely and miserable as teens IRL and only found our people and found ourselves online and it breaks my heart to see such great effort from so many corners to deny that to today's young people
re: ukpol for real again
But anyway back to the subject: This is not a done deal, it's an amendment passed by the Lords, it has to go back to the Commons and the Government apparently wants to reject it, but they are holding their own consultation and there is growing political motivation for Something To Be Done
re: ukpol for real again
That Lords amendment goes so far beyond ANY other country's measures that I'm aware of. It'd probably be the biggest removal of rights from young people in the UK in living memory. It's SO bad. Those old fucks can't be abolished soon enough
re: ukpol for real again
So I really want people to start fighting this. Not waiting until it comes into force like the OSA and then being like oh shit this is bad. Make some noise about it. Write to your MP and make damn sure they understand the implications of the Lords amendment that reaches so far beyond "social media"