Re: Online Safety Bill
 

In the past, children who were being bullied at least got respite in the evening and at weekends, but now it's possible they can be got at 24/7.

Keeping kids away from tech would solve a lot of problems, but is nigh on impossible these days. Things are very different to when we were young & at school.

There have been a couple of experiments where schoolchildren have gone 'phone free' for a time and the results were encouraging.

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

You can easily block people or unsubscribe from groups etc. No one forces anyone to view or be a part of social media. Where does the responsibility lie?

As for the experiment, out of a class room 1 or 2 coped well without their phones but the majority couldn’t wait to get their phones back. Whether we like it or not they are now part of modern life. We have to take responsibility for ourselves and not shift the blame.

You can’t always blame social media or the internet for those that can’t handle life. There’s always going to be other root causes but you never hear those reasons. But instead it just seems easier to point the blame elsewhere or use it as an excuse for not taking responsibility for ourselves or for your own children.

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

So true:D it seems today , *.* want to blame anyone but their self's. It's time people looked after their own welfare and stop relying on other people.

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

This is children and vulnerable people that we are talking about that need to be protected from bullies, scammers, paedophiles etc.

Of course, in an ideal world, every parent would try and do the right thing where children are concerned, but may ultimately fail. Some won't even try at all either due to inertia or because they are vulnerable themselves. These people need to be protected too.

Those who use/allow use of the internet in a decent and proper manner, with no malice, have nothing to fear from this legislation whatsoever.

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

You're on cloud cuckoo land. And in denial.

You've not acknowledged any of my post. Nor will you accept anything other than a total ban on anything and everything just to protect a tiny minority that can't handle nor accept anything they see, hear, or whatever. Just push the blame on the internet and that's it.

It's a sledgehammer to a nut approach. Penalising everyone because others choose to blame something else other than themselves.

If parents wrap their kids in cottonwool, do everything for them, shield them from the real world etc, what do you think will happen to the child when they get to find out for themselves?

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

I think we all know the answer to that.:shocked:

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

These points & questions have previously been raised & answered and can be viewed in the site archives.

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

Says the person who just repeats everything over and over again.... You post, we reply. Then you just ignore the replies and state the above..... :rolleyes:

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

I post new developments as they arise. Whilst people are entitled to express their opinions on these, there is no benefit to me answering duplicate questions that have previously received a response.

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

Maybe you just don't have the answers..... :dozey:

Basically there's no point in replying to you when you just ignore anything raised.

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

As previously explained, answers have already been provided. This concludes our discussion on this as it is not productive.

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

Well then if this concludes the discussion on this subject then maybe the Mods will close the discussion thread and archive it. :)

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

Of course.

---------- Post added at 20:22 ---------- Previous post was at 20:17 ----------

I was referring to duplicate questions being asked of me, but i'm sure that you already knew that.

I don't know why you are so keen to try to get any particular thread closed just because subject matter doesn't interest you. Most people simply ignore threads they feel this about.

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

It concludes nothing, unless you wish to be removed from the topic ?

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

It’s called the Dunning–Kruger effect.

This thread has generally been going around in circles for months and months with updates occasionally popping up followed by inconvenient questions largely ignored and conversations attempted to be controlled.

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

Nonsense.

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

Indeed this thread has been nonsense from the beginning.

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

Ofcom have today announced the details of the next stage of their implementation of the Online Safety Act age verification process.

https://www.ofcom.org.uk/online-safe...ildren-online/

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

My guess is any computer literate child will be very able to work around this

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

So what's the worse that can happen... Kids go searching for sites without these checks? Find dodgy unsecured sites that are infected or something. To give out all your information to who ever asks now as it'll be normal. I don't know where it'll end but I can't see it being for the greater good. Sounds like the start of a very slippery slope.

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

Might actually end up being an incentive for children to upgrade their IT literacy. ;)

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

There's always going to be that nerdy geek in the playground that can circumvent any restriction on their mobile and then sell the "secret" to their class mates for money. You know, the Musks of the world.:D

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

How exactly do they propose to impose this on sites run in other countries ....

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

The first interview in this programme deals with the age verification process:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0026vs9

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

Judging by the link above, what I understand is if they (sites) say sod off, they'd be fined, up to 10% of their revenue. And if they don't pay up that site will then be banned in the UK. ISPs will have to block them. Everyone will just use a vpn if things get that bad. And in about 20 years (or less) we will all have to get the same hair style /cut too. :erm:

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

How is our government getting on with it?

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

With what ? We dont have a plan to ban tik tok.

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

Has the Government not banned it on all government devices?

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

on government devices, over concerns of chinese spyware but Joe Public is free to use it.

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

Understood but I'm questioning whether the ban has been a success

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

How on earth would we know that ? Also, whats the definition of "success" ?

Banning apps on "company" phones is hardly new, many restrict what you can have on them.

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

I think the American TikTok ban (from the Biden administration) is supposed to come in on Sunday, but Trump is said to be against it because the platform helped him win his presidency, so who knows what will happen.

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

That's interesting.

I was just curious :erm:

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

Curiosity killed the cat. :angel:

That doesnt change the fact we cant possibly know the answer. ;)

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

TikTok has now been switched off in America and replaced with a holding screen.

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

TikTok is coming back online after Trump pledged to restore it

https://www.cnn.com/2025/01/19/tech/tiktok-ban

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

The BBC news has reported that Trump has said that he will give them a temporary extension of 90 days I think they said.

From your link:

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

Surely until he is actually in office and starts to do something they would be breaking the law?

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

I think they've been given assurances that no action will be taken.

Trump says that he would like TikTok to be 50% US owned. I wonder if by this he means if TikTok give 50% of the company to the American Government he will allow them to continue? After all, 50% of their US trade is better than none and would (in theory) allow any security issues to be dealt with.

If it comes off, maybe we should do the same to raise some money for the public coffers.

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

What ever it's on line and working as per normal .

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

It's unfortunate that the Online Safety Act provision whereby Ofcom are able to order websites to take down material doesn't come in until March.

The murderer of those little girls in Southport had been reading inappropriate material, such as white genocide, before he went out and committed these heinous crimes.

The Government has asked the user to user sites to do so voluntarily, so let's hope that they defy convention and have the decency to do so.

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

:clap::clap::clap:

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

what if people download this material before it can be taken down

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

Yes, it’s the fault of the internet, and Amazon and definitely nothing to do with the failure of any and all government agencies involved that did nothing…..……………..

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

How exactly can material be removed from the internet?

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

Hidden from public view.

---------- Post added at 17:32 ---------- Previous post was at 17:31 ----------

Hopefully such material won't go up in the first place.

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

That's not how the Internet works. Take it down and it just appears somewhere else.

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

Exactly.


If they order it to be taken down then
1. sites like archive.org will probably have already crawled it
2. it will go somewhere else where it is either geoblocked or needs a login to see


Not to mention the people who have already either seen it or downloaded a copy for themselves.


It's impossible to block stuff like this, much as perhaps the content shouldn't be there to begin with, and Reeves is showing her lack of intellect by suggesting that it would work.


Ditto the OSA

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

It's been acknowledged by the powers that be that both contributed to this tragedy.

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

The only way Amazon could be at fault is that a knife was purchased from them which ended up with a 17 yr old, the irony being there if he'd waited a few days he would have been able to buy it legally anyway.


Given that when one purchases age restricted items on Amazon, their policy is that they have to hand it over to someone at the address who is over age.


So the questions which I'm not sure have been fully answered here are who purchased the knife? Was it under a 17 yr old's Amazon account in which case it should never have been allowed as the person purchasing it was not of age (which is what matters). And how was it delivered, was it signed for by him or his parents, what age verification was made there?


Something probably does need to be done here because the present system simply doesn't work. If someone ordered a bottle of whisky off Amazon and that person was over 18, paid for it, it was delivered but at the time because they were at work the only person in was their 15 year old child who had just got back from school, the delivery would fail, realistically this shouldn't be the case as much as it isn't their item and it's as much likely to get into their hands if they signed for it as if their parents did and then gave it to them. Verifying that the purchaser is of age before accepting the order should be mandatory (the first time an age restricted item is purchased) and then held as verified to purchase age restricted items moving forward. Then the items should just be delivered as normal.

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

Then, at the same time, we have situations where age restricted items are refused because someone clearly over 18 doesn't have any ID!

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

You mean like the "Challange 25" nonsense. The legal age for drinking in the UK is 18, not 25.
Years ago now my daughter was refused a drink (age was the excuse) and she was clearly older than 17 (she was actually about 23).

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

My eldest is 37 he still gets asked for id to buy tobacco

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

I watched a lot of the programmes yesterday for Holocaust Memorial Day. I found it emotional, but also very educational as this was never taught at our school.

There were things that I wasn't aware of, including how it all started with lies, insults and misinformation about Jewish people. Had it existed then, i've no doubt that the internet would have also been used to do this, which just shows how important the words are that people use to degenerate and discriminate against disadvantaged and minority groups and why the concept of protected groups was established.

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

Just watching a programme that was on Channel 4 earlier about deepfakes that the Online Safety Act is to make illegal:

https://www.channel4.com/tv-guide/2025-01-28

One of the perpetrators agreed to an anonymous online interview. He said that, whilst he felt it was unethical, 'it is what it is', it's making money for him and that if he didn't do it, somebody else would. This is similar to what drug dealers, people traffickers etc say.

He went on to say that, even when made illegal, he doesn't think that it will stop and that the AI is now becoming so advanced that it will soon be possible to create people participating in sex acts on video, just by using a photo of their face.

Interestingly, when they asked AI to produce a deepfake of a (consenting) man, it did it, but it produced an image with a man's legs & face, but the rest of it was of a female body, complete with large breasts!

I think that this goes to show that it has been ingrained into the AI software that.the naked images that it is asked to produce are predominantly about the female form and that it cannot accept that a deepfake image can be created without the inclusion of female genitalia.

The presenter concluded that this demonstrated that it's not about humiliating or disrespecting people, it's about doing this to women.

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

They "conclude" what they want to conclude, to suit their story/agenda.

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

Unfortunately, but as expected, the Home Secretary said this morning that much of this material, including an Al-Qaeda training manual, has not been taken down.

She went on to say that, if the Online Safety Act didn't deal with this as expected, that the law would be strengthened.

No doubt these sites will then start whining that their right to publish free speech has been curtailed.

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

Why would sites (especially if they are not in the UK) take down content just because Mrs Balls whines about it?


And why does she think people won't simply find another method to distribute the content where she can't see it?


Yet another politician showing their naivety and ignorance of how a global resource works.

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

No way will something be taken down that is on a server in another country. The Government can try to block it but that's what VPN's are for. If people want to see something they will find a way. Mrs Balls needs to be educated in the way the internet works instead of talking drivel.

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

People who know how to get round these restrictions will do so. I guess the thinking is that if this prevents some of these nutters from finding the information, then it should be done.

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

Thats kinda the point, the nutters are the only ones looking for it, and they'll easily find a way.

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

Being a mentally unstable nutter seeking this information gives you motivation but does not give you superb IT skills.

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

Tech giants threaten to pull out of the UK over Online Safety Act crackdown, citing regulatory & financial concerns:

https://www.ainvest.com/news/tech-gi...f00284f3e7b0e/

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

Why would they need "superb IT skills"? Plenty of advice already out there of how to get around it. Still doesn't stop them from being a "mentally unstable nutter" in the first place.

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

Most of the general public won't know where if it's kept off popular sites.

No one's saying it stops them from being a "mentally unstable nutter" in the first place.

Best wishes

Andrew

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

I wiould imagine that a growing number of people are so incensed by the restrictions that are imposed, they will make it their business to find out how to get around it. Then they will tell their relatives and friends…and so on.

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

Ever heard of Google ? ;)

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

You'd probably need Thor here.

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

Following the stakeholder workshops, Ofcom has today made this announcement:



https://www.ofcom.org.uk/online-safe...men-and-girls/

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

I lost any interest after the first line.
What about men & boys eh ? Funny how sexism is fine in some cases. :td:

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

I managed to read a few lines before i got bored however it's just guidance not a rule or lawful.

As it is guidance, it will pretty much be ignored.

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

It appears the focus is on females due to this:

Ofcom are inviting feedback:

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

Yes, because thats such a HUGE difference :rolleyes:
Not a good reason to be so clearly biased, good way to casue more resentment though. :erm:

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

Well, Ofcom welcome feedback of all views.

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

Speaking of Ofcom, here’s a handy list of words you should avoid using.

https://youtu.be/W8-2yKvVIEE?si=yaFT97FklpRkUhTq

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

:D

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

I did not know some of them, i need to work out when to use them :D

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

Call to strengthen the laws against mysoginistic porn designed to humiliate women, such as incest porn:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0028bnl

The first episode of this series from last night showed how one of the most vile paedophile predators operated.

He evaded capture by the use of various methods to anonymise his identity, including encryotion.

As well as sexual acts, he forced little girls to lick the toilet rim, hurt themselves, write derogatory remarks on their bodies etc, so please be prepared for this should you decide to watch it:

https://www.channel5.com/show/prime-...matthew-falder

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

There are always "calls" from someone to do "something" about something.
Other than going over the same thing again and again, whats your point exactly ?

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

It's a discussion about strengthening the Online Safety Act.

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

Is it a discussion or just mostly you posting links and giving your opinion? And not likely when others disagree.

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

It's a discussion on Radio 4. I'm afraid I have no idea what your second sentence means.

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

Guess it shows that some people brains corrects what it sees "liking" it's what I read.

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

That's what I meant. Was too late to edit once I noticed it. My phone likes to autocorrect and make suggestions sometimes.

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

Oboy do I know what you mean happens all the time to me:p:

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

I have no issues with discussing any subject with anyone, as long as it's done in an appropriate manner.

The Online Safety Act was always intended to be dynamic, so when changes are being discussed or called for, I encourage interested parties to provide their input, either in support of or opposition to, to Ofcom.

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

Don't feel that it will make any meaningful difference, as with most laws ,it will not stop anything happening. Don't break speed limit, don't steal, don't use a knife . They work well don't they:monkey:

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

Ofcom have today written to selected website owners requiring evidence of what measures have been put in place to combat things like terrorism and child exploitation on their sites, as they now only have one month before these requirements kick in. If they fail to implement these measures, they could face court action.

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

Guess that will get them quaking in there boots:sleep:

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

There will not be any court cases, it's all advisory

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

Frankly the only notice l take of it is via here .

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

Take notice of what:shrug:

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

Here's a clue .....look at the title:D

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

No, it's not. Just because Ofcom has issued guidance to help website owners stay on the right side of the law, doesn't mean that enforcement action won't be taken for non compliance.

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

What waste of money that will be:erm:

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

Plans to make phone use safer for teenagers watered down

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cq8y7dvw9ddo

Quelle surprise..... :rolleyes:

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

Article says parents are screaming for help but the easy solution is simply don't give your little darlings a device you don't want them to have. You are the parent, be one. If they need a device to make calls get them a non-smart phone.

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

Not going to happen . Parents are scared to death of there kids :dozey:

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

https://www.advanced-television.com/...s-into-effect/

Well, it’s arrived. How long before the government realises that its powers to to control all things internet are strictly limited?

[EXTRACT]

From today (March 17th), online platforms must start putting in place measures to protect people in the UK from criminal activity, while media regulator Ofcom has launched its latest enforcement programme to assess industry compliance.

Providers of services in scope of the UK’s Online Safety Act had until March 16th to carry out an illegal harms risk assessment – to understand how likely it is that users could encounter illegal content on their service, or, in the case of ‘user-to-user’ services, how they could be used to commit or facilitate certain criminal offences.


Now the next set of illegal harms duties come into force. This means platforms now have to start implementing appropriate measures to remove illegal material quickly when they become aware of it, and to reduce the risk of ‘priority’ criminal content from appearing in the first place.

In the coming weeks and months, Ofcom will be assessing platforms’ compliance with their new illegal harms obligations under the Act, and launching targeted enforcement action where concerns are uncovered.

Given the acute harm caused by the spread of online child sexual abuse material (CSAM), assessing providers’ compliance with their safety duties in this area has been identified as one of our early priorities for enforcement.