Online Safety Bill Etc

[mrmistoffelees]

Interesting piece regarding 4chan and their non payment of fines

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cq68j5g2nr1o

[tweetiepooh]

If you have a UK account, using a UK VPN when abroad to watch UK content is OK. What I think Netflix and others seek to stop is a UK account using a "foreign" VPN to watch "foreign" content not available in the UK.


And the government could stop access to foreign VPN's by blocking access to the foreign VPN access points from the UK. It is likely a losing battle unless we go the whole China methodology. You could likely do something similar at home, block access to foreign VPN points at the router. And if you don't let junior install stuff on their phone they can't set one up locally anyway.

[Carth]

Originally Posted by mrmistoffelees

Interesting piece regarding 4chan and their non payment of fines

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cq68j5g2nr1o

Well that's opened my eyes, I've always thought 4chan was one of the hundreds of TV channels showing adverts and not much else.

Probably an easy assumption to make for someone with very little interest in TV viewing and even less interest in the goings on with social media platforms

[Itshim]

Originally Posted by mrmistoffelees

Interesting piece regarding 4chan and their non payment of fines

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cq68j5g2nr1o

Think this says it all.

[RichardCoulter]

Originally Posted by Sirius

Do you fully understand the way VPN's work ?

Not fully, no. How do they work?

---------- Post added at 18:57 ---------- Previous post was at 18:55 ----------

Originally Posted by Paul

Thats unlikely to be legal (or practical), as the UK has already found out with Apple.
Also, you dont need to buy a VPN, plenty of free ones about that you just directly download.

Plus you can set up your own if you want, the software to do so is freely available.
Same with proxy servers, you can (as I do) just make your own with freely available common software.

I really dont understand your motives here, its like you want us all to be under totalatarian state control, ask the North Koreans how good that is.

[ Oh, and I read yesterday that a spokeperson said there were no plans to control VPNs, just clueless people saying someone should ].

It was a hypothetical answer to a hypothetical question that isn't even being proposed by the Government. You are right in saying that this is merely a suggestion (by the Children's Commissioner).

[Sirius]

Originally Posted by RichardCoulter

Not fully, no. How do they work?

---------- Post added at 18:57 ---------- Previous post was at 18:55 ----------

All you need to do is watch this, then you may understand why those on this forum say the Government is losing the VPN battle. The more they claim they will stop them the more people will use them.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-U7kqizKH8

[RichardCoulter]

Originally Posted by Sirius

All you need to do is watch this, then you may understand why those on this forum say the Government is losing the VPN battle. The more they claim they will stop them the more people will use them.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-U7kqizKH8

Thanks, i'll take a look.

[RichardCoulter]

The first 7 minutes of this programme features lawyer Matt Johnson who believes that the way in which some websites are implementing the age verification part of the Online Safety Act (OSA) is discriminatory towards visually impaired users (the final 13 minutes of the programme covers the requirement of websites to have policies in place to deal with illegal or harmful content pertaining to the disabled etc).

He is also unhappy that anyone who is critical of the age verification part of the OSA is regarded as someone who simply wants to access erotica when it is, in fact, now required to access some forum discussions:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002htvr

[Carth]

Just another legal bod giving his opinion on stuff, and quite possibly one of those legal bods that will chase down anything that may/could/is likely to/ possibly . . get his name circulating and make a few quid from it.

Unsure if he's on the side of the bill or against it, or just picking holes in it because of . . as mentioned.

[RichardCoulter]

Originally Posted by Carth

Just another legal bod giving his opinion on stuff, and quite possibly one of those legal bods that will chase down anything that may/could/is likely to/ possibly . . get his name circulating and make a few quid from it.

Unsure if he's on the side of the bill or against it, or just picking holes in it because of . . as mentioned.

No, it's affected him personally. Matthew Johnson has been blind since birth and, as he said on the programme, has been prevented from accessing internet forum discussions due to his inability to verify his age.

Go on then, I'll bite.
How does being blind stop you verifying your age ?

[Carth]

Hang on . .

He's blind, and a Lawyer. Obviously has the technology to 'read and write' documents etc, probably has a secretary too, but doesn't have any way at all to verify his age on a forum?

No friends, colleagues or family members to assist with photo ID or whatever is required?

[RichardCoulter]

He explains it all in the programme excerpt (first 7 minutes).

Also, disabled people tend to prefer the independence of doing things independently if possible, rather than having things done for them and the law supports their right to this.

Sighted people have had issues taking a photograph to verify their age, so it must be even more difficult if one is blind. Apparently, it's not just a case of taking a photograph, it has to be done exactly within a boxed space and frequently fails.

Ofcom has said that websites must make adjustments as
required by the Equality Act.

It'll be interesting to see what happens.

"reasonable adjustments"…

Here are some examples

https://www.centralbedfordshire.gov....or%20decisions

What are reasonable adjustments?
The Equality Act 2010 says we must provide reasonable adjustments for disabled people. We must make reasonable adjustments if the way we do things puts a disabled person at a big disadvantage.

Reasonable adjustments are not defined by the Act but there is a Code of Practice to help. Depending on the individual’s needs, these might include:

- using larger print, or a specific colour contrast
- giving more time than usual to provide information or comments on a complaint
- using the telephone rather than written communication
- communicating with a person through their representative or advocate
- arranging a single point of contact
- having an ‘easy read’ version of the complaint process or decisions

Completely redesigning a system/website because someone insists on not having help to take a photo would not be a reasonable adjustment…

Originally Posted by RichardCoulter

He explains it all in the programme excerpt (first 7 minutes).

I'm asking you, not watching some random video.

Originally Posted by RichardCoulter

Also, disabled people tend to prefer the independence of doing things independently if possible, rather than having things done for them and the law supports their right to this.

What they "prefer" is irrelevant, they can do it, with help if necessary.
There are plenty of photographers who do passport photos, we used one for my granddaughter.

Originally Posted by RichardCoulter

Apparently, it's not just a case of taking a photograph

Yes, it is. See above.

Someone is clearly just making excuses.