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Theresa May Wants To Regulate The Internet

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Re: Theresa May Wants To Regulate The Internet

#141

As a British citizen, this makes me sick to my stomach. However, I'm probably in the minority. A few years ago I went to a debate about the Internet and how it affects families, and it was interesting and rather scary to hear people's attitudes. It seemed that a lot of people didn't fully understand what the Internet was, asking why it didn't have a watershed [1] like TV does. Despite good arguments being put forward…

> It seemed that a lot of people didn't fully understand what the Internet was, asking why it didn't have a watershed [1] like TV does.

It's all very well dismissing this, but I can't imagine being a parent and trying to moderate a childs access to "extreme" content (sexual or otherwise) in the modern world. On the off chance I manage to properly "secure" the home computer they'll be surrounded by friends with smartphones, laptops etc.

In ye olden days the risks were of some parent letting children watch a 15 movie at a sleepover, or perhaps one kid getting a magazine and showing it about. The internet is never more than 3 clicks from the latest deathgif etc some of which can have a pretty strong influence on a person (let alone a child).

Declaring everyone who sees things such as that as problematic to be fascist is probably not going to result in positive change.

Re: Theresa May Wants To Regulate The Internet

#142

As much as I expect nanny-state behaviour from the Tory's this has blown me away. I thought the author may be exaggerating so I went and actually read the manifesto. It's only about one page near the end but it reads like something you'd expect from a dictatorial regime. It seems like after cutting us off from Europe via Brexit the government now wants to cut us off from the rest of the world. I just hope internet co…

I'm registered but went through the registration process out of curiosity, very easy.

There's still time to get a postal vote registration. They email or post the form and you take/send it to your local council offices.

Re: Theresa May Wants To Regulate The Internet

#143
post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Which page are you referring to? I'd like to read but don't have time for the whole manifesto right now and I couldn't find it!

Page 82 of the document (the 2 pages before the conclusion paragraph). PDF link: https://s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/manifesto2017/Manifesto20...

Text:

A FRAMEWORK FOR DATA AND THE DIGITAL ECONOMY

Some people say that it is not for government to regulate when it comes to technology and the internet. We disagree. While we cannot create this framework alone, it is for government, not private companies, to protect the security of people and ensure the fairness of the rules by which people and businesses abide. Nor do we agree that the risks of such an approach outweigh the potential benefits. It is in the interests of stable markets that consumers are protected from abusive behaviour, that money is able to flow freely and securely, and that competition between businesses takes place on a level playing field. It is in no-one’s interest for the foundations of strong societies and stable democracies – the rule of law, privacy and security – to be undermined.

So we will establish a regulatory framework in law to underpin our digital charter and to ensure that digital companies, social media platforms and content providers abide by these principles. We will introduce a sanctions regime to ensure compliance, giving regulators the ability to fine or prosecute those companies that fail in their legal duties, and to order the removal of content where it clearly breaches UK law. We will also create a power in law for government to introduce an industry-wide levy from social media companies and communication service providers to support awareness and preventative activity to counter internet harms, just as is already the case with the gambling industry.

Just as we led the world in regulating embryology thirty years ago, we know that if we create the right system of governance for the digital economy and use of data, we will attract the right businesses who want to become the global centre for data use and research.

Re: Theresa May Wants To Regulate The Internet

#145

As a British citizen, this makes me sick to my stomach. However, I'm probably in the minority. A few years ago I went to a debate about the Internet and how it affects families, and it was interesting and rather scary to hear people's attitudes. It seemed that a lot of people didn't fully understand what the Internet was, asking why it didn't have a watershed [1] like TV does. Despite good arguments being put forward…

ISPs could offer a web connection with a "watershed" or serve restricted services per device, which would have a similar effect. I use OpenDNS, loss of people use their ISPs blocking service, having that work on a watershed for a home router send reasonable.

Don't see why it's such a ridiculous idea to you?

Re: Theresa May Wants To Regulate The Internet

#146
post #97

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I guess I'm misinterpreting all these antifa videos. Here I thought it was just a human thing, and both sides have the capability of pulling dumb, dangerous ideas out. No it's just conservatives right?

One important difference is that Theresa May is leader of a major western country, while Berkeley students you saw in a video on the internet aren't. This makes one of them a much more pressing threat. True among people on the same "side" of the political spectrum too. The Tories' brand of authoritarian conservatism is much more dangerous than Westboro Baptist Church, for example. You can find Westboro advocating ple…

Jeremy Corbyn is similarly close to power and supports violence, particularly in the name of left causes, far more than the Conservatives. Here's a few choice examples:

https://capx.co/there-is-no-moral-way-to-vote-labour-in-june...

Edit: hi Momentum! If any of these are incorrect you're welcome to reply.

Re: Theresa May Wants To Regulate The Internet

#147

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thank you. I often find myself in subconscious denial ("oh, surely it's just a fluke and they'll get back on course soon") over news of the direction our British friends are headed, because of the self-affirming echo chamber net communities often form. I've only ever sometimes heard (but fortunately tried to keep in mind) the fact that the reason for it is that it's not seen as dystopic by the British public, and tha…

The thing is, I don't disagree with those parents' concerns. There's a lot of horrible horrible crap on the Internet, stuff that I don't want my child anywhere near. And if I wasn't tech savvy, having the government do it would probably sound like a good idea However, enforcing a nation-state firewall which blocks stuff 'for our own good' – and records every aspect of our lives in the process – is not the right way t…

Being Tory though it's got to be profitable for private business too; just providing blocking that's useful isn't going to keep the shareholders happy.

Re: Theresa May Wants To Regulate The Internet

#148

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Turns out that in the real world, conservatives are far more dangerous for your freedoms than "SJW types".

Not sure how it works in the UK, but here in the US there's a difference between "conservatives" and "Republicans". The key being that Republicans love big government when it's them in charge of it whereas conservatives want less government. So from the conservative conferences I've attended, the general sentiment is that people DON'T want an authoritarian government watching them. Further right into Nationalism is w…

> So from the conservative conferences I've attended, the general sentiment is that people DON'T want an authoritarian government watching them.

May, as Home Secretary, made the laws that give the UK government 72 hours (IIRC) to read your personal email and 3 months to see all the subject lines / senders / recipients.

To be clear: I'm not advocating voting for Corbyn by the above.

Re: Theresa May Wants To Regulate The Internet

#149

As a British citizen, this makes me sick to my stomach. However, I'm probably in the minority. A few years ago I went to a debate about the Internet and how it affects families, and it was interesting and rather scary to hear people's attitudes. It seemed that a lot of people didn't fully understand what the Internet was, asking why it didn't have a watershed [1] like TV does. Despite good arguments being put forward…

> It seemed that a lot of people didn't fully understand what the Internet was, asking why it didn't have a watershed [1] like TV does. It's all very well dismissing this, but I can't imagine being a parent and trying to moderate a childs access to "extreme" content (sexual or otherwise) in the modern world. On the off chance I manage to properly "secure" the home computer they'll be surrounded by friends with smartp…

In the olden days, the neighbor kid would bring the splatter movie VHS he 'lend' from his uncle. In the eighties there was a huge discussion (at least in Germany) on how to prevent children from viewing inappropriate video cassettes. And I don't see that the 17/18 year olds of today are all depraved and damaged because of all the Internet porn they had access to.

Re: Theresa May Wants To Regulate The Internet

#150

That insightful line from Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri comes to mind, "Beware of he who would deny you access to information, for in his heart he dreams himself your master"

I find it necessary to make a distinction here; I would deny you access to my personal information.
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