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EU Parliamentary Research Service calls VPNs "a loophole that needs closing"

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Re: EU Parliamentary Research Service calls VPNs "a loophole that needs closing"

#151

Post by qnpnpmqppnp »

rswail wrote: post #99

Governments already have everyone's ID, including DOB. They say that the problem is non-adults accessing adult sites and services. So therefore, the sites need to know that users are over 18 (or the selected government age). There should be a standardized government ID service/API that allows a person to let it disclose their age (or other user selected information) to a requesting site/service. That's all that is ne…

> Both the request and the response can be appropriately anonymized so that the government doesn't know the site, and the site doesn't know the person's identity.

Yes that's how it's done in France for instance, and generally how it's being discussed in the EU.

Re: EU Parliamentary Research Service calls VPNs "a loophole that needs closing"

#153

Post by FrustratedMonky »

harvey9 wrote: post #86

The people who really want to stop VPNs are commercial streamers, especially for live sports. Regardless of state, or governing party, it always comes back to money.

This probably needs to be highlighted more.

It isn't just governments.

This is also quietly being backed by some big corporations with money .

Re: EU Parliamentary Research Service calls VPNs "a loophole that needs closing"

#154

Post by nameconflicts »

nirui wrote: post #109

In case people no longer remember, when China started to require websites to register for a license before be allowed to operate, it was for "protecting the children" too. This simple policy then goes on to silence most individual publisher(/self-media) and consolidated the industry into the hands of the few, with no opportunity left for smaller entrepreneurs. This is arguably much worse than allowing children to wat…

You're right

Re: EU Parliamentary Research Service calls VPNs "a loophole that needs closing"

#155

Post by ghssds »

rvnx wrote: post #146
Roark66 wrote: post #131

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Believe me, in some EU countries (like my country Poland) people are very sensitive for this kind of bullshit. Last two times they tried to push other censorship/tracking laws (claiming as always "we have to, EU is making us") there were mass protests in every city and town. In my own town of 5k people there were several hundred (500 people at least, probably more). And the previous govt backed down. This topic seems…

It's because it's not about the opinion of voters, but about existing political powers that want to retain their power. No matter what you (as population) say it will get implemented. If you don't, then they will put sanctions on Poland, withdraw financial partnerships, etc. Like with migrants, they are going to be sent there, even if Polish people vote against. No matter if you are in favor or against, raising the t…

[flagged]

Re: EU Parliamentary Research Service calls VPNs "a loophole that needs closing"

#157

Post by palata »

hnlmorg wrote: post #110
palata wrote: post #100

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Children have always found ways to access age restricted consumables Doesn't mean that it's equivalent to giving them free access to those consumables. > But you know which kids did this the least? Source?

> Doesn't mean that it's equivalent to giving them free access to those consumables. Why do people on HN always need to look at things as a Boolean state? It’s entirely reasonable to have some preventative measures but acknowledging that there are ways to circumvent them and accept that as a reasonable conclusion. Things don’t need to be “all or nothing” ;) > Source? I grew up pre-WWW. Literally lived and breathed th…

> It’s entirely reasonable to have some preventative measures but acknowledging that there are ways to circumvent them and accept that as a reasonable conclusion.

I totally agree. That can be used as an argument in favour of age verification, though.

Re: EU Parliamentary Research Service calls VPNs "a loophole that needs closing"

#158

Post by palata »

cess11 wrote: post #104
palata wrote: post #92

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you think that there is a need for new technology to identify people, I suggest you wake up and start getting informed about surveillance capitalism. There is absolutely no need for new technology to track people, it's there already. Also I feel like a big reason for age verification is social media. Many countries are trying to prevent kids from accessing social media (because we know it's bad for them), and age…

Need is a very strong word. I'd call it a desire. Currently you can often identify people, sure, but there's hassle involved. What they want to do is to plug in a private corporation separate from whatever service that is likely to be more loyal with the state apparatus than the service, or else it is easily switched out for another. And corporations are having issues discerning bots from people without making access…

> Currently you can often identify people, sure, but there's hassle involved

You vastly underestimate the current state of surveillance capitalism.

> You could also look at who is heavily lobbying for this, you'll find it is fascist tech oligarchs from the US.

Go in the street, and ask a bunch of random people: "If there was a way to prevent kids from accessing stuff that is bad for them, and it had no downsides. Would you want it?". I'm absolutely certain that not only fascists will say they would want it.

Re: EU Parliamentary Research Service calls VPNs "a loophole that needs closing"

#159

Post by joshstrange »

FrustratedMonky wrote: post #153
harvey9 wrote: post #86

The people who really want to stop VPNs are commercial streamers, especially for live sports. Regardless of state, or governing party, it always comes back to money.

This probably needs to be highlighted more. It isn't just governments. This is also quietly being backed by some big corporations with money .

> governments

> big corporations with money

Is there a notable difference between these two in most places? There _should_ be but in practice it feels like more and more places function closer to an oligarchy than whatever form of “democracy” they espouse to practice.

Re: EU Parliamentary Research Service calls VPNs "a loophole that needs closing"

#160

Post by palata »

ionwake wrote: post #96
palata wrote: post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If it is possible to "pretend that they want something reasonable", it means that there is something reasonable somewhere. Maybe some want more control, but most certainly not everybody. > so that pervasive monitoring If you haven't gotten the memo, pervasive monitoring already exists. To sell ads. > or permission and/or deanonymization is normalized For age verification, it's possible to do it in a privacy-preservin…

guy on website called hackernews, tries to convince everyone more restrictions are good

As a hacker, I want antitrust to break TooBigTech such that they can't cryptographically lock me out of everything.

Those who want less regulation are not hackers, but rich and powerful assholes.

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