UK government states that 'safety' act is about influence over public discourse

Post by mdp2021 » Fri, Aug 15, 2025, 9:51 AM UTC

khalic wrote: post #11

icarouse wrote: post #4

This sounds like a misinterpretation. The OSA is primarily about making online service providers responsible for age verification, if they supply adult content. No different in principle from having to prove one's age to buy cigarettes, alcohol, knives, etc. No-one says "cigarettes are censored!", because, obviously, they're not. Same for adult content online. It can still be accessed, as long as proof of age is prov…

False equivalence, the local pub doesn’t keep track of your identity.

Post by Mindwipe » Fri, Aug 15, 2025, 9:53 AM UTC

icarouse wrote: post #15

dustincoates wrote: post #5

Without passing judgment on the act, this is incredibly misleading. I found the source of the original quotes[0], and they are taken quite out of context. From the article: >First, we are told, the relevant secretary of state (Michelle Donelan) expressed “concern” that the legislation might whack sites such as Amazon instead of Pornhub. In response, officials explained that the regulation in question was “not primari…

This is unfortunately quite a common tactic being used by people opposed to the OSA. Recently there was an article in the i newspaper which claimed you have to show ID to order pizza online, and it's because of the OSA. Turns out their source was a misleading tweet by a political activist who had ordered from Deliveroo or similar and were seeing the usual message shown to people who order alcohol. Nothing to do with…

Post by JFingleton » Fri, Aug 15, 2025, 9:53 AM UTC

ap99 wrote: post #18

For the Americans looking at this act, you're maybe putting it in the context of American politics and thinking who cares if the porn sites have my face or id. But in the UK you can be arrested and jailed for saying something online that offends someone else.

Post by khalic » Fri, Aug 15, 2025, 9:54 AM UTC

icarouse wrote: post #19

khalic wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

False equivalence, the local pub doesn’t keep track of your identity.

Your local pub will have CCTV and some have names and photos of banned patrons behind the bar. Some bars and clubs have digital ID scanners upon entry. Most online service providers who verify age are using third-party suppliers who don't provide any details of one's identity, just whether the user has been age verified or not. And much of that is done by recording a selfie, not handing over identity documents.

Post by ptero » Fri, Aug 15, 2025, 9:56 AM UTC

icarouse wrote: post #19

khalic wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

False equivalence, the local pub doesn’t keep track of your identity.

Your local pub will have CCTV and some have names and photos of banned patrons behind the bar. Some bars and clubs have digital ID scanners upon entry. Most online service providers who verify age are using third-party suppliers who don't provide any details of one's identity, just whether the user has been age verified or not. And much of that is done by recording a selfie, not handing over identity documents.