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UK.gov to make adults give credit card details for access to Facebook or TikTok

theregister.com

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Re: UK.gov to make adults give credit card details for access to Facebook or TikTok

#31

Post by toyg »

samwillis wrote: post #18

There was a thread about this yesterday [0], this is almost certainly not going to happen. I think based on the number of times they have tried to legislate for this, most recently in 2019, I would put the odds of it happening (even in a hamstrung way) at less than 10%. Big company’s (Facebook, etc) will lobby against it, they will argue about what the threshold of requirement is. Then there is the logistics, privacy…

The fact they keep trying despite repeatedly being humiliated by market realities, though, indicates the lobbying pressure by pro-censorship groups is quite high. This is bound to produce something eventually.

Re: UK.gov to make adults give credit card details for access to Facebook or TikTok

#32

Post by iqanq »

asplake wrote: post #22
hughrr wrote: post #13

Oh no they’re not. People will start buying shitty VPNs advertised on prime time TV instead and entirely side step the issue but create two more at the same time. Think we need a new national anthem now along the lines of https://youtu.be/P1CyPjQQTAM

Some people might, most won’t. Most under-18s certainly won’t.

Most people, under-18s or not, will download whatever comes first when looking for "free vpn" on the app store.

Re: UK.gov to make adults give credit card details for access to Facebook or TikTok

#33

Post by bambataa »

d13 wrote: post #27
habosa wrote: post #23

People don’t realize how invasive the UK govt is when it comes to internet monitoring. Today if you try to access adult content on a UK mobile device you get blocked by age verification. You have to call your mobile provider and prove your age (it’s a once-per-contract thing). One of the ways you can prove your age is with a credit card. But I imagine it’s a large deterrent because not many people want to call Vodafo…

I’ve come to the realization I really should be using a VPN, for so many reasons. I really know nothing much them - any recommendations?

I’ve been using Proton VPN with no major issues. Would be interesting to know what others here think of them.

Re: UK.gov to make adults give credit card details for access to Facebook or TikTok

#34

Post by retrac98 »

habosa wrote: post #23

People don’t realize how invasive the UK govt is when it comes to internet monitoring. Today if you try to access adult content on a UK mobile device you get blocked by age verification. You have to call your mobile provider and prove your age (it’s a once-per-contract thing). One of the ways you can prove your age is with a credit card. But I imagine it’s a large deterrent because not many people want to call Vodafo…

This isn’t quite right. The age verification is enforced on mobile networks, not devices.

Re: UK.gov to make adults give credit card details for access to Facebook or TikTok

#35

Post by mellosouls »

habosa wrote: post #23

People don’t realize how invasive the UK govt is when it comes to internet monitoring. Today if you try to access adult content on a UK mobile device you get blocked by age verification. You have to call your mobile provider and prove your age (it’s a once-per-contract thing). One of the ways you can prove your age is with a credit card. But I imagine it’s a large deterrent because not many people want to call Vodafo…

But I imagine it’s a large deterrent because not many people want to call Vodafone and ask permission to look at pornography.

True, and particularly galling when the content you want to look at is not porn but (say) the internet archive or opinion sites that weenies in the provider have deemed offensive.

Re: UK.gov to make adults give credit card details for access to Facebook or TikTok

#36

Post by hughrr »

pdpi wrote: post #12

One particular bit that tickles me about this is the mandatory credit card checks for age verification on porn sites. Yesterday’s obvious attempt at fraud is tomorrow’s legal obligation, and the fraudsters are going to love it.

Indeed. You can tell a historically bad technical measure by the following phrase being repeated forever: ”we will never ask you for…”. I await this for credit cards.

Re: UK.gov to make adults give credit card details for access to Facebook or TikTok

#37

Post by rococode »

d13 wrote: post #27
habosa wrote: post #23

People don’t realize how invasive the UK govt is when it comes to internet monitoring. Today if you try to access adult content on a UK mobile device you get blocked by age verification. You have to call your mobile provider and prove your age (it’s a once-per-contract thing). One of the ways you can prove your age is with a credit card. But I imagine it’s a large deterrent because not many people want to call Vodafo…

I’ve come to the realization I really should be using a VPN, for so many reasons. I really know nothing much them - any recommendations?

Mullvad seems to be the most popular recommendation on HN nowadays. A couple recent threads:

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28551960

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29903695

I've been using them for a while, very happy with it so far. Stable connection and high speeds - good enough that I often forget I have it on - and a nice selection of locations.

They even accept cash! Each account is just an ID so you can mail your account number and some money to them and payment will be processed.

Mozilla VPN also uses Mullvad's servers behind the scenes.

Re: UK.gov to make adults give credit card details for access to Facebook or TikTok

#38

Post by iqanq »

samwillis wrote: post #18

There was a thread about this yesterday [0], this is almost certainly not going to happen. I think based on the number of times they have tried to legislate for this, most recently in 2019, I would put the odds of it happening (even in a hamstrung way) at less than 10%. Big company’s (Facebook, etc) will lobby against it, they will argue about what the threshold of requirement is. Then there is the logistics, privacy…

It happened in the EU. Why wouldn't it happen in the UK?

Re: UK.gov to make adults give credit card details for access to Facebook or TikTok

#39

Post by tobylane »

Freak_NL wrote: post #15
Bancakes wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

People already make accounts with phone numbers, I suspect credit cards won't be different.

The number of active credit card holders in the UK is somewhere in the 35 million range. The number of adults is somewhere over 56 million. There is quite a mismatch there. Unlike the US, owning a credit card is not standard for most people in the world. People tend to get them for online shopping abroad, and for travels out of their currency zone as a back up.

I don’t know if a debit card counts, because they are 16+. Many of us took a while to move onto credit cards but still had access to cashless, online and overseas payment.

Re: UK.gov to make adults give credit card details for access to Facebook or TikTok

#40

Post by toyg »

I have a gut feeling this is a lead balloon, meant to be shot down so that other stuff can pass untouched. This type of bill is typically full of horrible little clauses that would never clear Parliament on their own, but if you bag enough of them together, pushing them all at the same time, eventually some will make it through.
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