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Australia is introducing age checks for search engines like Google

abc.net.au

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Re: Australia is introducing age checks for search engines like Google

#41

Post by trollbridge »

heavyset_go wrote: post #40

This is just a step towards killing anonymity and free speech online, as well as a hand out to shady government contractors. We are going to have to give our IDs and biometrics to untrusted 3rd parties just because some people don't like the idea of other people's kids using the internet. If these sites are so bad, maybe laws should instead target that problem. For example, make it illegal for social media companies…

Newsflash: pretty much every site like Google already knows exactly who you are. We gave up anonymity a long time ago in exchange for "free".

Re: Australia is introducing age checks for search engines like Google

#42

Post by trollbridge »

ggm wrote: post #24

In full expectation of being downvoted, I would like to say here that I think the comments below show an astonishing lack of awareness about how most ordinary australians feel about the risks to children online. I believe most australians vox-popped in the street would say they expect the government to do this. I'm not for a minute saying either the current government, or any past government is either competent or ca…

I agree, and most the comments here also show a lack of awareness of how much parents really don't want their kids running across Andrew Tate-esque material online and think it's okay for the government to regulate things in some way so that kids don't just accidentally run across that.

And yes, I think barely anyone exists who hasn't functionally identified themselves to Google. And I'd venture nobody exists where Google hasn't already built a shadow profile on them (for ad networks); how exactly do people think they've been using Google for "free" all these years?

Re: Australia is introducing age checks for search engines like Google

#43

Post by __d »

NoPicklez wrote: post #33
__d wrote: post #28

Anyone who cares will ask their mates at school, who will assist them to set up a VPN and thus circumvent this silliness. Then the same people who've pushed this solution to their perceived problem will start to target VPNs. The real question is whether they then attempt to ban VPNs. The streamers would likely join in on that, which might be sufficient lobbying for the government to accept it? Fortunately, my 12yo wa…

This isn't just asking for your age, its going to require verification of that through ID.

There appears to be a variety of mechanisms proposed. I assume some of them, at least, will be able to be fooled one way or another. But if not, a $5/month VM in another country and a VPN tunnel should do the job.

Re: Australia is introducing age checks for search engines like Google

#44

Post by worthless-trash »

trollbridge wrote: post #41
heavyset_go wrote: post #40

This is just a step towards killing anonymity and free speech online, as well as a hand out to shady government contractors. We are going to have to give our IDs and biometrics to untrusted 3rd parties just because some people don't like the idea of other people's kids using the internet. If these sites are so bad, maybe laws should instead target that problem. For example, make it illegal for social media companies…

Newsflash: pretty much every site like Google already knows exactly who you are. We gave up anonymity a long time ago in exchange for "free".

But will be mandated now.

Re: Australia is introducing age checks for search engines like Google

#45

Post by worthless-trash »

Traubenfuchs wrote: post #19
cadamsdotcom wrote: post #9

The sense of impotence in the comments is palpable. What can we - the people - do to make our discontent heard?

Theoretically: Vote for parties that are not actively hostile towards the people. Practically: nothing. Democracy has largely failed and in many countries you can, at best, pick between right wing assholes that work against your best interests and leftwing idiots that work against your best interests.

Which party is that ? Because I'm not seeing one.

Re: Australia is introducing age checks for search engines like Google

#46

Post by heavyset_go »

trollbridge wrote: post #41
heavyset_go wrote: post #40

This is just a step towards killing anonymity and free speech online, as well as a hand out to shady government contractors. We are going to have to give our IDs and biometrics to untrusted 3rd parties just because some people don't like the idea of other people's kids using the internet. If these sites are so bad, maybe laws should instead target that problem. For example, make it illegal for social media companies…

Newsflash: pretty much every site like Google already knows exactly who you are. We gave up anonymity a long time ago in exchange for "free".

That's not an excuse to add unaccountable 3rd parties to the mix that will take videos of your face and pictures of your IDs just to use the internet, and who will subsequently lose control of that data in inevitable breaches.

It's also doesn't justify any additional chilling of free speech.

Re: Australia is introducing age checks for search engines like Google

#47

Post by gonzo41 »

jaza wrote: post #29

Sounds like Australian kids will just use private / incognito browser windows (aka porn mode) even more than they do already. I fail to see what this new "policy" will achieve, apart from my above point, plus serving as an excuse for Google and pals to subject users to ever more facial recognition and to brazenly collect ever more personal data.

This policy exists because parents won't do parenting anymore. Take away the phones and put a PC in the living room.

Re: Australia is introducing age checks for search engines like Google

#49

Post by jim-jim-jim »

theshackleford wrote: post #17
cadamsdotcom wrote: post #9

The sense of impotence in the comments is palpable. What can we - the people - do to make our discontent heard?

The majority of the Australian population would agree with the introduction of such laws. It is the minority (such as those of us here) who disagree. So the people have been "heard" and they are getting what they want. It's the rest of us who suffer.

Is that true? It seems like this was more of a complete non-issue in the last election, suddenly implemented once Labor secured power again. I'm not saying your hypothetical popular support is unrealistic, but I don't think anybody actively voted for this.

Living in Australia has been eye opening. I naïvely assumed that mandatory, ranked-choice voting would draw a direct line from popular sentiment to legislative outcome, but that's anything but the case.

Re: Australia is introducing age checks for search engines like Google

#50

Post by SlowTao »

LAC-Tech wrote: post #35

Australia continues its descent into censorship, some what putting a hole in the theory that democracy and freedom of speech are anything more than co-related.

There is a frame of thought that goes like this. With any mass technology that has the ability to do harm, there are only two likely outcomes. Either you let the technology go free in which case the self terminating phase of blow back becomes a reality. Or you have to track is relentlessly/set rules in place that can be enforced, thus you bring about an authoritarian state dystopia.

This allows both sides to present an angle of resistance to the opposite. The freedom people will push back against control. The control side will push back against the worst outcomes.

I say this as somebody who is very much against this roll out. There is the middle way of rules and regulations but this is dependent on how you can allow some freedom without becoming too restrictive. This is a wild over correction but I am not surprised. This is, yet another typically aussie politician move. Slowly stepping into authoritarian state behind the guise of jingoistic "she will be right" attitude.

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