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Mozilla to UK regulators: VPNs are essential privacy and security tools

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Re: Mozilla to UK regulators: VPNs are essential privacy and security tools

#51

Post by JoshTriplett »

ravenical wrote: post #40
gambiting wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah except that Ofcom(the UK communications regulator) already said that the main goal of the Online Safety Act isn't about protecting children, it's about "controlling online discourse". They dropped that pretense literally one day after the act got passed. >>I am getting very intolerant of these conspiratorial comments Weird thing to brag about, but sure.

Source, please?

https://bsky.app/profile/tupped.bsky.social/post/3lwgcmswmy2...

"officials explained that the regulation in question was 'not primarily aimed at ... the protection of children', but was about regulating 'services that have a significant influence over public discourse'".

Re: Mozilla to UK regulators: VPNs are essential privacy and security tools

#53

Post by joe_mamba »

wqaatwt wrote: post #50
pibaker wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Also - outside the HN bubble this stuff isn’t even unpopular. This stuff wasn't unpopular on HN until it actually happened. Almost every submission on HN about social media had people calling for similar regulations or even outright bans. It was not until they actually started asking for IDs when HNers realized what they really wanted to achieve with these laws.

There is a huge difference between supporting the regulation of algorithmic feeds and other dark patterns and a direct attack on personal privacy.

>There is a huge difference between supporting the regulation of algorithmic feeds and other dark patterns and a direct attack on personal privacy.

Normies don't see the difference and politicians don't want there to be a difference. Normies want security and politicians will offer it wrapped in surveilance.

Re: Mozilla to UK regulators: VPNs are essential privacy and security tools

#54

Post by danw1979 »

mjmas wrote: post #36
ayashko wrote: post #26

Something I learned just recently—the Australian government (surprisingly!) actually recommends VPN usage, they even provide a bit of a guide and how to; https://beconnected.esafety.gov.au/topic-library/advanced-on...

The very same office of the eSafety commissioner that is enforcing age verification for social media. https://www.esafety.gov.au/newsroom/blogs/social-media-minim...

Yes. Isn’t effective regulation of dangerous products wonderful.

Re: Mozilla to UK regulators: VPNs are essential privacy and security tools

#55

Post by hiisukun »

monk_grilla wrote: post #35
ayashko wrote: post #26

Something I learned just recently—the Australian government (surprisingly!) actually recommends VPN usage, they even provide a bit of a guide and how to; https://beconnected.esafety.gov.au/topic-library/advanced-on...

That’s funny, I wonder if they might remove it since it is a common way for people to circumvent the ID requirement laws for certain sites.

They probably should at least update it -- I don't think a government should recommend free VPN services. Too many of them are a form of botnet, malware, ddos, etc.

Re: Mozilla to UK regulators: VPNs are essential privacy and security tools

#57

Post by cryo32 »

I have seen some of the inside of this and it's not quite as clear cut.

One side of this is driven by a bunch of not too reputable think tanks behind the scenes who persuaded a couple of fringe academics to agree with them and push for it via the civil service. The government is taking bad, paid for advice. I don't know what the agenda is there but there is one and I reckon it's commercial. Probably a consortium of businesses wanting to create a market they can get into.

However the security services do not agree with the government or the think tanks and actually promote advice contrary to the regulators. They will ultimately win.

Attacking the regulators and revealing who is behind all this is what we should be doing.

Re: Mozilla to UK regulators: VPNs are essential privacy and security tools

#58

Post by gib444 »

cryo32 wrote: post #57

I have seen some of the inside of this and it's not quite as clear cut. One side of this is driven by a bunch of not too reputable think tanks behind the scenes who persuaded a couple of fringe academics to agree with them and push for it via the civil service. The government is taking bad, paid for advice. I don't know what the agenda is there but there is one and I reckon it's commercial. Probably a consortium of b…

> They will ultimately win.

Sorry, who will win?

Re: Mozilla to UK regulators: VPNs are essential privacy and security tools

#59

Post by rustyhancock »

speedgoose wrote: post #8

While their arguments are sound, Perhaps Mozilla should disclose in this document that they are also a VPN reseller.

I may be in the minority but I'm perfectly fine with Mozilla's approach here.

They link to the full document which lists their VPN subscriber count near the top of the about Mozilla section.

Re: Mozilla to UK regulators: VPNs are essential privacy and security tools

#60

Post by delusional »

JoshTriplett wrote: post #51
ravenical wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Source, please?

https://bsky.app/profile/tupped.bsky.social/post/3lwgcmswmy2... "officials explained that the regulation in question was 'not primarily aimed at ... the protection of children', but was about regulating 'services that have a significant influence over public discourse'".

Isn't this presentation disingenuous? The act is called the "Online safety act" and the quote isn't about the "regulation" in its entirety but about what constitutes a "Category 1" service. Described in an official explainer, meant for the public, as "Large user-to-user services" under the heading of "Adults will have more control over the content they see"[1].

It's not clear to me that this is some nefarious underhanded technique. The secretary of state asked why non-porn sites were included in Category 1, and was told that Category 1 wasn't intended to catch porn sites, but is intended to apply to "Large user-to-user services", in line with public communication from the government.

I don't think anybody is under any illusion that "Adults will have more control over the content they see" is intended to protect children.

[1]: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/online-safety-act...

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