Online threats to children are real, but the headlong pursuit of age verification that we’re seeing around the world is unacceptable in its approach and far too broad in scope — and we simply can’t afford to get this wrong.
To be clear, parents’ concerns are valid and sincere. Few people would argue that kids should have unfettered access to adult material, to self-harm how-tos, to social media platforms that manipulate them and expose them to abuse.
But it’s the very depth of those worries that is being cynically exploited. Age verification as is currently being proposed in country after country would mean the death of anonymity online.
And we know exactly who stands to gain: The same tech giants who built the privacy nightmare that the internet is today.
I mean, I’ve got boxes full of physical books and self hosted movies and Tv. At that point, I’ll just stop using the internet. I need to go outside more anyway.
The next step will be to make more essential services online only, so people have to use the internet.
Harder to organize protests though. Like if they implement a new renter’s/homeowner tax, or sales tax, or whatever, that means we’d have to sell our books to make ends meet. And then make “digitally inciting” protests illegal too maybe so you don’t feel comfortable even discussing it on your devices. (Not that our opsec today is sufficient, wager it’s not for like 95+% of us, but this feels yet worse)
Scary stuff
Finally all my friends that been giving me shit about having a dvd collection can eat shit.
I’ve got a mean collection myself. I have saved every cassette, record , DVD , VHS , book , magazine ( some bit the dust but anything with good info stayed) , zine and CD I’ve ever baught since I was a young teen ( and their many versions of various players for the many formats)
I’ve had more than a few people appear angry that I have kept all these “things” in my life. Blows my mind that they never saw this coming. …I guess I can rent my dad’s and books