Age verification has overextended itself 🚨
UK users are coerced into giving sensitive data to many unregulated providers under the threat of wide-ranging censorship.
It’s an open goal for cybercriminals 🤬
Tell your MP (UK) the Online Safety Act isn’t working ⬇️
https://action.openrightsgroup.org/tell-your-mp-online-safety-act-isn%E2%80%99t-working
#OnlineSafetyAct #privacy #ageverification #onlinesafety#OSA #ukpol #ukpolitics #freeexpression #censorship #freedomofexpression #freespeech
If anyone following my account still supports CLuxon's crusade to ban people under 16 from "social media" (still not sure how they define that), I suggest you look into how age verification is working out in practice in the jurisdictions that are already trying it.
(1/2)
Oh and beware the astroturf;
"Luxon thanked B416, referring to it as a group of 'concerned parents and parenting experts'.
In fact, B416’s core leadership includes Xero accounting software director Anna Curzon, investment banker Cecilia Robinson, financial consultant Blair Knight and Zuru toy company co-founder Anna Mowbray. The Mowbrays are one of New Zealand’s richest families and prominent donors to the National Party."
#TomPeters, 2025
https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2025/05/15/geab-m15.html
(2/2)
"There is growing anti-capitalist and anti-war sentiment among young people. A survey last year found that 71 percent of 18 to 34-year-olds in New Zealand agreed that the country’s economy was 'rigged to advantage the rich and powerful'.”
#TomPeters, 2025
https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2025/05/15/geab-m15.html
They noticed. How do we make the fediverse and other empowering tech tools more useful to their efforts to educate, agitate and organise to address that problem?
"David Seymour told Radio NZ that social media was 'messing with kids’ brains' and something must be done. He said there should be an inquiry before any policies are drawn up."
#TomPeters, 2025
https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2025/05/15/geab-m15.html
Not sure about the first part, but I agree with the second part. Let's have some intelligence gathering about the problem - starting with whether there even is one - before drafting legislation. Even a stopped clock is right twice a day.
A space for Bonfire maintainers and contributors to communicate
