Please pay attention to the Online Safety Act (UK)

[GingerUnicorn]

This is something that went into effect today in the UK.

It is an extremely draconian, poorly worded and enforced bill that has been out into place with the guise of protecting the youth.

It essentially forces websites active in the UK that are home to mature content of any kind to have some form of age verification.

This has already began to cause issues with some sites simply being unavailable and some requiring photo evidence of your identity to be uploaded for access.

This will not achieve what it is aiming for and only works to make the internet a less private, and more dangerous place. As the people who are not willing to do this (especially and obviously youths) will find work around and be pushed towards more dangerous and less legitimate spaces online.

On a less serious note it actively harms many hobbiest forums, which take pride in anonymity and the ability to free discuss your interests with who you wish, how you wish.

There is already a government petition going made by the people to repeal this, frankly stupid, act. For UK RESIDENTS ONLY I implore you to sign here: Repeal the Online Safety Act
If you do not trust following the link. Please use a search engine of your choice and find it through searching 'Repeal the Online Safety Act' and it should be the first result.

It already has many and hopefully with enough pressure it can be fixed.

 

[AppleDash]

If I click on that link here, would there be a trace somehow that I got to the petition site via ZV?

But yes, it's a draconian bill, and in effect useless as long as there is VPN.

 

[GingerUnicorn]

If I click on that link here, would there be a trace somehow that I got to the petition site via ZV?

But yes, it's a draconian bill, and in effect useless as long as there is VPN.

I don't think there would be but if you want to be safe simply copy the link and paste it into a separate browser.

If you're unsure a simple Google of 'Repeal the Online Safety Act' puts the petition as the first result.

And yes exactly it's completely useless in effect and just causes problems for your average person who wants to access the Internet freely.

 

[Blacksoul]

I don't think there would be but if you want to be safe simply copy the link and paste it into a separate browser.

If you're unsure a simple Google of 'Repeal the Online Safety Act' puts the petition as the first result.

And yes exactly it's completely useless in effect and just causes problems for your average person who wants to access the Internet freely.

Most websites use statistics to see where their visitors come from. These statistics also clearly show the IP address from which the user accessed the site, as well as the referring website where the link was clicked...

 

[GingerUnicorn]

Most websites use statistics to see where their visitors come from. These statistics also clearly show the IP address from which the user accessed the site, as well as the referring website where the link was clicked...

I am only vaguely aware of this and if it is the case then I of course everybody to take the precautions that they feel necessary. I have added a bold disclaimer under the link to make another, safer option clear.

 

[Blacksoul]

I am only vaguely aware of this and if it is the case then I of course everybody to take the precautions that they feel necessary. I have added a bold disclaimer under the link to make another, safer option clear.

These statistics, mostly using AW Stats, literally spy on users, even recording the browser used, version, operating system, internet provider, and many other available facts. I have my own website and am always surprised at the data that AW Stats provides me with, completely legally...