-
Ofcom is turning the UK into an international laughing stock | CapX
[Ofcom’s comments] portray the UK in a more sinister light … the country where we live comes across as as a would-be bully, that thinks nothing of ordering foreigners around in their own country … a country that wishes to place all sorts of restrictions on internet speech, and at times to set up a
Fediverse reactions
-
4chan will refuse to pay daily UK fines, its lawyer tells BBC | BBC News
4Chan has a… mixed reputation, but this is a lesson that both Ofcom & UK legislators need to learn: in a global environment some jurisdictions exist beyond the bounds of parliamentary control: “Ofcom’s notices create no legal obligations in the United States,” he told the BBC, adding he believed the regulator’s investigation was part of
Fediverse reactions
-
EFF: UK Online Safety Act is about censorship, not safety | The Register
The UK’s scramble to find an effective age verification method underscores that there isn’t one, and it’s high time for politicians around the world to take that seriously – especially those pondering similar laws in the US Rather than weakening rights for already vulnerable communities online, governments everywhere must acknowledge these shortcomings and explore less
Fediverse reactions
-
Bloomberg: “Tulsi Gabbard’s ‘Win’ for Apple Isn’t That Simple” | Parmy Olson
The Home Office will likely drop its order under US pressure, but we won’t know for sure until Apple uses its next appearance before a judge to say its case is invalid. That would be an unfortunate outcome for a fight that should have played out publicly in court, and could have put an end to
Fediverse reactions
-
I don’t wanna rain on the parade but it’s entirely possible that the UK Government vs: APPLE iCloud BACKDOOR STORY IS STILL A THING
Reuters phrases it this way: Britain has dropped its demand for the iPhone maker Apple to provide a “backdoor” that would have enabled access to the protected encrypted data of American citizens …which does not say anything about not-backdooring British citizens. We should watch carefully whether Apple resurrects ADP in the UK.
Fediverse reactions
-
Pinsent Masons: “Ofcom’s online safety work will be funded by the service providers it regulates. Fees will be calculated based on each provider’s ‘qualifying worldwide revenue’ (QWR)”
This was the vision of the OSA: a grift to tax big tech in general and surveil everybody and everything. Companies with QWR above a particular threshold to be set by the Secretary of State will have a duty to pay fees under the regime. Ofcom has recommended that this threshold should be at or
Fediverse reactions
-
A short explanation for Home Office Minister Jess Phillips re: why attempts to restrict kids to using “teenager” phones will be doomed to failure
~14 years ago a friend – a highly respected & credentialed security consultant – shared that he’d set up all manner of content filtering & parental blocks on his home network, for the safety of his then ~14yo son. So the kid went to the local High Street and spent ~£20 of pocket money on
age verification censorship home office Jess Phillips online safety online safety act surveillance vawgFediverse reactions
-

Welcome to the Molly Rose Foundation, where you are only permitted to say *negative* things about algorithmically-curated feed content, but never *positive* things
That’s it. This is not a joke. You’re not allowed to say “more of this please” in case you ask for more of something bad. You are not to be trusted. https://mollyrosefoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/proof3_PervasivebyDesign.pdf
Fediverse reactions
-
The possibilities that would be raised by a coordinated prompt injection civil society campaign, are limitless…
MP spotted using ChatGPT to respond to constituents on the train | The Mirror The source said: “He was copying the entire constituent email into ChatGPT, and then asking ChatGPT to respond. I couldn’t believe it. ChatGPT to reply to constituents. How lazy is that? You can see ChatGPT giving a response starting with ‘Thank
Fediverse reactions
-
UK backs down in Apple privacy row, US says | BBC News
Somehow I can’t imagine the British government wanting any kind of legal precedent to be set in this matter. Apple responded by withdrawing ADP from the UK market, and started a legal process to challenge the order. This was due to be heard at a tribunal in early 2026. It is not yet clear whether
Fediverse reactions
-
Just in case it wasn’t obvious the first time around: applying age verification to VPNs to stop children using them, will stop EVERYONE using them & thereby cause unpopular chaos, @peterkyle @ChildrensComm
PCMag: A government commissioner calls for age verification for VPNs, citing the risk of children using them to bypass the UK’s Online Safety Act for easy access to adult content.
age verification censorship online safety online safety act Peter Kyle Rachel de Souza surveillance VPNFediverse reactions
-
British Online Safety is an irregular verb | Conjugate the verb after me… | Chris Stokel-Walker on Bluesky
Big “My child found the hidden store of sweets in the cupboard so let’s blame kitchen manufacturers” energy. https://bsky.app/profile/stokel.bsky.social/post/3lwqq52zjtk2k
Fediverse reactions