Dark day for online privacy in the UK.
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So encryption is dead in the UK?
Do they not realize there are messaging services that don’t even have a central server or even an entity responsible?
Or companies that don’t even have a presence in the UK, and thus no responsibility to comply with their laws?
Pedos will just download and install something like Keet or Signal or Session while the privacy and security of law-abiding citizens are irrevocably compromised…
Mby Briar or Jammy
I mean there’s no shortage of possibilities
Seems not, read CouldntCareBear’s comment.
After bouncing back and forth between the house of lord’s and the house of commons This bill is a shadow of it’s former self. I’m glad to say.
Three things that were massively damaging for privacy and security have, as far as I can see, been scrapped.
- The bill no longer requires tech companies to control ‘harmful but legal’ content. A blurry, ill defined concept that would have been impossible to regulate.
- The bill no longer requires all end to end encrypted communication channel’s (WhatsApp etc) to have a backdoor for governments and enforcement agencies to access unencrypted messages between people. Something that would have broken effective security in every way.
- The bill no longer requires porn to only be accessible to UK citizens after they have proven they are an adult. This was by providing bank details or ID to porn websites (lol no thanks), possibly through a third party company that is supposed to assure some privacy ( lol still no thanks).
And what’s left in the bill is going to be regulated by Ofcom, a toothless underfunded shell of a regulatory body.
Can I ask where you got this info from? The article says the bill is 300 pages long. I’m never getting through all that.
Edit: the article also claims age verification for porn sites is still in there?
Sure. I’ve not read it either but here’s what I’ve found.
Removal of encryption backdoors - https://www.wired.co.uk/article/britain-admits-defeat-in-online-safety-bill-encryption
Removal of ‘harmful but legal’ - https://techcrunch.com/2022/11/29/uk-online-safety-bill-legal-but-harmful-edit/
Age verification isn’t so clear cut but there’s room for a lot of hope. What ‘age verification’ is going to be in the bill is yet to be determined by Ofcom.
… Which is law makers kicking the can down the road… or passing the buck. Probably because it’s unenforceable and a technical/ privacy nightmare. Maybe it will amount to something, in which case we should be afraid, but I think most likely it will amount to not much.
Full bill is here if you have a spare 3 days to read it all - https://bills.parliament.uk/publications/52368/documents/3841
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Sorry wired just came to hand. You can find it referenced elsewhere.
But it did change from ‘have to’ to ‘have to, if possible’ which is a massive climb down. It’s basically not possible to have a backdoor in e2e encryption so I think it’s dead in the water. It may even make other companies shift to e2e to avoid this legislation, which would be ironic.
And I think the quote is from the minister in charge of the bill, so he/she would talk it up.
The bill is awful. But at least it’s weak(er) and awful.
Time will tell.
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Again, the necessity for encryption backdoors has not been removed, simply paused.
It is still in there.
re your 2nd point, that’s most certainly not been scrapped. The language has changed to basically say, they’re aware thetech doesn’t currently exist to do this but as soon as it does, it must be done. It’s a temporary reprieve at best.
Don’t worry, allmof that will be back on the table again next year, and then the next and the next, untill it passes.
Remember kids, if you want to be a good evil politician, you just keep pushing and pushing and pushing your evil shit until people tire and it passes.
This shit has been on the table at just about all governments since at least 2 decades. It just returns each year with a new name, same shit.
I fucking hate this country
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Guess V for Vendetta will come true as the U.K. has fallen to Fascism.
We recently passed a law that enables the UK to indefinitely detain adult and children refugees and asylum seekers. I’m sure they’ll be building camps next.
This government has no morals.
And that’s another part of this bill - discussion of ‘illegal immigration’ is now forbidden.
Is it a blanket ban on all discussion of illegal immigration or is it something more specific? Like discussing plans to help immigrants or something.
If it is a complete ban, how will online news outlets cover the subject?
Unknown at this stage. I suspect it’s being kept intentionally vague so they can shutdown whatever they like but leave up the GB News/Daily Heil type propaganda.
England prevails.
Well fuck.
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I seriously don’t think so
“safety”
The posts are going out all over Europe; we shall not see them lit again in our life-time.
Are they going to ban LGBT people from the internet like the US is trying to do?
Scotland should leave asap.
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* UK has passed the Online Safety (of the government and criminals from citizens) Bill
Edit: this comment is good https://sh.itjust.works/comment/3453068
Seems like the bill is a posture joke and no longer the monster it was. But these bills keep coming every year, relying on laziness of citizens to get passed.
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