Why do I get the feeling that lately, in so many countries, new regulations are popping up with only one purpose - to erode privacy 🔓? It feels like a bad joke. I can't keep up anymore.

I wish I could fight them all at once, put pressure everywhere 🌍, no matter where I live. But I don't have the time. I'm already drowning in an endless to-do list.

Why couldn't the government set a different deadline? Why are they so determined to push this through? My mind can't wrap around it I just hope they come to their senses and never implement it 🙏

#Privacy #HumanRights #Switzerland #SwissPrivacy #EU #ChatControl #FightChatControl #UK #OnlineSafetyAct #AgeVerification #Surveillance #StopSurveillance

"Remember when you thought age verification laws couldn't get any worse? Well, lawmakers in Wisconsin, Michigan, and beyond are about to blow you away.

It's unfortunately no longer enough to force websites to check your government-issued ID before you can access certain content, because politicians have now discovered that people are using Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) to protect their privacy and bypass these invasive laws. Their solution? Entirely ban the use of VPNs.

Yes, really.

As of this writing, Wisconsin lawmakers are escalating their war on privacy by targeting VPNs in the name of “protecting children” in A.B. 105/S.B. 130. It’s an age verification bill that requires all websites distributing material that could conceivably be deemed “sexual content” to both implement an age verification system and also to block the access of users connected via VPN. The bill seeks to broadly expand the definition of materials that are “harmful to minors” beyond the type of speech that states can prohibit minors from accessing—potentially encompassing things like depictions and discussions of human anatomy, sexuality, and reproduction.

This follows a notable pattern: As we’ve explained previously, lawmakers, prosecutors, and activists in conservative states have worked for years to aggressively expand the definition of “harmful to minors” to censor a broad swath of content: diverse educational materials, sex education resources, art, and even award-winning literature."

eff.org/deeplinks/2025/11/lawm…

#VPNs #AgeVerification #CyberSecurity #Privacy #DigitalRights

Lawmakers Want to Ban VPNs—And They Have No Idea What They're Doing

It's unfortunately no longer enough to force websites to check your government-issued ID before you can access certain content, because politicians have now discovered that people are using Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) to protect their privacy and…

^{Electronic Frontier Foundation}

If every country starts requiring that people provide official ID in order to "verify their age" to use social media, there will be no way to use any social media without associating the account with a legal identity.

This is horrible for democracy,
and should terrify everyone.

It doesn't matter if platforms use third-parties or not. It doesn't matter if they use some special encrypted code, the result is the same. This gatekeeps open discussions and government criticisms free from reprisals.

This is bad.
This is China "free-speech" bad.

#Democracy #AgeVerification #Privacy

If everyone was refusing to provide official IDs to verify their identity and age on social platforms, and just let their account rot there unused instead, we would soon see platforms themselves starting to advocate against these invasive laws to recover their users.

Just saying.
They need you more than you need them.
Stop complying with invasive requests.

#Privacy #AgeVerification

Why this "AV" (Age Verification) requiring the upload of documents poses risks which are IMHO not justified by the reason:

discord.com/press-releases/upd…

What got out? Well, just "… Name, Discord username, email and other contact details … billing information … IP addresses … government‑ID images (e.g., driver’s license, passport) from users who had appealed an age determination"

Well, happy identity thefting then… Remember: what's not there, cannot be stolen 🤷‍♂️

#security #ageVerification

Update on a Security Incident Involving Third-Party Customer Service | Discord

At Discord, protecting the privacy and security of our users is a top priority. That’s why it’s important to us that we’re transparent with them about events that impact their personal information.

^discord.com

Does age verification really have to rely on face scans, document uploads, or other invasive methods? 🔍 Isn't there a way to do it that respects user privacy? 🛡️

I have an idea that - while it would need some adjustments - seems reasonable to me, especially when we're talking about such a sensitive topic. In my country, Poland, ID cards have an NFC chip 📲 that contains encrypted data, including the date of birth. Access to this data requires a PIN 🔐 that is set at the government office.

Wouldn't it be possible to create an app that reads this data from the ID when first launched, and then requires the PIN each time to decrypt the date of birth? The app could communicate with the browser locally and simply send a yes or no answer ✅❌ about whether the user meets the required age - without revealing any personal data.

Of course I know not every country has such ID cards, but if they truly care about protecting children 👶, they should first make sure to create proper, secure solutions - ones that respect human rights 🧭 and don't violate citizens' privacy.

That's my opinion - but I'm open to other perspectives if there's something wrong with this approach 💬

#Privacy #Freedom #AgeVerification #OnlineSafetyAct #Surveillance #HumanRights

Welcome to the age verification era! 🔞 🔍

Here's why you should be concerned

❌ Risks your privacy & security
❌ Threatens anonymity & freedom of speech
❌ It's often ineffective

We explore in today's article 👉 tuta.com/blog/age-verification…

#onlinesafetyact #ageverification #surveillance

#AgeVerification: what's the harm?

In which I distill a lot of casual pub chats I've had with friends into a layperson's guide to the #OnlineSafetyAct. What it is, the problems it causes, and why you should definitely care.

girlonthenet.com/blog/age-veri…

Age verification: what’s the harm?

Age verification has hit the UK, people need to upload ID to see 'adult' content. What's the harm in laws like this, if they protect children? Let's see.

^{Girl on the net (Girl on the Net)}

The UK Online Safety Act has erected an age wall through the Internet 🚧

UK users are forced to accept censorship or hand over sensitive data to unregulated providers.

The government’s response? You’re a predator 🤨

Enough. Tell your MP to fix it now ⬇️

action.openrightsgroup.org/tel…

#OnlineSafetyAct #OnlineSafety #privacy #OSA #ageverification #agegate #ukpolitics #ukpol #censorship #spotify #reddit

Tell your MP: The Online Safety Act isn’t working

What's the problem? The Online Safety Act has been a disaster. Rather than protect children, millions of adults are facing widespread censorship, and teenagers are having their freedom of expression restricted.

^{Open Rights Group}

I'm your (not so) private dancer 🔞

Spotify users in the UK have to verify their age to listen to Parental Advisory music due to the Online Safety Act.

We're being infantalised for something that's already manageable by parental controls.

It could even end up in accounts being deactivated 🤯

Bad law makes for bad, incoherent outcomes. That's the #OSA for you.

404media.co/spotify-uk-age-che…

#OnlineSafetyAct #ageverification #agegate #ukpol #ukpolitics #spotify #privacy #onlinesafety #censorship

Spotify Is Forcing Users to Undergo Face Scanning to Access Explicit Content

Submit to biometric face scanning or risk your account being deleted, Spotify says, following the enactment of the UK's Online Safety Act.

^{Samantha Cole (404 Media)}

Age verification is creating an information desert.

The Online Safety Act sets every UK user to child as default.

Teenagers? Blocked. Adults? Content denied unless we do age checks with unregulated companies.

It's not just porn! News on Gaza and Ukraine is being scrubbed from view, threatening #freedomofexpression as well as #privacy ⛔

404media.co/uk-users-need-to-p…

#OnlineSafetyAct #onlinesafety #OSA #palestine #gaza #ukraine #reddit #ageverification #ageassurance #censorship #ukpolitics #ukpol

UK Users Need to Post Selfie or Photo ID to View Reddit's r/IsraelCrimes, r/UkraineWarFootage

“If visibility of r/IsraelCrimes is being restricted under the Online Safety Act, it’s only because the state fears accountability,” moderators say.

^{Emanuel Maiberg (404 Media)}