Well your opinion, or the opinion of anyone on this blog is not relevant. It’s all about ‘protecting the children’
I think the problem Reform will face is there are so many people that need execution. Anyone supporting the Online Safety Act certainly needs the franchise removed and ideally needs to be eliminated from public life. Same with the complete ban on vapes and cigarettes. Similarly with 20mph limits (now dropped to 10 in a part of Islington)!
There’s neither the prison space nor the availability of lethal chemicals to take the steps necessary.
I think the problem Reform will face is there are so many people that need execution
The job I was born to do.
Grikath
5 months ago
What’s next? Charging the tide? Declaring that pesky Pi to be three, and no more than three? Etc…
They can declare them illegal, but it’s impossible to implement. Especially since there’s a host of practical day-to-day commercial uses for them that ..y’know…. are actively in use.
“No.”is actually the wrong answer… Politicians do not understand that word.
“Suuure, good luck with that….” , with proper inflection *might* get through to them. Maybe.
“I think that’s a very brave move, Minister” seemed to be Sir Humphrey’s best braking option. 🙂
MJW
5 months ago
Will they be banned for everyone? Will Gov’t officials handling confidential documents be expected to forgo the use of VPNs too?. I’m sure malicious hackers will be very pleased to see one important layer of cyber security removed, and presumably the ICO will have to change the penalties for personal data breaches if the importance of securing such data is being downgraded?
Martin Near The M25
5 months ago
The Ministry of Stupid ideas is clearly working overtime. I bet they can’t actually define what a VPN is without making all kinds of other remote access to systems illegal. Not that it’s intended to be workable anyway but it’s another nail in the UK’s economic coffin, which is now about 99% nails.
Chris
5 months ago
I’ve seen no source or confirmation of this – NCSC promote the use of VPNs , OFCOM says you can’t promote a VPN as way of avoiding age verification. DSIT are a mess Suspect the spooks will win.
Grist
5 months ago
Well, they picked the right day. Remember, remember…
Western Bloke
5 months ago
Is there a term for a law that is ineffective, but purely designed to signal a position?
The Online Safety Act is, it seems to me, designed to win the votes of mothers who don’t like the fact that their sweet little boy is a disgusting pervert. Some stuff happens, but everyone knows it won’t really work. And most people really don’t care. 14 year olds are looking at blowjobs? Who cares?
Now that it’s known VPNs work around, the government is coming up with the next thing which is banning promotion of VPNs to circumvent age checks. Like, kids aren’t going to tell other kids, or discuss it in online forums. And they know that, but they have to keep up with the theatre.
We call that legislation.
Pretty much all of it is either ineffective or damaging and was implemented to look good.
You could probably reduce the entirety of uk law down to a slim paperback if you reduce it to just the sensible and beneficial bits
Is it ineffective? The only way to view the stabbing of the bin man in London the other day was on social media, and only then if you used a VPN to get around the current situation.
(I use a VPN but didn’t bother watching it, I don’t want to see any more violence and I don’t need to see it anyway to understand that the country is in a very bad spot, but certainly it serves the government’s purposes for the average joe not to see it.)
And sure, you’ll probably still be able to use one technically after they ban them, like you can technically drink-drive, but it’s a nice little additional weapon in their legal armoury if they want to come after you because you said stuff they didn’t like on Twitter… or here.
It is hardly inconceivable that they might mount a campaign, largely supported by the media and celeb wankers, to equate using a VPN with moral failings as much as criminality, and at least 50% of the population will line up dutifully to throw things at you in the stocks.
‘We read what you wrote on Twitter… or Worstall. You seem like a right wing extremist. Let’s look at your devices. Well, well, well… what have we here? You’re using a VPN. That’s a mandatory 12 months in jail, I’m afraid.’
The fact that half of Parliament is using a VPN to watch child porn or jihadi videos won’t cut any ice; as in Soviet Russia, create lots of laws and use the selectively against your opponents.
It varies depending on how much political capital has been sent – most are pretty honest , regulators even more so (and on occasion virtually rewrite crap legislation …). Normally they just don’t bother with a consultation these days if it’s a done deal . Eagerly awaiting the cyber security and resilience bill sight unseen from DSIT into parliament,
Jonathan
5 months ago
ID cards and now a ban on VPN’s? The Labour party has obviously looked at communist China and thought: ” I wish we were more like them…”.
I’m not so sure, Has TTK got so used to easy money with Lord Alli and the Chagos deal that a bit of wonga from the Chinks for the Embassy is adding to his pile?
I would think almost every MP and Senior Civil Servant is either in hoc to the PR China or some form of Islamic Extremist. Their Trade is treachery as they have proven over decades.
Controlling the internet has been an obsession of the uniparty since Treeza May was soiling the slime green benches with her dusty minge. It’s a cockroach of political agendas, literally nobody wants it outside SW1 yet here we are…
Steve
5 months ago
There are “no current plans” to ban VPNs, but “nothing is off the table when it comes to keeping children safe”, the Labour Party tech minister has said.
Nothing is off the table, except not importing stabby, rapey, ugly retards from the Third World to prey on them.
I can confirm I have no current plans to throw Keir Starmer into a pit of hungry lions and throw peanuts while they crunch on his bones. But nothing is off the table.
I am reminded of the late 80s/early 90s classic ‘Hard to Kill’
‘ I want to kill you so badly but I have been thinking – death is far too merciful a fate for you. Let me see, nice petite white boy like yourself in a federal penitentiary. Let me put it this way, I don’t think you’ll remain anally retentive for very long’
Well your opinion, or the opinion of anyone on this blog is not relevant. It’s all about ‘protecting the children’
I think the problem Reform will face is there are so many people that need execution. Anyone supporting the Online Safety Act certainly needs the franchise removed and ideally needs to be eliminated from public life. Same with the complete ban on vapes and cigarettes. Similarly with 20mph limits (now dropped to 10 in a part of Islington)!
There’s neither the prison space nor the availability of lethal chemicals to take the steps necessary.
It’s all about ‘protecting the children’. Allegedly!
I think the problem Reform will face is there are so many people that need execution
The job I was born to do.
What’s next? Charging the tide? Declaring that pesky Pi to be three, and no more than three? Etc…
They can declare them illegal, but it’s impossible to implement. Especially since there’s a host of practical day-to-day commercial uses for them that ..y’know…. are actively in use.
“No.”is actually the wrong answer… Politicians do not understand that word.
“Suuure, good luck with that….” , with proper inflection *might* get through to them. Maybe.
“I think that’s a very brave move, Minister” seemed to be Sir Humphrey’s best braking option. 🙂
Will they be banned for everyone? Will Gov’t officials handling confidential documents be expected to forgo the use of VPNs too?. I’m sure malicious hackers will be very pleased to see one important layer of cyber security removed, and presumably the ICO will have to change the penalties for personal data breaches if the importance of securing such data is being downgraded?
The Ministry of Stupid ideas is clearly working overtime. I bet they can’t actually define what a VPN is without making all kinds of other remote access to systems illegal. Not that it’s intended to be workable anyway but it’s another nail in the UK’s economic coffin, which is now about 99% nails.
I’ve seen no source or confirmation of this – NCSC promote the use of VPNs , OFCOM says you can’t promote a VPN as way of avoiding age verification. DSIT are a mess Suspect the spooks will win.
Well, they picked the right day. Remember, remember…
Is there a term for a law that is ineffective, but purely designed to signal a position?
The Online Safety Act is, it seems to me, designed to win the votes of mothers who don’t like the fact that their sweet little boy is a disgusting pervert. Some stuff happens, but everyone knows it won’t really work. And most people really don’t care. 14 year olds are looking at blowjobs? Who cares?
Now that it’s known VPNs work around, the government is coming up with the next thing which is banning promotion of VPNs to circumvent age checks. Like, kids aren’t going to tell other kids, or discuss it in online forums. And they know that, but they have to keep up with the theatre.
We call that legislation.
Pretty much all of it is either ineffective or damaging and was implemented to look good.
You could probably reduce the entirety of uk law down to a slim paperback if you reduce it to just the sensible and beneficial bits
Is it ineffective? The only way to view the stabbing of the bin man in London the other day was on social media, and only then if you used a VPN to get around the current situation.
(I use a VPN but didn’t bother watching it, I don’t want to see any more violence and I don’t need to see it anyway to understand that the country is in a very bad spot, but certainly it serves the government’s purposes for the average joe not to see it.)
And sure, you’ll probably still be able to use one technically after they ban them, like you can technically drink-drive, but it’s a nice little additional weapon in their legal armoury if they want to come after you because you said stuff they didn’t like on Twitter… or here.
It is hardly inconceivable that they might mount a campaign, largely supported by the media and celeb wankers, to equate using a VPN with moral failings as much as criminality, and at least 50% of the population will line up dutifully to throw things at you in the stocks.
‘We read what you wrote on Twitter… or Worstall. You seem like a right wing extremist. Let’s look at your devices. Well, well, well… what have we here? You’re using a VPN. That’s a mandatory 12 months in jail, I’m afraid.’
The fact that half of Parliament is using a VPN to watch child porn or jihadi videos won’t cut any ice; as in Soviet Russia, create lots of laws and use the selectively against your opponents.
As the Late Oscar Benavides Jr said:
‘“Para mis amigos, todo; para mis enemigos, la ley.”‘
“For my friends, everything; for my enemies, the law.”
“a nice little additional weapon in their legal armoury”
See the book “Three Felonies a Day” for more examples.
Who cares?
I guess the 14yr-olds care. All I had when I was 14 was airbrushed Health & Efficiency.
My experience of ‘consultation’ means they will make a big show of asking what you think then do what they were always going to do…..
It varies depending on how much political capital has been sent – most are pretty honest , regulators even more so (and on occasion virtually rewrite crap legislation …). Normally they just don’t bother with a consultation these days if it’s a done deal . Eagerly awaiting the cyber security and resilience bill sight unseen from DSIT into parliament,
ID cards and now a ban on VPN’s? The Labour party has obviously looked at communist China and thought: ” I wish we were more like them…”.
FTFY
I’m not so sure, Has TTK got so used to easy money with Lord Alli and the Chagos deal that a bit of wonga from the Chinks for the Embassy is adding to his pile?
I would think almost every MP and Senior Civil Servant is either in hoc to the PR China or some form of Islamic Extremist. Their Trade is treachery as they have proven over decades.
All civil servants and local council officials use a VPN when they work remotely, so will they once again be privileged above ordinary citizens?
Undoubtedly.
I wonder if the BBC will lend them the old TV detector vans? That’ll kill two birds with one stone…
Pornhub said access to their porn site from the UK had fallen 77%.
They didn’t mention whether access had gone up unexpectedly from countries without an online safety act……
I wonder how many Brits are using VPNs, not to look at boobs, but to discuss politics without getting arrested
Banning VPNs would crippple the NHS, probably lethally, so….. YEAH, go ahead!
They’ll probably end up “relenting” on the ban and then include VPN permission in a wider internet / broadband licence to replace the TV licence.
A VPN license, credentials logged. Like firearm licensing. “We just want a list, make sure the right people, …”
The goal is to kill anonymity.
You and me being able to talk freely without the government being (easily) able to identify and legally persecute us frightens them.
Controlling the internet has been an obsession of the uniparty since Treeza May was soiling the slime green benches with her dusty minge. It’s a cockroach of political agendas, literally nobody wants it outside SW1 yet here we are…
There are “no current plans” to ban VPNs, but “nothing is off the table when it comes to keeping children safe”, the Labour Party tech minister has said.
Nothing is off the table, except not importing stabby, rapey, ugly retards from the Third World to prey on them.
I can confirm I have no current plans to throw Keir Starmer into a pit of hungry lions and throw peanuts while they crunch on his bones. But nothing is off the table.
I am reminded of the late 80s/early 90s classic ‘Hard to Kill’
‘ I want to kill you so badly but I have been thinking – death is far too merciful a fate for you. Let me see, nice petite white boy like yourself in a federal penitentiary. Let me put it this way, I don’t think you’ll remain anally retentive for very long’