Australia and the US are leading parallel policy pushes.
“We’re moving to a world where the law requires you to be profiled in order to participate.”
– Australian Human Rights Commission
https://expression.fire.org/p/the-papers-please-era-of-the-internet
Negative users object to mandatory online profiling laws as an attempt at government control linked to the New World Order.
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https://www.fire.org/news/papers-please-era-internet-will-decimate-your-privacy
Millions must now put themselves at risk of breaches, hacks, and mandated increased data collection by tech companies, all of which diminish their privacy & ability to speak anonymously.
“We’re moving to a world where the law requires you to be profiled in order to participate.”
The global age-gating push is bad for privacy. And it will be bad for free speech.
As the U.S. rushes full steam ahead into the identity verification campaign, it’s urgent Americans understand the risks “papers, please” policies pose to our rights.
My latest for @TheFIREorg:
Soon, everything you do online could have an element of age assurance or verification, from downloading an app in the app store to making an account to posting a photo, whether you’re a 14-year-old trying to game or a 40-year-old posting about recipes.
But Americans, don’t get complacent. It’s coming here, too, and has been for years now. The age verification threat is as present here as it is abroad.
The reality is that age verification to a large extent requires us to confirm identity, and we will come to regret so closely tying expressive activity to government-mandated verification. Once we create this infrastructure of surveillance we may find it difficult to tear down.
Australia is seen as the model for under 16 bans. But here’s the thing: It isn’t actually working! Multiple studies, including one by the Australian government, find that the ban is *not actually keeping kids offline.* And phones are banned in schools anyway.
So we have a system where everyone, young and old alike, has to go through some standard of verification, perhaps even through a third party app that requires selfies or passport photos, to prove they aren’t under 16, to satisfy a law that isn’t even functioning as intended.
Many users will likely provide the info they need to continue communicating with friends and families. But maybe they’ll think twice about what they say. This new era of the internet is unlikely to be significantly safer for children. But it will be much less free for everyone.
The UK under 16 ban has the potential to be even worse. Keir Starmer promised it would be “Australia plus.” And here’s the scarier part: multiple UK officials have signaled they are willing to pursue VPN restrictions to keep kids offline. That should set off alarm bells.
@NicoPerrino The Liberals won't even get a chance to control us or even Klaus Schwab death to the New World Order!
@sarahemclaugh @WillatFIRE @TheFIREorg Wait until you find out what the US does to those who speak out against ICE and Israel. Hint: it’s a lot worse than demanding to see an ID
