@cardboard @thenexusofprivacy @iftas potentially? I am no oracle, but it does seem like at least the centralised ones will start cracking down soon.

Yeah, it's hard to know but the trend is certainly in that direction. It's possible that small fedi instances without open registration might not be subject to this for the Online Safety Act (although that's certainly not legal advice!), but the EU is working on an age verification requirement, so is Canada, and there are bills in the US that could require it as well ... so it's hard to be optimistic.

@ret @cardboard

@cardboard @ret @thenexusofprivacy @iftas Do want to point out it seems you can still use the sites,

"If users don’t want to verify their age, or if they’re under 18, they will still be able to have an account with certain features limited. Bluesky will block “adult-appropriate content” and turn off certain features, such as direct messaging."

True, but what is "adult-approriate content"? From what I understand about the dynamics in the UK, that could well include anything LGBTQIA2S+ related -- here in the US, many of the supporters of the proposed KOSA law (which would in practice require age verification) make no secret of the fact that it's targeting LGBTIA2S+ people. And things could certainly go that route for other "controversial" topics ...we'll see how things play out, but the scope is likely to steadily increase over time.

@TheVampireFishQueen @cardboard @ret

And this just in via @dell here in the US, DHS' threat bulletins are describing ordinary behavior, like riding a skateboard or livestreaming, as threatening to law enforcement. OMG, we certainly wouldn't want to expose kids to that kind of threatening behavior!!!!!!!

https://www.wired.com/story/dhs-tells-police-that-common-protest-activities-are-violent-tactics/

@TheVampireFishQueen @cardboard @ret

@thenexusofprivacy @cardboard @ret Yeah tho I don't see this law lasting long, its already falling apart.

Maybe ... although it could go the other way too -- early this year I saw somebody in the UK Government saying the Online Safety Act needed to be strengthened .

There's a "repeal" petition here with a few thousand votes but I don't know if there's any organized campaign yet. https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/722903

@TheVampireFishQueen @cardboard @ret

@thenexusofprivacy @TheVampireFishQueen @cardboard signed... for what it's worth. I commented on the calls for the act to be expanded today too: https://furry.engineer/@ret/114835043899065605

Exactly. The original proposal for the Online Safety Act included regulating this "harmful but not illegal" content, but it got stripped out (it was so bad that even Kemi Badenoch was against it). Still, the govenment wants more power and "this will make everyody safer" is often a good way to spin it.

@ret @TheVampireFishQueen @cardboard

If you're contacting MPs about the Online Safety Acty (which is always a good idea if you've got the time and energy), here's Open Rights Group's recommendations on how to fix it - https://www.openrightsgroup.org/publications/how-to-fix-the-online-safety-act-a-rights-first-approach/

@ret @TheVampireFishQueen @cardboard