back to article Online Safety Bill age checks? We won't do 'em, says Wikipedia

Wikipedia won't be age-gating its services no matter what final form the UK's Online Safety Bill takes, two senior folks from nonprofit steward the Wikimedia Foundation said this morning. The bill, for those who need a reminder, styles itself as world-leading legislation which aims to make the UK "the safest place in the world …

  1. NoneSuch Silver badge
    Childcatcher

    FFS

    Nothing you do will stop kids from seeing porn if they want too.

    Plus, we all know how teens love to use heavy encryption algorithms. So naturally, we need to see their smiley faces and LOL's.

    This is government intrusion into everyone's personal privacy and nothing less.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: FFS

      you're preaching to the convered. Mind you, once the law has gone live, even when conservatives lose to labour in the next elections, what's the odds the new gov will repel this law? Solid nil, because any party very well know the great British public don't really give a flying and can't be f...ed to tell their 'representatives': unless you do this, this and that, you can forget about getting my vote, now f... off!

      1. 43300 Silver badge

        Re: FFS

        Clearly, the government is unable to understand the cocept of VPNs, TOR, etc...

        Or are they so puffed up with their own hubris that they think they can prevent people from using them?

        1. martinusher Silver badge

          Re: FFS

          One explanation for the slew of conspiracy theories that swirl around the Internet is that people are on the whole fed up with law makers who are utterly disconnected from their everyday lives. They're frustrated but they can't get their heads around the idea that they're completely incompetent so they come up with all sorts of fanciful theories, all of which fail because of the simple fact that it would take competence and organization to realize them.

    2. Franco Bronze badge

      Re: FFS

      Usual totalitarian nonsense from the Government, as usual under the guise of "will no one think of the children" we have nothing to fear as long as we have nothing to hide. And I'm sure they will exempt themselves too, just in case one of them wants to "look at tractors" on his phone in the commons.

      1. jake Silver badge

        Re: FFS

        "we have nothing to fear as long as we have nothing to hide."

        Conversation starter for your local government official who says one variation or another of the above quote: Might I point out that you don't have a plate glass exterior wall in your shower, and you do have drapes over the windows in your living room & bedroom ... and hopefully there is a door between your toilet and the rest of your house. What are you hiding? Are you a criminal?

        While I'm on the subject, presumably you don't want me to have access to your banking, health and tax information, and you don't want me to be able to access your computer/phone from my computer/phone without your expressed consent, right?

        Privacy isn't always covering something illegal.

        1. Roopee Silver badge
          Terminator

          Re: FFS

          I wish I could upvote you more on this one!

          Very well put, and I’ll probably use it when/if I get the chance.

          For the record though, my bathroom door has (etched-glass) windows (to let light onto the landing) and I hardly ever close it and nor do visitors, but I don’t let strangers see into my house, or give any organisation any more than ‘need-to-know’ information (as in genuine, accurate data).

          Privacy isn’t a single dimension, and privacy from intrusive large organisations has very little to do with “protecting the children”.

          Icon - Skynet is pretty much here already...

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: FFS

      My eleven-year old self relied on Health & Efficiency, nicked by a classmate from the WH Smith's newsstand at the station he came in from.

      Ah, those were the days

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: FFS

        Catalogues and the lingerie section.

        Natural History book neighbour had when would look after their dog.

        The "chat line" adverts that would appear in normal mags in 80s (weren't even Jazz Mags). Parts of films such as the Coming To America bath scene.

        Films Kim Cattral was in.

        Then the jackpot! Along the canal during school lunch found a homeless guys camp in woods who had a stack of mags. I can't remember if I went back later on my own and managed to get at least one or a page from one, but I do remember planning for it and finding them all gone. Then being told later in school my dick mates had gone back and thrown them all in the canal.

        Finally getting ebony and ivy from the local newsgent where I'd buy my comics. Trying to not look him in the face as I paid for it :) decided to go for Playboy once and was really pissed off discovering it was most text.

        So yeah, kids will still find porn elsewhere and could create a black market in school sharing out the "jazz" on encrypted USB sticks, by the local school entrepreneur.

        1. Brewster's Angle Grinder Silver badge

          Re: FFS

          Look at how limited the availability was and how much effort it took. Whereas these days, you log on to pornhub and carry till your eyes (or something else) pops out. I mean, are we seriously comparing static images, lingerie adverts, and naughty bits in films to marathon videos of anything you fancy? And there's growing evidence it is damaging kids and they are copying what they see - although not necessarily the smart ones who are raised by smart middle-class parents.

          It doesn't have to block 100% but just made trickier to access. (And anything you can find in the corners of Wikipedia should be fine.) The kids smart enough to circumvent the limits are probably smart enough to manage it.

          1. Anonymous Coward
            Anonymous Coward

            Re: FFS

            And there's growing evidence it is damaging kids

            Got a link to that evidence?

            Being exposed to porn probably doesn't help much in establishing normal relations to the other sex but i doubt it does any real lasting damage.

        2. Strahd Ivarius Silver badge
          Facepalm

          Re: FFS

          Text in Playboy?

          Could have been worse, in France they got picture of a minister of something or other (nobody knows what are her current functions, besides getting money for her troubles)

        3. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: FFS

          Correction it was Knave and an Ebony and Ivory special :) although most of them appeared to be. Specifically the "Sharon & Yasmin" set which I didn't know at the time were Charmaine Sinclair and Donna Ambrose. I fell in love with Charmaine & discovered her again on the Internet many years later. Then many more years later I discovered Donna Ambrose & also fell in love only to also discover she was actually one half of the "Sharon and Yasmin" set which I hadn't realised :)

          Small world.

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: FFS

        When I was a teenager i remember several times finding pr0n magazines abandoned in the woods and disused railway siding near where i lived.

        I was surprised when going into my local newsagents to see they still publish adult magazines, surely they can't sell very many in 2023 considering you can get pr0n up on your phone in under 5 seconds, at least until this new bill passes when you will have to provide a copy of your birth certificate, house deeds, and 6 months of bank statements just to see some boobies or pee pees.

        1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

          Re: FFS

          So you're happy that innocent young Conservatives could see the MailOnline ?

          1. Franco Bronze badge

            Re: FFS

            Yes, spotting someone reading the Mail (online or otherwise) instead of The Metro is an excellent way to decide who not to sit near on the train.

  2. eswan

    Online Safety Bill

    I can't read that without thinking he's the brother of 'Fire Marsall Bill'.

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    The Lords said they felt that "anonymous age verification is possible."

    With the vast technical knowledge they acquired in World War II.

    1. Doctor Syntax Silver badge

      Re: The Lords said they felt that "anonymous age verification is possible."

      I suspect some think it possible and some don't. Some get into the life peerage due to being good at something even though most are refurbished ex-MPs and hangers on. Personally I'd like to see the presidents or equivalent of the the chartered institutes being ex officio members.

      But as to anonymous age verification and safe back-doored encryption the same test applies: commission a proof of concept implementation and then let the experts take it apart.

      1. John69

        Re: The Lords said they felt that "anonymous age verification is possible."

        Making more of the lawmakers "presidents or equivalent of the the chartered institutes" will really help correcting with the societal imbalance in representation within the UK.

        1. John Brown (no body) Silver badge

          Re: The Lords said they felt that "anonymous age verification is possible."

          Maybe, maybe not. Do you want Joe the binman[*] to be made a Lord to help redress the balance? Alan Sugar made it from London barrow boy (sort of!) to the Lords. Probably not the ideal example, but an example nonetheless.

          * No offence to binmen. They do a vital job. But it's probably not ideal training to be one of the people sort of in charge of the country :-)

          1. 43300 Silver badge

            Re: The Lords said they felt that "anonymous age verification is possible."

            "No offence to binmen. They do a vital job. But it's probably not ideal training to be one of the people sort of in charge of the country :-)"

            Probably they have a better grasp of the real world which normal people inhabit that the like of Johnson and Rees-Mogg ever do!

          2. Grinning Bandicoot

            Re: The Lords said they felt that "anonymous age verification is possible."

            Why not? They know what and how much you eat and drink. They see your non-E reading material. And more important (at least to me) they know how not to tell.

          3. Anonymous Coward
            Anonymous Coward

            Re: The Lords said they felt that "anonymous age verification is possible."

            One route into the House of Lords is to be a senior union leader. Joe the binman may not be made a Lord, but the head of his union may well be.

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: The Lords said they felt that "anonymous age verification is possible."

        At the end of the day it will be Ofcom who will have set it all up and we seen how well the BBFC did before them...

        Also OFCOM needs to satisfy itself, beyond reasonable doubt, that an age-verification vendor is secure and does not expose users or their data to unauthorised disclosure or security breaches, its the same dilemma the BBFC faced and let to the whole last AV project falling apart.

        If the OSB does fall apart I can see Ofcom becoming a scapegoat...

      3. jake Silver badge

        Re: The Lords said they felt that "anonymous age verification is possible."

        "commission a proof of concept implementation and then let the experts take it apart."

        And then promptly arrest the lot of them for "terrorist hacking" when they are successful and have rubbed the .gov's nose in it.

    2. OhForF' Silver badge

      Re: The Lords said they felt that "anonymous age verification is possible."

      I wonder how they think you can verify the age of some anonymous entity.

      Probably by overriding the rules of logic by the rule of law like Malcolm Turnbull tried to do for the laws of mathematics.

      1. ThatOne Silver badge
        Devil

        Re: The Lords said they felt that "anonymous age verification is possible."

        > how they think you can verify the age of some anonymous entity

        By making sure it becomes a duly identified (and subsequently shamed!) entity of course!

        Then, once you know who that entity is, just follow it through the web (that's what tracking cookies are for) and get rich selling the resulting high-value telemetry. Win-win, for you.

      2. Michael Wojcik Silver badge

        Re: The Lords said they felt that "anonymous age verification is possible."

        Cut 'em apart and count the rings, duh.

    3. Roland6 Silver badge

      Re: The Lords said they felt that "anonymous age verification is possible."

      Well.. if you follow the lead of the trans lobby which want it to be legally acceptable for someone to simply say they are of a particular orientation for those asking to have their question legally answered, then applying the same logic anonymous age verification can be satisfied by simply asking: Are you over 18? Yes/No and accepting the response given without further question.

      1. Simian Surprise

        Re: The Lords said they felt that "anonymous age verification is possible."

        Do try to stay even a little on topic.

  4. alain williams Silver badge

    What is deemed harmful to kids ?

    I have been browsing the draft bill to see what it says is harmful. Pornography & sex are easy to find. Fear of violence - OK. Nowhere could I find two of the biggest: portrayed violence as do many shoot-em-up games that can be very graphic; religious ideas which is even worse as some of them fill kids heads with all sorts of stuff about some people being bad, eg if they do not believe in the correct myths, or their sexuality is not the approved sort.

    Religious sites need to be behind an age verifier to protect young, impressionable minds that they might be evil because of what they, or their friends, think.Religions target kids.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: What is deemed harmful to kids ?

      We must protect the childs from the hurty words but we must also allow them to sterilise and mutilate themselves in the name of progressivism.

      1. toxicdragon

        Re: What is deemed harmful to kids ?

        "sterilise and mutilate themselves in the name of progressivism." You do realise that you cant get bottom surgery until you turn at least 18. And thats after YEARS of therapy and long term gender changes. You dont just say "I am trans now" and are given a pair of bolt cutters and a corkscrew at the doctors. Its a long involved process.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: What is deemed harmful to kids ?

          Then there is no issue outlawing it for minors. The downside is that NPD/BPD mothers now can't have a trans kid to show off.

          Didn't that Florida surgeon 'yeet the teets' of a 13 year old? Or the 16 year old who died of necrotising fasciitis after bottom surgery went horribly wrong.

          Just imagine if doctors gave anorexic people affirming care rather than actually treating the underlying causes?

          Trans is just the latest catch all easy fix diagnosis for kids who are having issues.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: What is deemed harmful to kids ?

      Give me a child...

      That was just the Jesuits wasn't it? Or do you believe what they say?

      Frankly the last web site any kid is going to visit is going to be a religious one. But thanks for the laugh.

      1. John Brown (no body) Silver badge

        Re: What is deemed harmful to kids ?

        Most kids probably only access Wikipedia for homework reasons. Likely the same reason most kids would ever knowingly visit a religious site.

        1. Michael Wojcik Silver badge

          Re: What is deemed harmful to kids ?

          I attended and taught at a university on the fringe of the Bible Belt, and let me assure you there are a great many young people in the US who do, in all seriousness, consult religious websites. These were kids who ascribed to one flavor or another of Christianity, but I'm sure the same is true of many other faiths. Even teenagers are quite capable of being True Believers – even when such beliefs contradict others they hold. (Rationalizing cognitive dissonance is a skill most people master early.)

          Once again, much of the Reg commentariat seem to have trouble grasping the idea that Not Everyone Is You.

    3. Strahd Ivarius Silver badge

      Re: What is deemed harmful to kids ?

      I am curious, what is the legal definition of pornography?

      1. teebie

        Re: What is deemed harmful to kids ?

        "I know it when I see it"

  5. the spectacularly refined chap Silver badge

    ...has come under fire not only for its calls for age verificatuon but also for wording that implies breaking encyrption...

    FFS. No, I refuse to flag it up as an "error". Cutting costs and skipping copyediting is a choice, not an error.

    1. Alumoi Silver badge

      That's chatGPT for you...

      1. the spectacularly refined chap Silver badge

        I think they're just toying with me now. It's been "corrected":

        ...but also for wording that implies breaking encryptiion...

        Ha ha very bloody funny.

    2. jake Silver badge

      "I refuse to flag it up as an "error"."

      And yet here you are, very publicly pointing out the error.

      Presumably you are hoping for many thumbs up from the spleling nazis (I can't be arsed to turn 'em on and look). What they are up is left as an exercise for the reader.

      1. david bates

        We like to be shown the errors. The man knows his audience.

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Most harmful thing to children in the UK

    is the current Tory government.

    1. Trigun

      Re: Most harmful thing to children in the UK

      Now, now, don't be exclusionary. All our parties are quite harmful, and not just to children.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Most harmful thing to children in the UK

        True. However it's only the Tories that have the power to do anything at the moment.

        Although it does seem their current message is they have somehow been out of power for the past 13 fucking years. What with everything being someone elses fault and all that. You know - that anti growth coalition of people not in power ?

        1. 43300 Silver badge

          Re: Most harmful thing to children in the UK

          Unfortunately, I rather doubt if Labour will be any less authoritarian when they get their turn at fucking the country. I wouldn't trust either of the main parties on something like this - both sets of MPs seem to be technolgically illiterate (with a handful of exceptions), and both work on the concept that the more data they can collect on the proles, the better.

    2. david bates

      Re: Most harmful thing to children in the UK

      I'd imagine getting buggered by Cyril Smith was quite harmful to children, even discounting the inevitable crush injuries, and he wasn't a Tory...

  7. This post has been deleted by its author

  8. Roland6 Silver badge

    "Encyclopaedia exception” ?

    In focusing on “porn” etc, have we missed that this bill is so poorly drafted that even the BBC’s Ceebies website (ie. Any website) will need to implement age verification?

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: "Encyclopaedia exception” ?

      You need to be under 10 to use it?

  9. T. F. M. Reader

    Dog years

    If something on the Internet gives its age in dog years the whole internet will know it's a dog. And we can't have that, can we?

    1. jake Silver badge

      Re: Dog years

      "And we can't have that, can we?"

      Of course not. Because dogs are Not Allowed. Not even Spot.

      1. Snowy Silver badge
        Joke

        Re: Dog years

        Data says Spot is a cat.

  10. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Do want to say the whole UK online safety bill is such a unworkable mess that it is likely to collapse under its own weight just look at the last UK age verification law that was delayed over and over again until it was quietly scraped.

    Also OFCOM needs to satisfy itself, beyond reasonable doubt, that an age-verification vendor is secure and does not expose users or their data to unauthorised disclosure or security breaches, its the same dilemma the BBFC faced and let to the whole thing falling apart.

    There also the fact that Ofcom is likely to be super underfunded and unable to enforce 90% of the bill so its likely the rules will not be effective.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      But in the meantime children are exposed to hard porn websites like Wikipedia! This has to stop!

      /s

    2. Michael Wojcik Silver badge

      I suspect for many of the legislators this is the plan. Pass a virtue-signaling (for the reactionaries) law, knowing that in practice it will be ineffective so people won't be up in arms about its revenge effects. There will be the occasional wrist-slapping fine to show it's "working".

      There's bread, and then there's circus. This is circus.

      1. Julz

        What have the Romans even done for us...

  11. Howard Sway Silver badge

    aims to make the UK "the safest place in the world to be online"

    As a lot more sites than just Wikipedia will simply block UK users, it might be thought that it would inadvertently do this, on the principle that never going anywhere or doing anything is statistically safer than going places and doing things. However, in reality it will just drive people to more dodgy underground sites run by heavy criminals where they will be a lot less safe.

    Then there's the scenario where "law abiding" sites break encryption and store details of verified users. As this will attract every miscreant hacker in the world to attempt to target them and grab all the personal info, it will not take long before personal details of users from porn sites, etc get leaked online and publicised. No doubt including many MPs and other members of the supposed great and the good, who I hope are all ready for the consequences this will bring them personally, as well as the anger of victims amongst the general public who will blame them for whatever consequences they face.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: aims to make the UK "the safest place in the world to be online"

      Well Ofcom is likely to be super underfunded and unable to enforce 90% of the bill so its likely the rules will not be effective. Its likely the bill will be such a unworkable mess that it is likely to collapse.

    2. jake Silver badge

      Re: aims to make the UK "the safest place in the world to be online"

      "However, in reality it will just drive people to more dodgy underground sites run by heavy criminals where they will be a lot less safe."

      Or people will learn to use VPNs en-mass.

      There is absolutely no fucking way that a mere government is going to keep teenage boys away from pR0n ... and from what I've seen as the local "fixer" of b0rken equipment, the teenage girls have finally caught up with the boys in the pR0n viewing department.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: aims to make the UK "the safest place in the world to be online"

        Solution: Ban VPNs.

        And install a nation-wide Firewall, like our role model China.

        /s

        1. Strahd Ivarius Silver badge

          Re: aims to make the UK "the safest place in the world to be online"

          it should be easier, since GB is an island...

  12. sitta_europea Silver badge

    "... we doubt the org has these numbers."

    I'm quite sure that their servers have logs, and that they can trawl the logs for IP addresses, and that they can run the IP addresses past GeoIP or something.

    I do that for mail.

    For example I can tell you that a typical connection from the USA gets a BS score of 3.3, from the UK it's 1.34, and from China it's 7.31.

    Of course this tells me nothing about the typical sender from one of these jurismydictions other than how likely it is that I'll want to receive mail from them.

  13. J.G.Harston Silver badge

    Ok Lords, *you* demonstrate how anonymous age verification is possible, within a universe where human beings have the capability to lie.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Lord: Ofcom can figure it out!

  14. Trigun

    I'm pretty free speech minded, but even I can see a need sometimes to have restrictions.

    However, (normal) porn sites are not THE most harmful things on the internet. Social media is probably one of the most harmful (and biased) things that I have ever encountered in person.

    As for wikipeida. While they are there "doing the right thing", maybe they could also "do the right thing" and fix the collosal bias in any page which is remotely political or cultural.

    They could also implement a system to prevent malicious arsecannons from rewriting someone's personal pages just because they disagree with them, etc.

    1. CowHorseFrog Silver badge

      yeh nobody died because of a breast, in fact most of us wouldnt be here if they didnt exist, but showing people getting ripped apart with blood everywhere is ok.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        "The Nipple and the Damage done" (Neil Young).

        /s

  15. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Let me know ...

    Please let me know when it's the right time to write to my MP, and the kind of things I should say to object to this nonsense.

  16. CowHorseFrog Silver badge

    Wiki should be more concerned about the blatent America push on the front page. Its almost like the rest of the world doesnt exist ?

    11 out of 30...

    Is that a fair balanced view of the world ?

    29 April

    High School Musical: The Musical: The Series is an American mockumentary musical drama television

    Apri 1

    The Boring Lava Field is a Plio-Pleistocene volcanic field with cinder cones, small shield volcanoes, and lava flows in the northern Willamette Valley of the U.S. state of Oregon

    April 3

    Riders Field is a baseball park in Frisco, Texas, United States.

    April 4

    "Lips Are Movin" is a song by American singer-songwriter Meghan Trainor (

    April 5

    John C. Young (1803–1857) was an American educator and pastor who was the fourth preside

    April 7

    Beavers are large, semiaquatic rodents of the Northern Hemisphere. There are two extant species: the North American

    April 15

    Louis H. Bean (April 15, 1896 – August 5, 1994) was an American economic and political analyst.

    April 17

    The Roanoke Island, North Carolina, half dollar is a commemorative coin issued by the U.S. Bureau of the Mint in 1937.

    April 18

    The Providence and Worcester Railroad (P&W) is an American Class II railroad operating 612 miles (985 km)

    April 19

    Logan is an 1822 Gothic novel by American writer John Neal (depicted).

    April 26

    When Megan Went Away is a 1979 children's picture book written by Jane Severance (pictured) and illustrated by Tea Schook. The book, featuring lesbian parents, was the first picture book to include any LGBT characters. Published by Lollipop Power, an American independent press, t

    1. John Brown (no body) Silver badge

      It's most likely skewed by the large population of of the USA likely making the USA the largest contributor and almost certainly the largest consumer of articles.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Which section of the front page are you referring to?

    3. Michael Wojcik Silver badge

      Yes, this is definitely something we should be very concerned about, right after every other actual problem is fixed.

  17. This post has been deleted by its author

  18. tyrfing

    "The Lords, however, said they felt that "anonymous age verification is possible.""

    The Lords, with all due respect, reveal their lack of relevant domain knowledge by that statement.

    Among other things, assuming this were possible, how would you check that it was implemented properly?

    1. yetanotheraoc Silver badge

      an algorithm fit for a Lord

      if (true)

      implemented_properly = true;

  19. Winkypop Silver badge
    Facepalm

    "anonymous age verification is possible”

    In other news:

    - cold fusion “easy” says MP

    - perpetual motion “solved by luncheon break” says Lord

    - teleportation “a doddle” explains Minister

    - lost socks “a committee has been formed” proclaims Home Secretary

    1. 43300 Silver badge

      Re: "anonymous age verification is possible”

      "- lost socks “a committee has been formed” proclaims Home Secretary"

      The washing machine will be the cuplit there! An even number of socks went in, but an odd number came out...

  20. Tron Silver badge

    What about TV?

    Kids can see naked people - yes, people without clothes - on several programmes on broadcast TV, and sometimes some actual snogging too, without any form of age verification. Surely this needs to be addressed. Worse, they can buy mirrors and see themselves naked. Will nobody think of the children and ban the sale of mirrors?

  21. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    "Won't Parents think of the children?"

  22. C.Carr

    Safest place in the world ... ?

    Even safer than ... China? How about Iran? Saudi Arabia?

    I don't know, fellas, that's a tall order. Maybe set your sights a little lower, like Russia.

  23. greenwood-IT

    I should be a politition

    How about we delay the age verification bill for a few years?

    By that time, the children we're trying to protect will have grown up and be over 18. Problem solved :-)

    Why are we removing responsibility from the parents? Supervision, discussion and Parental Control software does actually work. In comparison, look at the eScooter rental situation with children under 18 driving in the streets - how is the age verification via driving license working there?

  24. Jim Whitaker

    Balance is the key.

    Of course age verification is a sensible and proportionate course of action for some services. Of course Wikipedia is not remotely one of those.

    But then a VPN will probably defeat all restrictions. So only the non-savvy child will be excluded.

  25. Cliffwilliams44 Silver badge

    Don't tell them what to to, tell them what will happen if they don't!

    1. Children: It is the responsibility of the Parents to protect their children. Parental controls are easily and inexpensively available. Exposing or allowing exposure of pornography to children should and is a crime. Inform parents what the penalties are and will be.

    2. Companies/Organizations: They are responsible for protecting their customers data/privacy. Make them aware that the penalties for not doing will be severe! Not only financially but criminally.

    3. Enforce the laws! Far to often we see these companies not made responsible for these serious breaches.

  26. Combat Epistomologist

    "Sir, I exist!", declared the [politician].

    "Indeed," replied the Universe, "but that does not induce in me any sense of obligation."

    Politicians are uniformly reliable in their expectation that reality should conform to their will in any number of technically infeasible things, and what is more, expecting it to conform post-haste, and at no cost to the public purse! Reality, if it deigns to notice at all, simply sniggers behind its hand and goes on exactly as it was.

  27. Grinning Bandicoot

    In this forum the other day a link was given to Monty Python's Lumber Jack sketch. Having a warped cynical mind I wandered off to watch the link which lead to going to my collection of Python and a binge watch. During the binge the words Profumo rose up -- yes politicians, spies, and extramarital SEX. [see the Wiki entry while you can] all things children need not know. By the WAY what about the very explicit expressions of sexual Angst spread through the urban wasteland by this very same group getting protected. Speaking of urban will the rules different down on the farm? That bunch knows a is stud is and does from before weaning!

    This by it nature of questioning the powers that be might be the proof that children need the protection of politicians;that parents need not parent because the poles know how to make you think RIGHT.

  28. Winkypop Silver badge

    Parents have kids so that other people can look out for them

    Some, parents anyway…

  29. The Basis of everything is...

    I'm guessing many of those dedicated hardworking public servants in the Houses of Parliament must have been teenagers in the 80's, and would surely have encountered the "age verification" in that most educational game Leisure Suite Larry?

    Nuff said....

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