House Committee Passes Child "Safety" Bills That Push National Age Verification(reclaimthenet.org)
74 pointsby iamnothere2 days ago9 comments
  • kelseyfrog2 days ago
    It's too bad a lot of the dissenting arguments sounded the same as those against wearing masks. It was an own goal that could have been avoided.

    What could have worked was a right to privacy, but by then the well had already been poisoned.

    • true_religiona day ago
      I’m not sure I’m against the bill since it’s implemented at the App Store level. They wanted a walled garden and became a duopoly. If we aren’t going to dismantle the walls, then at least the public has right to determine what happens at the gates.

      For the same reason, I’m okay with the UK regional monopoly ISPs blocking all adult content by default, and requiring an adult user to disable the default block. It doesn’t give the ISP any more info than they already had on their customer, and puts the responsibility of fine grained monitoring of the device in the users hands.

      • iamnothere21 hours ago
        The “app store” model they are defining will encompass some Linux distribution repositories, and will be used to regulate FOSS software distributed through those channels. This is not just about commercial app stores (though it should be limited to those).

        Hobby software should not be subject to regulation. Nobody will write FOSS if they have to pay a lawyer or worry about fines, compliance, and such. (Actually some will continue to write it, but will move underground.)

  • westmeal2 days ago
    Unfortunately no one gives a shit besides a lot of us.
  • anthka day ago
    The US sure wants to collapse by sending most of the libre software foundations and companies (and infrastructure) to Canada to avoid useless regulations on software.
  • bigyabai2 days ago
    > The App Store Accountability Act adds age gating at the app store level

    Don't forget the corporations that valiantly fought against "sideloading" to ensure this could happen. Props to them and their supporters on HN, hopefully this is what you wanted.

  • derelictaa day ago
    In politics, assume politicians are evil, not stupid.
  • metalmana day ago
    revenge of the beurocrats

    this is bieng pushed from inside the civil service in conjunction with money interests and is equivalent to a treasonous military takeover

    I would argue that the traditional consequences apply

    • bigyabaia day ago
      This literally could have been avoided if the bureaucrats at the FTC prevented App Store monopolies from existing.

      We're only in this situation because the bureaucrats were paid-off by the corporations.

  • casey2a day ago
    I don't support these laws for the same reason I wouldn't support national, gendered and racial APIs. Anonymity is a fundamental human right, segregation isn't.

    It hasn't even been a year since the supreme court ruled in favor of compelled speech for specific adult content and that's already expanded to any engagement with an OS. That's how you know these are being pushed by industry, there is a huge market for verified child advertising. Everyone talking about slippery slop with Texas not even a year ago, are you eating crow or caviar?

  • throwaway815232 days ago
    But Think of thE cHiLdren!!!
  • sizzzzlerz2 days ago
    [flagged]