Alec MuffettMar 19
Ofcom persist in pretending that 4chan are trading in the UK, rather than accepting that Britons are visiting a foreign website
https://alecmuffett.com/article/150156
#4chan #OnlineSafetyAct #censorship #ofcom #surveillance
Ofcom persist in pretending that 4chan are trading in the UK, rather than accepting that Britons are visiting a foreign website

Regulate the Britons, not the foreign websites: “4Chan responds to £520,000 Ofcom fine with AI picture of hamster” “Companies – wherever they’re based – are not allowed to s…

Dropsafe
Show threadGavin StarksMar 19

@alecmuffett
what options are achievable?

1. 'Regulate the Britons' means... fine people for accessing the content?

2. Block access to "foreign websites"?

3. Allow open, free access to anyone for anything?

4. Other...?

Can you help me with the "one sentence for a minister"?

Also, are you suggesting that Reddit isn't _operating_ in the UK?

(also, hi! I didn't notice you had an astro background too... )

Show threadAlec MuffettMar 19

@agentGav all of 1, 2, & 3 - if the government is intent on implementing censorship of foreign websites, it needs to punish people for accessing foreign websites in order to protect them from themselves.

If this sounds flippant, it's not meant to be. This is the same issue as the Spycatcher affair & of "contempt of (British) court" proceedings caused by American reporting of British cases. It is an impedance mismatch between Britain & the rest of the world, and we should admit our limitations.

Show threadGavin StarksMar 19

@alecmuffett Does shifting responsibility from platforms to users not just make enforcement harder and more intrusive?

If Reddit isn’t operating in the UK what would count? Having a building here?

Isn't it _structurally_ similar to GDPR, just harder to enforce?

Show threadAlec MuffettMar 19

@agentGav picking and choosing cases is really interesting: Reddit especially through its holding company has a footing in the UK. Sure, you can sue the hell out of it, go for it and see if it works. All that will happen is the kids/trolls will go elsewhere to foreign climes where you cannot observe nor educate them.

It's a bit like Brexit: declare independence, and then fight to retain relevance, plus: rave impotently about people getting stuff from "China" without paying taxes - or even money

Show threadAlec Muffett
@agentGav Enforcement of British norms upon global speech is not feasible. Pretence that you can do so is delusional. Saying that "it's too hard or expensive to educate the British people to be decent and upright and upstanding" is defeatist. Social engineering starts at home, and that begins with recognition of the global nature of modern communication and the merely parochial capabilities of enforcement.
Mar 19 at 6:15pmMastodon for Android
Show threadAlec MuffettMar 19
@agentGav in short: if the people are the problem then punish the people for misbehaviour, rather than pretending that you can convince global websites to stop British people shopping themselves around the world in order to pursue their goals.