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The Digital Economy Act 2017 threatened to introduce strict age verification for internet porn access coupled with ISP blocking for websites that don't comply.
However the legislation was fundamentally flawed by its voluntary approach to privacy and security. After a series of delays, the age verification section of the bill was put out of its misery in October 2019.
The censorship of internet porn will now
be carried over into the Online Harms Bill which has wider ambitions on the censorship of the whole internet. This bill will be discussed during 2020. An interesting foible is that if the censorship rules are a bit tough for US internet giants then these
may become a negotiating point in the upcoming trade talks with the US.
Prior to the Online Harms Bill will be consideration of the extension of EU VoD censorship under an updated AVMS directive. Ofcom had previously mirrored censorship
arrangements as proposed for the Digital Economy Act but now may need to reconsider as age verification services will not be so readily available. Also there is the issue that any onerous censorship/age verification requirements would only apply to
websites run from Britain so onerous rules may prove very unfair.
Meanwhile the Information Commissioner's Office has published wide ranging age verification requirements for most websites in the name of data protection for children, Eg Amazon
shoppers may have to prove being 16+ before being allowed to hand over personal details to online checkouts. Since the draft, ICO downgraded 'age verification' to 'age assurance' suggesting that less rigorous age checking may be sufficient. ICO have
probably created a difficulty for companies to earn a living, as the no data slurping requirement for kids may prove attractive to adults too. Users may prove a little reluctant to 'assure' their age.
Cuts and Bans 3rd Mar
Paranoia Agent MVD announces that its forthcoming Blu-ray will be uncut after previous BBFC cuts have been waived
.Censorship warning Twitter introduces a five strike rule for censoring covid tweets
that Twitter does not like
Privacy
Ethical snooping
Google promises not to replace cookie based web browsing snooping with another privacy invasive method of snooping
Liberty 1st Mar
Ethical snooping GCHQ discusses the ethics of using AI and mass snooping to analyse people's internet use to detect both
serious crime and no doubt political incorrectness
Internet
User control Twitter is set to introduce a voluntary censored 'Safety Mode' that blocks accounts that Twitter thinks you won't like
South Asia
'Go fund yourself' Indian Netflix rolls back its censorship of a crude joke in South Park
West Europe
Offsite Article:
A dangerous rap Like Pablo Hasél, Spain wants me jailed for rap
lyrics. By Valtònyc
Aussie 1st Mar
Fast tracked porn censorship Australian internet child protection bill inevitably slips in censorship capability to block adult consensual porn
US News
28th Feb
Futuristic porn Vinegar Syndrome is set to release its first hardcore 4K Blu-ray, Sex World
Sex Aware
Extract:
Ethics Consult Debating whether dementia patients can consent to sex
Asia Pacific
25th Feb
StateControlTube North Korea offers a series of supervisory options to punish children for watching porn
Music 23rd Feb
Porn danger Supporting the hype for Bella Thorne's music video Shake It
World 22nd Feb
Obscenely inconsiderate Thailand warns its sex workers that going online during the covid
crisis may result in prosecution for 'obcenity'
