1w ago

UK households could face VPN 'ban' after use skyrockets following Online Safety Bill

www.birminghammail.co.uk

UK households could face VPN 'ban' after use skyrockets

Technology @piefed.social

Sunshine @piefed.ca

1w ago

Labour rules out VPN ban in UK but issues warning to UK households

www.birminghammail.co.uk /news/midlands-news/uk-households-could-face-vpn-32152789

Technology @lemmy.world

themachinestops @lemmy.dbzer0.com

1w ago

UK households could face VPN 'ban' after use skyrockets following Online Safety Bill

www.birminghammail.co.uk /news/midlands-news/uk-households-could-face-vpn-32152789

25 comments

It’s like watching an online version of Brexit, without the referendum
"Many of these free VPNs are riddled with issues," said Daniel Card, a cyber-security expert with the Chartered Institute for IT (BCS).
"Some act as traffic brokers for data harvesting firms, others are so poorly built they expose users to attacks."
He told the BBC despite posing a range of potential privacy risks, such apps "end up in the hands of kids trying to watch age-restricted content", or adults "trying to get round blocks".
Ah yes, there it is: won't anyone think of the children. I expected that argument higher up in the article.
So surely no corporations or governments will be using them to remote in, right?
Here's a free vpn that will keep you safe enough to watch porn on: https://protonvpn.com/
- And if you don't want to use a sketchy free VPN: https://mullvad.net/en/vpn
UK: from the EU to the Uzbekistan of the Atlantic.
- EU is working on that, too
The UK politicians who thought this was a good idea deserve a "ban"
Seriously, how did they not see this coming?
I can't see anywhere in the article that says they may be 'banned'.
They can try though. They can also try and collect water in a sieve.
- Eh, a back bencher has called for a report on how VPNs interfere with ofcoms ability to enforce/regulate the online safety act within 6 months.
  https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/vpns-online-safety-bill-labour-champion-b2239810.html
  "My new clause 54 would require the Secretary of State to publish, within six months of the Bill’s passage, a report on the effect of VPN use on Ofcom’s ability to enforce the requirements under clause 112.
  "If VPNs cause significant issues, the Government must identify those issues and find solutions, rather than avoiding difficult problems."
  The likely conclusion of that report is that "VPNs circumvent the age verification requirement, so circumvent the OSA, so VPNs must be banned"
  
  Yes, I read that. 'Likely conclusion' does not equal a ban though.
  I'm just being a bit pedantic about the headline - this whole thing is crappy (and unworkable) enough as it is, without jumping to conclusions.
  
  Somehow I don't see this being a popular move
What's with the clickbait headline? Did the linked article change or did OP twist it to mean opposite?
Linked source says:
Headline "Labour rules out VPN ban in UK but issues warning to UK households"
Byline "Labour won't ban the use of Virtual Private Networks"
"Keep calm and give up all and everything for your own safety"
Please do it
- Why? How is any of this a good thing?
  
  I just remember how Roscomnadzor started banning everything
  they've banned 127.0.0.1
  they banned all telegram IP ranges, downing card payments in the country
  they learned how to ban wireguard in the whole country, effectively ruining a lot of internal contours
  
  Maybe they just really hate the uk
  
  It would make the public hate the politicians who came up with the online safety bill in the first place

25 comments