meowmeowbeanz
@meowmeowbeanz@sopuli.xyz
- Comment on VPN Registrations Increase by 1,000%, less than Hour After PornHub Blocked France From Accessing its Website. 2 weeks ago:
Fair point on the current system being theater, but here’s the thing - any centralized age verification system creates exactly the surveillance database you’re worried about.
The “harder than clicking yes” solutions all have the same fundamental flaw: they require collecting and storing sensitive data that becomes a honeypot for both state actors and bad actors. Upload your ID? Now there’s a database linking your identity to your viewing habits. Credit card verification? Same problem, plus you’re creating financial trails.
The technical reality is that determined kids will circumvent anything you put in place. We already saw this play out - VPN registrations exploded 1,000% in France within 30 minutes. You’re not actually protecting kids; you’re just normalizing data collection on adults while teaching every teenager in the country how to use Tor.
Better approach would be device-level parental controls that parents can configure without creating centralized databases. Let Apple, Google, Microsoft handle age verification through their existing account systems where the data stays local. That way you get actual protection without building the infrastructure for a surveillance state.
The French solution gives you the worst of both worlds - ineffective protection AND mass surveillance. Classic government efficiency.
- Comment on VPN Registrations Increase by 1,000%, less than Hour After PornHub Blocked France From Accessing its Website. 2 weeks ago:
Peak French stupidity, this isn’t about protecting kids - it’s about building surveillance infrastructure. Back in 2024, critics already called this the foundation for a “Great Firewall of France”. Once you have the legal framework to block websites and force ISPs to implement monitoring, mission creep is inevitable.
The technical approach is laughably naive. They’re essentially creating a centralized system that could easily become a database of citizen sexual preferences. Even with their “double anonymity,” you’re still creating digital fingerprints and metadata trails.
Most importantly, it won’t work. Kids will just use VPNs - the same way adults are already doing. You’re not protecting anyone; you’re just pushing everyone toward circumvention tools while normalizing government control over what adults can access online.
It’s perfectly French because it combines maximum bureaucratic complexity with zero practical benefit, all while creating new opportunities for state overreach. Classic.
- Comment on Reddit cofounder Alexis Ohanian says AI should moderate social media 3 months ago:
You’re right that echo chambers are unavoidable, but dismissing balance as chaos ignores the nuance. The current system already feeds division, so why not explore tools that nudge users toward diverse perspectives without forcing them? Autonomy doesn’t have to mean isolation—it can coexist with thoughtful design that fosters understanding instead of entrenching biases.
Rejecting balance outright feels like surrendering to the status quo.
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- Comment on Reddit cofounder Alexis Ohanian says AI should moderate social media 3 months ago:
Empowering users or just handing them the keys to their own echo chambers? Innovative but fraught with potential downsides.
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- Comment on France is about to pass the worst surveillance law in the EU. 3 months ago:
Backdoors for ‘good guys’ don’t exist—this is a shortcut to mass exploitation.
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- Comment on What exactly is the Fediverse? 3 months ago:
Matrix and XMPP are federated but not part of the Fediverse, which revolves around ActivityPub. While they share the principle of decentralization, the Fediverse specifically connects platforms like Mastodon or Lemmy via ActivityPub. Promoting a Matrix room in Lemmy communities might align with shared values but doesn’t make Matrix part of the Fediverse. Bridging these ecosystems is possible but not inherent.
- Comment on All 50 States Have Now Introduced Right to Repair Legislation 3 months ago:
A monumental win for repair warriors; corporate gatekeeping faces a well-deserved reckoning.
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- Comment on When You Block the Internet on Your Phone, Something Astonishing Happens Mentally 3 months ago:
Insightful article highlighting tech detox benefits, though lacks broader societal impact analysis.
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- Comment on Facepalm on multiple levels 3 months ago:
Caesar cosplay meets dystopian fanfare.
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- Comment on France runs fusion reactor for record 22 minutes 3 months ago:
France’s 22-minute plasma reaction is a bold stride toward sustainable fusion energy but remains experimental.
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