4 ms·

Won't someone please think of the children syndrome. The real answer is we want to read all of your internet interactions any time we want; the children thing

Won't someone please think of the children syndrome. The real answer is we want to read all of your internet interactions any time we want; the children thing is just a way to convince people that letting the government (and everyone else) to spy on you is ok.

stevespang 5y ago
grishka 5y ago
Russian laws that granted the government the ability to block websites were also initially aimed at protecting children from drugs and suicide. Though somehow, they didn't have any provisions to allow adults access this "forbidden information". After the technical capability was in place, they've expanded the possible grounds to block websites on multiple times. It now includes piracy, refusal of cooperation with FSB, being a public VPN, being related to Navalny, etc.
- DoItToMe81 5y ago
  In Australia, we had a plan for a massive web filter in the late 2000s. Their databases were broken into and the blacklist leaked, and inbetween the genuinely illegal sites were sites that had been deemed to be politically immoral, like supporting decriminalization of drugs or spreading information on abortion. There were many things that were perfectly legal but had personally offended the people presiding over the filter, including random Wikipedia pages and certain personal websites, including a dentist's site. This filter, of course, was sold to people with the idea of protecting children against predators. Anything not directly relating to children that is sold to you with "B-BUT THINK OF THE CHILDREN!" is done with the intent to manipulate you and provide you with the false dichotomy of "unconditional acceptance, or child abuse", which is nonsense and should be viewed with extreme suspicion.
  - grishka 5y ago
    Oh, it was viewed with extreme suspicion and opposed by many, especially those working in IT. Just don't forget that Russia is a dictatorship with a dysfunctional parliament (Единая Россия, Putin's party, has more than 50% of seats) and so doesn't care much about people's opinion. I don't know much about Australian government, but it's probably more democratic than that.

stevespang 5y ago

grishka 5y ago

Russian laws that granted the government the ability to block websites were also initially aimed at protecting children from drugs and suicide. Though somehow, they didn't have any provisions to allow adults access this "forbidden information". After the technical capability was in place, they've expanded the possible grounds to block websites on multiple times. It now includes piracy, refusal of cooperation with FSB, being a public VPN, being related to Navalny, etc.

DoItToMe81 5y ago
In Australia, we had a plan for a massive web filter in the late 2000s. Their databases were broken into and the blacklist leaked, and inbetween the genuinely illegal sites were sites that had been deemed to be politically immoral, like supporting decriminalization of drugs or spreading information on abortion. There were many things that were perfectly legal but had personally offended the people presiding over the filter, including random Wikipedia pages and certain personal websites, including a dentist's site. This filter, of course, was sold to people with the idea of protecting children against predators. Anything not directly relating to children that is sold to you with "B-BUT THINK OF THE CHILDREN!" is done with the intent to manipulate you and provide you with the false dichotomy of "unconditional acceptance, or child abuse", which is nonsense and should be viewed with extreme suspicion.
- grishka 5y ago
  Oh, it was viewed with extreme suspicion and opposed by many, especially those working in IT. Just don't forget that Russia is a dictatorship with a dysfunctional parliament (Единая Россия, Putin's party, has more than 50% of seats) and so doesn't care much about people's opinion. I don't know much about Australian government, but it's probably more democratic than that.