this post was submitted on 06 Sep 2025
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This consolidation of power is a dream come true for the Big Tech platforms, but it’s a nightmare for users. While the megacorporations get more traffic and a whole lot more user data (read: profit), users are left with far fewer community options and a bland, corporate surveillance machine instead of a vibrant public sphere. The internet we all fell in love with is a diverse and colorful place, full of innovation, connection, and unique opportunities for self-expression. That internet—our internet—is worth defending.

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[–] etherphon@piefed.world 186 points 1 month ago (52 children)

If I have to verify myself I simply won't use it, I really don't care, there's nothing so important online that I need to prove my identity to see it. (Banking and shit like that aside of course). Social media? Give me a break I'm already over it before all this ID shit. I hope it all burns to the ground.

[–] Fiivemacs@lemmy.ca 50 points 1 month ago (1 children)

this. I refuse to make more accounts, and verify personal info. Ive been prepping for the big disconnect from the internet as a result. there will come a time when it just won't be usable

[–] shortwavesurfer@lemmy.zip 20 points 1 month ago

Tor and i2p say hello. The internet itself will be totally usable. The clear net is what will become unusable.

[–] LuckingFurker@lemmy.blahaj.zone 15 points 1 month ago (3 children)

Same. I know there are easy ways around it but I'm not going to use them, and I wish more people could take this attitude - if everyone cut down their Internet usage in response to this ID stuff things would quickly start to turn around

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Yup, the furthest I'd go is entering a birthdate. Depending on the service, I'm anywhere from 21 to 105 years old.

[–] hector@lemmy.today 8 points 1 month ago

Same. I hardly use youtube and will pirate anything I want to see.

I am planning on open sourcing phones and computers too.

Silicon valley parasites can do their age verification without me, that is the last straw, I hardly use now anyway.

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[–] 1984@lemmy.today 85 points 1 month ago (21 children)

Absolutely never using any service that requires this. I dont even have any account on those platforms and I never will.

[–] shortwavesurfer@lemmy.zip 15 points 1 month ago

I completely agree. The minute a platform asks me to do age verification is the moment I leave that platform.

I will take my traffic to platforms that won't do shit like that.

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[–] themurphy@lemmy.ml 23 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Hopefully, in the EU at least, the verification will be provided by the government. Like a 2FA, meaning Big Tech would only get a verified token and nothing else.

The government already got passports with our face, and have had it for many years. They could use that information.

That would mean that any platform could implement this verification, and never get hold on any data.

Best case in a shitty scenario, I know.

[–] Prox@lemmy.world 30 points 1 month ago (1 children)

No. There's no "hopefully" anything when it comes to this bullshit. It's bad for the individual, full stop. This is not a thing to compromise on, because any compromise at all will eventually harm the users (though leaks/hacks, or government overreach, etc.) without any actual benefit or offset to them.

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[–] lime@feddit.nu 21 points 1 month ago (1 children)

one of the big problems that isn't solved by this is what gets to be behind verification. who decides what kids aren't allowed to see. we've seen already that most of the world's governments can't really be trusted with what is adult content and not.

[–] HertzDentalBar@lemmy.blahaj.zone 25 points 1 month ago (2 children)

When I was in highschool my friends parents had child lock bullshit on his computer, poor sod couldn't even goto wikipedia because there are articles with naughty words.

This shit is real slippery slope shit.

[–] HakFoo@lemmy.sdf.org 14 points 1 month ago (6 children)

We need to reframe the discussion from "it's for the children" to "it's for lazy parents".

People are keen to scapegoat parents, and here it's the truth. They don't want to use existing opt-in controls, or put the damn computer where they can keep an eye on Little Timmy while he uses it. Make the entirery of the legal system do it for you!

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[–] A_Random_Idiot@lemmy.world 21 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

i find it interesting that some of the most debased, vile, disgusting perverts to ever live are passing laws to force regular, everyday people to dox themselves just so they can see a tig ol gilf bitty.

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[–] Korhaka@sopuli.xyz 21 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Depends on the platform surely, couldn't a lemmy instance just ignore the UK? Not block, ignore.

I am sure I saw that smaller platforms are seeing a surge in popularity because they are not doing it while pornhub saw a large drop. How many switched to a VPN and how many use another site?

[–] toynbee@lemmy.world 10 points 1 month ago (6 children)

Even safer might be that image that's been circulating. It states that if you're in the UK, the hosting site is required to verify your age, but they're not required to verify your location. Now, please click on of these buttons indicating whether or not you're in the UK to determine whether age verification must be performed.

(Presumably "I am in the UK" leads to an innocuous website)

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[–] jali67@lemmy.zip 19 points 1 month ago

Amazes me how the UK Labour Party and Starmer managed to absolutely squander their one opportunity after gaining power for the first time in many years.

[–] littleguy@lemmy.cif.su 13 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Remember to always host anonymously.

[–] electric_nan@lemmy.ml 7 points 1 month ago

Share some tips for that?

[–] NauticalNoodle@lemmy.ml 13 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (2 children)

I am disinclined to believe that this is a death-sentence for smaller platforms longterm.

[–] Doomsider@lemmy.world 26 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Depends on the nature of the platform. It is not good for small commercial entities that will be required to enact a ID verification system because it will increase the cost of entry to the market.

Increasing the cost of entry will benefit large corporations that will easily absorb the cost. Platforms that don't require it will likely be unaffected.

[–] Yaztromo@lemmy.world 7 points 1 month ago (7 children)

It is not good for small commercial entities that will be required to enact a ID verification system because it will increase the cost of entry to the market.

As someone who works in this space, I doubt it’s going to be an issue for smaller entities. We already have SSO for basic login identity from a variety of providers (Microsoft, Facebook, Google, Apple) — smaller sites already love to use these as it provides easy access to existing users, and saves a ton of coding for having to handle login information, password management, etc.

These same entities can handle the age verification. Now I can see arguments as to why centralizing logins and age verification like this could be a problem for users, but if I decided to start my own social media app tomorrow I’d likely rely on the big platforms to handle all of this (as we already see everywhere — heck, app for ordering pizza support Facebook, Google, and Apple logins), and save myself the cost and hassle of implementing this myself (never mind the potential embarrassment and liability should someone hack my site). Then it’s on those platforms to worry about age verification.

All of these services are currently free, and save you from a ton of coding around user accounts and authentication, so using them is usually cheaper then having to DIY it.

[–] SaharaMaleikuhm@feddit.org 17 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Yes, but I will never log in to any site with those. If those are my only options I am not using your website.

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[–] wuphysics87@lemmy.ml 10 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Will vpns still work? What would the legal ramifications be if you used one?

[–] hector@lemmy.today 26 points 1 month ago (1 children)

They're planning on making vpns illegal. They haven't said that yet but they are.

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[–] Saltarello@lemmy.world 18 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (2 children)

You can't always simply VPN around it. I applied for a job via one of the popular job sites. Tried to log back in to the job site a week later only to to find my account had been blocked until I provide proof of ID to a US based third party company ...I'm in Europe. Spoiler alert: I did not provide proof of ID & so have no idea whether or not I was a suitable applicant for the job.

Guess i won't be job hunting through that site again. The whole thing is farcical.

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[–] peoplebeproblems@midwest.social 7 points 1 month ago (2 children)

We should just make an Internet that you have to VPN into. Like sci-fi space travel? We can call it the "hypernet".

[–] RVGamer06@sh.itjust.works 11 points 1 month ago (2 children)

We have something like that, it's called darknet.

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[–] shortwavesurfer@lemmy.zip 9 points 1 month ago

Its called i2p and tor

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