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[OPINION] Canada’s age-verification bill for porn is a slippery slope to a restrictive internet (www.theglobeandmail.com)
submitted 11 months ago by to c/canada@lemmy.ca
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Canada’s proposed Bill S-209, which addresses online age verification, is currently making its way through the Senate, and its passage would be yet another mistake in tech policy.

The bill is intended to restrict young peoples’ access to online pornography and to hold providers to account for making it available to anyone under 18. It may be well-intentioned, but the manner of its proposed enforcement – mandating age verification or what is being called “age-estimation technologies” – is troubling.

Globally, age-verification tools are a popular business, and many companies are in favour of S-209, particularly because it requires that websites and organizations rely on third parties for these tools. However, they bring up long-standing concerns over privacy, especially when you consider potential leaks or hacks of this information, which in some cases include biometrics that can identify us by our faces or fingerprints. [...]

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[–] 1 point 11 months ago (11 children)

Collecting and reselling any data is far easier done by a website than it would be by the corner LCBO.

But did you or did you not say the LCBO scans the ID and sells the data? I have to admit I've never seen that happen. What do they scan it with?

Anyway there is no way to argue that handing a guy your ID for a glance to buy cigs, weed or alcohol is less safe than uploading to some random porn site on the internet, even if they didn't store your data (and I believe strongly that they would store your data for documenting the verification... either they would, or the third party that does the service)

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  • [–] 1 point 11 months ago (10 children)

    I'm saying they are the same safety. There's alternative ways to get porn without giving an ID and its not even illegal.

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  • [–] 1 point 11 months ago (9 children)

    If they implement age verification on porn sites, what will be the other nonillegal ways to get porn without ID?

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  • [–] 1 point 11 months ago (8 children)

    Is it illegal to download directly from one person? Is filesharing illegal? What about torrents?

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  • [–] 1 point 11 months ago* (7 children)

    Yes torrent and file-sharing in most cases violates copyright and is therefore illegal.

    That fact won't stop people, especially teens, from doing it. But it is a fact.

    As with most things involving kids, open, healthy and honest communication is the best way. If you don't have that then no constraints will really contain them, they will find a way around them, they will sneak around behind your back, and you will lose their trust.

    Edit - I'm curious, do you believe it's acceptable to spank children?

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  • [–] 1 point 11 months ago (6 children)

    Not all porn is copyright.

    If parents can't keep track of their kids, there needs to be a way for society to make up for it. We can't have a bunch of drunk kids running around just because some parents are shitty.

    Parents should keep their kids off of porn, porn sharing websites should also do their part to keep kids off their service.

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  • [–] 1 point 11 months ago (5 children)

    You're acting as if there aren't negative impacts to privacy. Adults should not have to give their identity over to web sites to enjoy content. Identification theft is a real thing.

    Moreover, we already have solutions for this. Parents can block content at the router, and at this point every ISP allows you to set up security and content filters.

    This is puritan, social conservative bullshit. It's a thin edge of the wedge ultimately aimed at making pornography illegal.

    I'm curious - are you religious?

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  • [–] 1 point 11 months ago* (4 children)

    Then dont use the content if you dont think its worth sharing your ID.

    Its funny you think that all parents have the knowledge and capability to block content at their router. Its also funny you think pre-teens and teenagers only access the internet in their own home. Guess they can't have friends either, or use the computer their school requires them to have.

    This isn't puritan, it's the most basic amount of friction that could be added to make something less convenient, so that less kids will be tempted to just open up pornhub and scroll.

    You are being selfish, you dont care about children, or society, you make that very clear. YOU dont want to give up YOUR ID, so it must be a bad thing right?

    Edit: not religious. You think I'm arguing on behalf of god here?

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  • [–] 1 point 11 months ago (3 children)

    I have a great relationship with my kids that is built on communication and honesty. You don't know anything about me, try not to be presumptuous about my character. Did I attack your character?

    I asked about religiosity because I was curious about correlation, for the same reason I asked about spanking - whether you support it or practice it - which I noticed you didn't answer, but frankly I'm still curious given your claims to protecting children at all costs.

    Now I'm curious about another correlation: Which party do you generally support?

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  • [–] 1 point 11 months ago (2 children)

    Counter-question: which flavor of mountain dew do you like the least.

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  • [–] 1 point 11 months ago* (1 child)

    I don't drink soda drinks - which, unlike my questions, is irrelevant.

    Unless you can assert a link between soda and child safety and well-being, or between soda and social conservative beliefs.

    Edit to add we should leave this discussion, it's dead at this point. I wish you the best of luck with your kids, sorry to hear you feel like you need to protect them to the point of sacrificing your privacy. I suggested there are other ways to do this that don't affect your privacy but it seems your attitudes towards pornography are sufficiently negative that you won't consider them.

    I suggest you worry about your own kids and stop worrying about mine.

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