That's the internet fucked then?

[Barry Admin]

RIP Technology (and the internet). Silly old cunt she is. She'll push people towards true anonymity, and with true anonymity comes great unpleasantness. God I can't stand her, she's creepy. Are we quite sure that Vicar dad of hers didn't secretly fuck a demonic jackal.

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/theresa-may-internet-conservatives-government-a7744176.html?amp

Theresa May to create new internet that would be controlled and regulated by government

Friday 19 May 2017
Theresa May is planning to introduce huge regulations on the way the internet works, allowing the government to decide what is said online.

Particular focus has been drawn to the end of the manifesto, which makes clear that the Tories want to introduce huge changes to the way the internet works.

"Some people say that it is not for government to regulate when it comes to technology and the internet," it states. "We disagree."

Senior Tories confirmed to BuzzFeed News that the phrasing indicates that the government intends to introduce huge restrictions on what people can post, share and publish online.

The plans will allow Britain to become "the global leader in the regulation of the use of personal data and the internet", the manifesto claims.

It comes just soon after the Investigatory Powers Act came into law. That legislation allowed the government to force internet companies to keep records on their customers' browsing histories, as well as giving ministers the power to break apps like WhatsApp so that messages can be read.

The manifesto makes reference to those increased powers, saying that the government will work even harder to ensure there is no "safe space for terrorists to be able to communicate online". That is apparently a reference in part to its work to encourage technology companies to build backdoors into their encrypted messaging services – which gives the government the ability to read terrorists' messages, but also weakens the security of everyone else's messages, technology companies have warned.

The government now appears to be launching a similarly radical change in the way that social networks and internet companies work. While much of the internet is currently controlled by private businesses like Google and Facebook, Theresa May intends to allow government to decide what is and isn't published, the manifesto suggests.

The new rules would include laws that make it harder than ever to access pornographic and other websites. The government will be able to place restrictions on seeing adult content and any exceptions would have to be justified to ministers, the manifesto suggests.

The manifesto even suggests that the government might stop search engines like Google from directing people to pornographic websites. "We will put a responsibility on industry not to direct users – even unintentionally – to hate speech, pornography, or other sources of harm," the Conservatives write.

UK General Election 2017

The laws would also force technology companies to delete anything that a person posted when they were under 18.

But perhaps most unusually they would be forced to help controversial government schemes like its Prevent strategy, by promoting counter-extremist narratives.

"In harnessing the digital revolution, we must take steps to protect the vulnerable and give people confidence to use the internet without fear of abuse, criminality or exposure to horrific content", the manifesto claims in a section called 'the safest place to be online'.

The plans are in keeping with the Tories' commitment that the online world must be regulated as strongly as the offline one, and that the same rules should apply in both.

"Our starting point is that online rules should reflect those that govern our lives offline," the Conservatives' manifesto says, explaining this justification for a new level of regulation.

"It should be as unacceptable to bully online as it is in the playground, as difficult to groom a young child on the internet as it is in a community, as hard for children to access violent and degrading pornography online as it is in the high street, and as difficult to commit a crime digitally as it is physically."

Conservative manifesto launch: In 90 seconds

The manifesto also proposes that internet companies will have to pay a levy, like the one currently paid by gambling firms. Just like with gambling, that money will be used to pay for advertising schemes to tell people about the dangers of the internet, in particular being used to "support awareness and preventative activity to counter internet harms", according to the manifesto.

The Conservatives will also seek to regulate the kind of news that is posted online and how companies are paid for it. If elected, Theresa May will "take steps to protect the reliability and objectivity of information that is essential to our democracy" – and crack down on Facebook and Google to ensure that news companies get enough advertising money.

If internet companies refuse to comply with the rulings – a suggestion that some have already made about the powers in the Investigatory Powers Act – then there will be a strict and strong set of ways to punish them.

"We will introduce a sanctions regime to ensure compliance, giving regulators the ability to fine or prosecute those companies that fail in their legal duties, and to order the removal of content where it clearly breaches UK law," the manifesto reads.

In laying out its plan for increased regulation, the Tories anticipate and reject potential criticism that such rules could put people at risk.

"While we cannot create this framework alone, it is for government, not private companies, to protect the security of people and ensure the fairness of the rules by which people and businesses abide," the document reads. "Nor do we agree that the risks of such an approach outweigh the potential benefits."

[Depressed Beyond Tables]

Can't say I didn't warn ye

As soon as all those small crappy little ISPs are bought out by one big monster media corporation and integrated into governments worldwide, then we will see the internet vastly restricted. This is the golden age in comparison.

The next war will be fought not over oil, land or religion, but control of the airwaves - which is in turn, control of information and subsequently control of the people.


Oooooooh scary

[Buelligan]

I didn't think it was possible to hate the tories more than I do and then you go and spoil it all...

[Ignatius_S]

Some of this was mooted a few days ago - http://metro.co.uk/2017/05/13/tories-to-let-people-delete-all-internet-history-from-before-they-were-18-6634503/

On the whole, it sounds like it would be unworkable.

[colacentral]

The plans will allow Britain to become "the global leader in the regulation of the use of personal data and the internet", the manifesto claims

And what a proud achievement that would be. Continuing to strip away freedoms in the name of our protection.

I particularly enjoyed the bit about being unable to look up adult content without justifying to ministers that an exception be made. "Please sir, can I have a wank?"

[Jerzy Bondov]

What a fucking mad old bag.

[3D]

There are always ways around it, even in the unlikely event anything ever gets into legislation.

When my ISP blocked numerous torrent sites it took less time to get around it than to write this post.

[colacentral]

Wrong account Milv?

[3D]

I didn't think it was possible to hate the tories more than I do and then you go and spoil it all...

May is no more a Tory than you are. I told you that when she stood for the leadership.

[BlodwynPig]

Some of this was mooted a few days ago - http://metro.co.uk/2017/05/13/tories-to-let-people-delete-all-internet-history-from-before-they-were-18-6634503/

On the whole, it sounds like it would be unworkable.

Get with it grandad. It's all workable when you don't have a soul.

[Danger Man]

What a fucking mad old bag.

All-girl's school, All-women university college, husband is the only boyfriend she's ever had (according to a recent biography).

And now she's in charge of the porno.

This is going to be like Saudi Arabia all over again.

[BlodwynPig]

There are always ways around it, even in the unlikely event anything ever gets into legislation.

When my ISP blocked numerous torrent sites it took less time to get around it than to write this post.

Yes, there will be ways around it. If you are a Tory MP you will get a free pass to watch illicit pornography without anyone knowing. So long as you preach about decency, morals and public standards the next day on BBC Breakfast.

[imitationleather]

Internet regulation does work, albeit only temporarily. A couple of weeks ago I noticed that all the football streams were down, for instance. Made my weekend that bit more inconvenient.

There is a huge division between mad old people like Theresa May who you could easily believe has never used a computer and the young who have no memory of a world without the internet. Keeping both these types happy in one political party when their views of technology are so different is going to be a nightmare. Also the fact is that the people who dislike or have no knowledge of the internet are dying off and will lose eventually. There must be a lot of Tories who don't want the government poking around in their private life like this as well.

I am predicting that the Tory leader after May won't be able to be such a luddite.

[3D]

Wrong account Milv?

You must try to keep up, old chap.

[biggytitbo]

It does say at the end of the manifesto that a lot of this is going to need international cooperation to work, which seems to effectively be admitting that most of it will never happen.

[3D]

Internet regulation does work, albeit only temporarily. A couple of weeks ago I noticed that all the football streams were down, for instance. Made my weekend that bit more inconvenient.

There is a huge division between mad old people like Theresa May who you could easily believe has never used a computer and the young who have no memory of a world without the internet. Keeping both these types happy in one political party when their views of technology are so different is going to be a nightmare. Also the fact is that the people who dislike or have no knowledge of the internet are dying off and will lose eventually. There must be a lot of Tories who don't want the government poking around in their private life like this as well.

I am predicting that the Tory leader after May won't be able to be such a luddite.

Correct, from all parts of the political spectrum. Nobody, surely, imagines Corbyn or even Farron are great users of the internet, and Leanne Woods's iPad is, I understand, spiral bound.

[Buelligan]

May is no more a Tory than you are. I told you that when she stood for the leadership.

In that case, I look forward to seeing all the "real" tories stand up publicly and be counted against this.

[billtheburger]

HOW WILL THEY FUND THIS?

[3D]

It does say at the end of the manifesto that a lot of this is going to need international cooperation to work, which seems to effectively be admitting that most of it will never happen.

Exactly. If you said VPN to Theresa May she'd adjust her slacks.

[3D]

In that case, I look forward to seeing all the "real" tories stand up publicly and be counted against this.

There are very few in the party. Ummmm... Rees-Mogg? Redwood? Neither look as if they could send a text.

[imitationleather]

Correct, from all parts of the political spectrum. Nobody, surely, imagines Corbyn or even Farron are great users of the internet, and Leanne Woods's iPad is, I understand, spiral bound.

It's also hard to imagine that Corbyn or Farron would ever suggest regulating the internet, though. Tim Farron's entire life at the moment seems to be about biting his tongue and pretending his principles don't exist.

[marquis_de_sad]

May is no more a Tory than you are. I told you that when she stood for the leadership.

Always nice to see that political bores of all stripes are basically the same deep down. "Ah, but Stalin wasn't a real communist, you see..."

[3D]

It's also hard to imagine that Corbyn or Farron would ever suggest regulating the internet, though. Tim Farron's entire life at the moment seems to be about biting his tongue and pretending his principles don't exist.

Corbyn's type love trying to close down opposing thought. See Corbyn #17 for more details.

[NoSleep]

It does say at the end of the manifesto that a lot of this is going to need international cooperation to work, which seems to effectively be admitting that most of it will never happen.

She's probably echoing stuff dictated to her by your hero Trump.

[Buelligan]

Corbyn's type love trying to close down opposing thought. See Corbyn #17 for more details.

So why isn't Corbyn suggesting that the internet in the UK falls under the control of government?

[Lemming]

Corbyn's campaign had better capitalize on this and milk it for all it's worth.

"Some people say that it is not for government to regulate when it comes to technology and the internet," it states. "We disagree."

Fucking hell.

[3D]

Always nice to see that political bores of all stripes are basically the same deep down. "Ah, but Stalin wasn't a real communist, you see..."

He killed millions, and he had the kit...



Sounds like an absolute archetype.

. 

[3D]

Corbyn's campaign had better capitalize on this and milk it for all it's worth.

Fucking hell.

The government has always regulated technology. It can't properly regulate the internet unless it goes down the Chinese/NK path, which seems a little unlikely.

[batwings]

The elderly should have to star in pornography in order to pay for their social care. www.gilfs.gov.uk

[colacentral]

You must try to keep up, old chap.

I'm just surprised you're talking about getting around it. Don't agree with the policy then?

Why are you downloading torrents anyway, you robbing bastard? I thought you didn't agree with people getting things for nothing?