Online threats to children are real, but the headlong pursuit of age verification that we’re seeing around the world is unacceptable in its approach and far too broad in scope — and we simply can’t afford to get this wrong.

To be clear, parents’ concerns are valid and sincere. Few people would argue that kids should have unfettered access to adult material, to self-harm how-tos, to social media platforms that manipulate them and expose them to abuse.

But it’s the very depth of those worries that is being cynically exploited. Age verification as is currently being proposed in country after country would mean the death of anonymity online.

And we know exactly who stands to gain: The same tech giants who built the privacy nightmare that the internet is today.

  • west2seven@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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    3 days ago

    This moron is also a MAGA appologist and enabler. I left Proton for other alternatives. They want to claim they are “politically nuetral” well if you really were you wouldnt be commenting at all on politics would you?

    • coalie@piefed.zip
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      3 days ago

      I must have missed a bunch. I only recall him saying he liked trumps pick for one role.

      • parson0@startrek.website
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        3 days ago

        And afaik that was it. It has been blown out of proportion many times since by people forming opinions based on headlines. If there was anythung else I’d like to know too though

        • XLE@piefed.social
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          3 days ago

          Oh no, there was much more.

          Proton’s official Reddit account posted “Here is our official response,” stating “Until corporate Dems are thrown out, the reality is that Republicans remain more likely to tackle Big Tech abuses.”

          • parson0@startrek.website
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            3 days ago

            Thanks for sharing, I don’t think this is much more. Corporate Dems are an issue and I wish I was in the timeline where Bernie became president. Saying Republicans are better (in 2025) is either extremely naive or insane. Either way, it does not give me the faith I would like to stay with Proton long term. Posting official stuff, pulling it back, now claiming neutrality… confidence is eroded enough.

            I have the Duo plan until mid next year and see it as my inbetween from iCloud to self hosting most of my services. Currently trialing Mullvad for the VPN and it can keep up with Proton easily.

            • XLE@piefed.social
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              2 days ago

              The biggest difference isn’t what was said (like you mention, it’s basically the same thing), it’s who was saying it (the company, not just their chief) and how it was said (officially, and then denied)

      • Photonic@lemmy.world
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        3 days ago

        If you would have read past that part in the same post you could have read that he also thinks republicans are sticking up for the little guy and the democrats are in bed with big tech. After that he also never said anything to the contrary. I also use his product and I wish he were a better guy too, but he said what he said and stuck with it.

        So yes, you are either misinformed by not reading past the first few words of his post or disingenuous by purposely leaving out the rest.

    • architect@thelemmy.club
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      3 days ago

      Only idiots want politically neutral, anyways. I want clear biases for the people open and free forms of communication. That’s HIGHLY political.

      Politically neutral supports fascism, always.