The UK government is like: “submit ID first before you use iPhone”, like WTF? As apparently, they are considering on making that the default way to unlock a cellphone whilst spying on you (like they already are) keeping tabs on what apps you’re currently using, have downloaded or purchases made online.
Their Online Safety Act is stupid ever since it was enforced last year as that has done nothing except for making people bypass it entirely (like there’s cases of game characters used to circumvent age verification & facial scans) so I’ll assume the same will happen with this (fake ID’s) just to unlock iPhones.
has done nothing except for making people bypass it entirely
Which seems to be by design, based on similarity, to approaches taken by other governments: shifting the blame to citizens (reasonably) circumventing the legislation (creating the typical infighting), and granting further excuses to further tighten government control. Legislation as such, can only be introduced under a false pretense, or few politicians dare to be in support of such works. If introduced to “protect the children”, you can gradually shape it to effectively fulfill your interest; instead of spoiling true intentions right away.
We’re in the first act of a shitty, new internet that’s fully captured and tracked.
in some ways, it carries on in the spirit of what the internet used to be like in 1995, but by accident/need rather than intention.
back then, the internet was an even mixture of profit seeking companies trying to get your attention and sites that required minimal technical proficiency contained interests/works that the mainstream media pretended didn’t exist. over time, things like reddit appeared where it combined the two to get the mainstream hoards so overwhelming in number that the internet has become almost indiscernible to mainstream media.
now, as the mainstream internet enshittifies to protect the mainstream narrative; the people who seek reality over narratives now have to up their technical acumen to continue their access.
the internet is going back to their wild west days because the oligarchy is trying to exert control over it with liberal & conservative consent.
A comforting thought.
it’s more than a thought; it’s familiarity in ways you’ve likely forgotten about if you were using the internet as an adult back in 1995 and is now the only way to escape the oligarchy manufactured narratives and capture like op describes.
back then, you can only find things using either word-of-mouth or independent search engines. the instances of the fediverse that have been isolated by the mainstream narrative loving masses (ie hexbear, lemmygrad, etc.) now serve the same word-of-mouth function and things like searxng are fulfilling the independent search engines that altavista, excite, lycos, etc. used to do.
Bring back forum communities, imo
I just joined an old-school phpBB forum dedicated to a specific topic, and it is glorious.
It’s like the end of the wild west. Goodbye cowboy
The UK government is like: “submit ID first before you use iPhone”, like WTF? As apparently, they are considering on making that the default way to unlock a cellphone whilst spying on you (like they already are) keeping tabs on what apps you’re currently using, have downloaded or purchases made online.
Source?
Honestly I’m torn on the whole issue but also at the same time I haven’t once submitted verification ID so nothing has changed for me. Hopefully it stays that way…
and people using Sam from Death Stranding for face ID is just hilarious :D
The UK government… a cellphone
I don’t think that they’re British.
i consider (boringly) dystopian the fact that people are still using iphones
Yup, it sounds dystopian. I am preparing for this to hit my country too eventually and I’ll unplug then. No more internet, go to the library to get WIFI for online banking on the phone that is used only for that. It’s a decision to comply. DVDs, books, games I already own and have downloaded…
For some of us it may be a difficult decision to not comply. Many of us need technology to continue our careers and make enough money to exist at our current standards. I need a phone with an active service connection and often need maps and to download user manuals on the fly for my job, and thats about as little reliance on phones and internet as jobs get these days.
I think it will be difficult for everyone, me included. But it’s a decision still. Majority will comply without batting an eye. Only a few can truly unplug AND keep it unplugged, not just try it. I’m not sure I can manage it either. For example, some cities in my country have 100% mobile app based public transport, meaning that there is no way of buying or showing a ticket unless it’s the app. Not even website, the real app. (And if the app don’t work for some reason, boohoo, pay a fine for 80-100€.) The world is build on these phones and apps.
Even more weirdly, since I somewhat practice unplugging already, many people have straight on nasty reactions when I say that sorry, can’t scan that QR code or that I can’t check their Insta-whatever post on social media. So it’s not just the infrastructure but social norms too…
I defintely get the social reliance and funny looks when you don’t want to use technology. I get the same looks for refusing to use dating apps. I have nothing against people who use them but the cycle isn’t something I’m interested in. I get discouraged chatting for a bit then getting ghosted. I get discouraged seeing dates get match notifications while i am on a date with them. And really fhe biggest thing for me, i vastly prefer meeting and getting to know people in person. Their accent, their body language, their sarcasm and humor, its best to experience that in person.
Plus the app doesn’t keep make money by finding you a good partner and in our capitalist hellscape I’d bet most of them factor that into tbeir algorithm. You match with good enough matches and frequently enough you think the app works but maybe the app guesses the match is just off enough that you’ll both be back in a few weeks more desperate than before and ready to buy superswipes or whatever.
I absolutely agree with you on that! I used them, years ago… It’s just a game. People are no longer real human beings with feelings and all, it’s just points in the app. “Ghost that one, there will always be someone better.”
The “what if i missed someone better” was a legitmate reason someone gave me for why they kept the using the app while starting to see me. Yea what a great way to launch a relationship.
Wow, ouch, ew. Sorry to hear that, but probably good riddance.
