Today is Online Safety Day because the terrible awful Online Safety Law comes into affect this month.
To me, Online Safety means:<li>Never use your government name on the internet.</li><li>Use fully end to end encrypted services like Signal.</li><li>Avoid using large online surveillance projects like Facebook, Instagram or Whatsapp.</li><li>Self-host wherever possible to protect your data from Big Tech.</li><li>Alter your software to block ads, use ad-blockers everywhere.</li><li>Use a VPN to help subvert tracking technology.</li><li>Avoid allowing the algorithms decide what you see. Turn off autoplay, use RSS.</li>
But the government, and most of the callers to talk radio today, seem to think it means:<li>All sites must ID check their users to ensure they aren't children.</li><li>Encryption must have government back doors so the police and state can read all messages.</li><li>Only big tech sites are legitimate because they are more subject to legal control.</li><li>Self hosting should be legally onerous so that only big companies with huge legal compliance departments can run internet sites.</li><li>It should be illegal to alter the software made by big business.</li><li>VPNs should be illegal since they can avoid government blocks.</li>
So that's all pretty depressing.
Good luck everyone. Stay safe.
Adam Dalliance /
npub1qf…4krlh
2025-03-10 10:47:35
Author Public Key
npub1qfz7cekytd4lg7j25hvxhlpp6qc7xgwltmperpqfu7flk53lssvss4krlhPublished at
2025-03-10 10:47:35Event JSON
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"content": "Today is Online Safety Day because the terrible awful Online Safety Law comes into affect this month.\n\nTo me, Online Safety means:\u003cli\u003eNever use your government name on the internet.\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003eUse fully end to end encrypted services like Signal.\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003eAvoid using large online surveillance projects like Facebook, Instagram or Whatsapp.\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003eSelf-host wherever possible to protect your data from Big Tech.\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003eAlter your software to block ads, use ad-blockers everywhere.\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003eUse a VPN to help subvert tracking technology.\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003eAvoid allowing the algorithms decide what you see. Turn off autoplay, use RSS.\u003c/li\u003e\n\nBut the government, and most of the callers to talk radio today, seem to think it means:\u003cli\u003eAll sites must ID check their users to ensure they aren't children.\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003eEncryption must have government back doors so the police and state can read all messages.\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003eOnly big tech sites are legitimate because they are more subject to legal control.\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003eSelf hosting should be legally onerous so that only big companies with huge legal compliance departments can run internet sites.\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003eIt should be illegal to alter the software made by big business.\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003eVPNs should be illegal since they can avoid government blocks.\u003c/li\u003e\n\nSo that's all pretty depressing.\n\nGood luck everyone. Stay safe.",
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