There are a lot of GOP-controller legislatures in the USA pushing through so-called “child protection” laws, but there’s a toll in the form of impacting people’s rights and data privacy. Most of these bills involve requiring adults to upload a copy of their photo ID.
As an analogy, should governments allow children access to strip clubs and have parents handle it or should that be illegal and have kids banned from those physical spaces?
It’s interesting because I think banning kids from strip clubs is pretty popular, but the digital laws are not as popular. I don’t know of a way to enforce a ban in a digital space that doesn’t infringe on individual liberties though
The reason is a technical one. At a strip club, none of your information is being transmitted; it’s just the bouncer making sure you’re of age by looking at your ID.
Per the EFF:
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2023/03/age-verification-mandates-would-undermine-anonymity-online
Being forced to reveal identification before you’re allowed to view pornography is the equivalent of only being allowed to masturbate while your parents are in the room watching you.
Banning children from strip clubs in no way impacts the rights of other adults to enjoy strip clubs.
And, again, I am against the laws as written. But I’m asking more broadly about children accessing porn. I would never support a law that requires people to upload their ID, but there has to be some safe way to pull this off.
I don’t know how technical you are but its impossible to block kids from watching pornography online without implementing a draconian system in which we all loose our privacy . First there are millions and millions of websites with different domains that have thousands of pornographic videos and photos. Plenty of companies offer adult block content but there is always a way around. If they ask for ID , then a market for fake IDs will show up. This is like scams from India , Nigeria , and all those countries that are calling to scammed you. Its impossible to stop it and the only way is to create awareness and educate people on how to prevent it. So the same with porn , block it as a parent and try to explain why you are doing it and the consequences of excessing watching it.
Oh well that’s even easier then. I don’t care what other people’s children do, in general.