Online Safety Act (UK)

[Quimpossibility]

Does anyone know if this will affect UK based users?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ceq7ye3q2zwo

It's coming into force next week with the aim of making it harder to access adult content. Since Lit includes adult content (not just stories either), I am assuming it will. I don't know how this works or if sites and site owners are obliged to do something or be locked out for UK users. I've no idea how that woudl even work.

 

[RosewoodTulip]

The thing I'm struggling with the most with is that I deliberately set my account up here to have as little trace back to me as possible.

If I have to verify myself how can I guarantee that information won't end up in some techno fascist database? Yes Europe has strict laws about personal info but Lit is a US based company so who would process and verify us and store that data?

And then could we be assured that information would be completely removed upon closing our accounts?

I love Lit and don't want to leave but my ability to remain totally anonymous here is extremely important to me.

 

[Quimpossibility]

The thing I'm struggling with the most with is that I deliberately set my account up here to have as little trace back to me as possible.

If I have to verify myself how can I guarantee that information won't end up in some techno fascist database? Yes Europe has strict laws about personal info but Lit is a US based company so who would process and verify us and store that data?

And then could we be assured that information would be completely removed upon closing our accounts?

I love Lit and don't want to leave but my ability to remain totally anonymous here is extremely important to me.

I have no idea how any of this is meant to work.

It may be that Lit flies under the radar. The site owners may not even be aware this is happening, and i dont think they are UK based.

Pornhub is a big well known site, so perhaps it's eaier to block it but my understanding is that it will be based on things like keywords or content rahter than someone knowing the site exists and physically adding it to a database. Lit makes it very clear that it's an adult content site with an 18+ age restriction. That may mean it gets caught up in all this, i mean it is an adult content site!

This is worrying tbh. I don't want to find that I cannot log in one morning and that's that.

 

[RosewoodTulip]

Yeah maybe it's for main visual porn sites? I don't know. I guess we'll find out.

 

[Quimpossibility]

Yeah maybe it's for main visual porn sites? I don't know. I guess we'll find out.

No it includes audio as well as, IIRC, user to user chat. I don't know if indirect image links are included, but audio stories will be as well as illustrated content. I would assume that also includes the cams and links to them.

I honestly don't know how it all works.

 

[lingus60]

There's something about some sites having up to 6 months to comply. I'm assuming Lit will almost certainly have to do age verification.

 

[lingus60]

And I'm wondering if even sites like Youtube will have to comply ?

 

[RosewoodTulip]

I honestly don't know how it all works.

I'm assuming Lit will almost certainly have to do age verification.

Wonder if they'll actually communicate this with us this time...

 

[lingus60]

Yep... and I wonder if they even know about it???

 

[Quimpossibility]

There's something about some sites having up to 6 months to comply. I'm assuming Lit will almost certainly have to do age verification.

Yes I think that 6 month period ends this month

 

[Quimpossibility]

Wonder if they'll actually communicate this with us this time...

Hopefully. Or they may find a lot of people (assuming the UK provides a lot of traffic to here) have disappeared!

 

[lingus60]

@ToPleaseHim

Are you able to provide any insight about how Lit, and specifically UK users will be impacted by this?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ceq7ye3q2zwo

 

[lingus60]

I did some googling about Youtube impact.... apparenyly, as long as you have your age in your Google accout details, that should be sufficient

 

[Quimpossibility]

Are you able to provide any insight about how Lit, and specifically UK users will be impacted by this?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ceq7ye3q2zwo

I think it's out of their hands tbh. It seems almost certain, as I understand it, that it will be.

 

[ICantLeafYou]

Another US-based 18+ website I'm a member of is just wholesale blocking people with UK IP addresses from accessing their site so they don't have to change the content they host. Although the "You're in the UK and can't access this site!" page they've put up gives instructions on getting a free VPN and using it to get around the block...

 

[lingus60]

Yep... it seems that every site has to emlploy a third party to do the age verifications checks for them.... as far as I understand it..or not! So many sites will simply not operate in UK....

 

[lingus60]

Another US-based 18+ website I'm a member of is just wholesale blocking people with UK IP addresses from accessing their site so they don't have to change the content they host. Although the "You're in the UK and can't access this site!" page they've put up gives instructions on getting a free VPN and using it to get around the block...

Thanks.... Yep, I think a VPN might have to be the way to go. Any recommendations?

 

[RosewoodTulip]

If we are locked out next week how would we go about making sure our accounts are deleted and any photos etc we may have posted are removed?

I don't really understand vpns other than they're a way to get around certain restrictions countries or states have. I wouldn't know how to set one up or anything

 

[Quimpossibility]

Another US-based 18+ website I'm a member of is just wholesale blocking people with UK IP addresses from accessing their site so they don't have to change the content they host. Although the "You're in the UK and can't access this site!" page they've put up gives instructions on getting a free VPN and using it to get around the block...

I guess that's the easier way of dealing with it. I mean why would you go through the hassle of changing just to suit one country?

However they shouldn't have to. Lit doesn't have to change it's content, it just needs to have some age verification method that compies with the act. I don't know if that requires the host actively install such a thing, or even if any modifications are necessary because I really don't understand how this works. How does the government know that a given site falls under the act? Pornhub for example is obvious because it's so well known. How many people in government have heard of Lit?

 

[lingus60]

If we are locked out next week how would we go about making sure our accounts are deleted and any photos etc we may have posted are removed?

I don't really understand vpns other than they're a way to get around certain restrictions countries or states have. I wouldn't know how to set one up or anything

I use a free private email called proton mail. They also offer a free vpn which I just installed and it's a breeze to set up. Once you're signed in and connected, any browser you use automatically goes through the vpn. You can also select either quick connect and it will route you through nearest, quickest available service or you can select a country to be connected through.

 

[Quimpossibility]

I use a free private email called proton mail. They also offer a free vpn which I just installed and it's a breeze to set up. Once you're signed in and connected, any browser you use automatically goes through the vpn. You can also select either quick connect and it will route you through nearest, quickest available service or you can select a country to be connected through.

I use protonmail, but I don't recall any mention of a vpn

 

[RosewoodTulip]

I use a free private email called proton mail. They also offer a free vpn which I just installed and it's a breeze to set up. Once you're signed in and connected, any browser you use automatically goes through the vpn. You can also select either quick connect and it will route you through nearest, quickest available service or you can select a country to be connected through.

And that works on your phone too? I don't have any of my Lit or adjacent stuff on my laptop

 

[lingus60]

It does yes. Proton vpn app from apple or android store

 

[RosewoodTulip]

It does yes. Proton vpn app from apple or android store

Thank you! I shall look into it

 

[Mr. Briggs]

Lit will have to comply. Reddit made an announcement this week that they will be adding this.

Lit will also have to comply with the Local State Age Verification laws.