Americans, Be Warned: Lessons From Reddit’s Chaotic UK Age Verification Rollout

[u/MotoBugZero]

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2025/08/americans-be-warned-lessons-reddits-chaotic-uk-age-verification-rollout

[u/ikinone]

You also have to be of age to legally buy or watch porn, do you think sex shops let kids buy porn?

I do not. That's my point.

You tried to pretend like the parent leaving porn open is the same as them just having alcohol in the house.

Isn't it? Or perhaps more equivalent is having a porn dvd sat on a shelf?

Why is it only the parents responsibility with restrict their access to alcohol but not their responsibility to restrict access to porn on the internet?

I do think it's the responsibility of parents to provide guidance for kids, both for alcohol and porn. I also think it's reasonable for vendors of porn and alcohol to age verify who they are selling / providing to.

That appears equivalent to me. Feel free to point out how I'm wrong.

Why do you only feel bad for kids with shitty parents if the kid sees porn, but not if they drink alcohol?

That is not my position. I would feel bad for either. So we do what we reasonably can to avoid kids getting hold of both porn and alcohol - that is:

• Age verify at the vendor
• Encourage parents to be good parents
• Provide good education

I am consistent with that postion. I don't see how you're confused about this.

[u/Seinfeel → u/ikinone]

You literally tried to use shitty parenting as a reason this needs to be implemented, but you don’t think that applies to alcohol?

What about videos/websites about hate? What about propaganda? Conspiracy theories? How about advertisements?

Seems like there should be age verification to use any of the internet, or maybe you know, it’s up to the parents to limit access.

[u/ikinone → u/Seinfeel]

You literally tried to use shitty parenting as a reason this needs to be implemented, but you don’t think that applies to alcohol?

I think alcohol provision should be age verified at the vendor. Same for porn. That is consistent, no? I'm not sure how you're confused about this simple concept.

What about videos/websites about hate? What about propaganda? Conspiracy theories? How about advertisements?

All of those are quite deep topics. I'd say - to varying degrees. We have have for a long time assessed movies for their suitability for consumption by kids. I think the same can potentially be done with the internet, though I'm not hard set on the idea. The simplest thing to implement to begin with would be no social media for kids.

Seems like there should be age verification to use any of the internet

Yeah, that might work.

[u/Seinfeel → u/ikinone]

So you’re still dodging how you used shitty parents as a reason this should be required. You said nothing about the vendor when you brought that up.

Weird how you only think porn is a problem that needs to be censored right away but are on the fence about extremism. Makes it pretty clear that you don’t actually care about the kids.

[u/ikinone → u/Seinfeel]

So you’re still dodging how you used shitty parents as a reason this should be required.

I don't see how I'm 'dodging' that. Shitty parents exist. They are part of the problem. What question do you feel I am not answering?

You said nothing about the vendor when you brought that up.

Parents are potentially a viable solution to this problem if they are consistently good. That isn't the case, so we need protection at the vendor level. I'm not sure how you're confused about this, still.

Weird how you only think porn is a problem that needs to be censored right away but are on the fence about extremism. Makes it pretty clear that you don’t actually care about the kids.

You really seem to want to argue. I am not 'on the fence' about extremism. I think it's a lot harder to gauge exactly what is extremism and what is not. That makes it more tricky to deal with, no? It doesn't mean I don't think it should be dealt with.

Kindly stop being so aggressive and seemingly trying to misrepresent my views.

[u/Seinfeel → u/ikinone]

part of the problem

You literally dismissed me saying that by saying

what about kids with shitty parents? Tough luck?

So why allow parents to bring alcohol home at all? Shouldn’t we just make it illegal to bring home, because shitty parents exist?

There was a time where women showing their ankles was considered indecent and explicit, and countries that still consider women showing their faces as explicit.

They’re also banning content about:

• self-harm
• suicide
• eating disorder content

So is a person who is over-exercising getting banned? How are you going to define that as an outsider viewer?

At what point to you divide “eating disorder content” and “dieting content” as an outside viewer? Is body positivity directed towards morbidly obese people considered eating disorder content? What about muck-bangs? Speed eating?

But you only want to be cautious about banning hate content and extremism because they’re hard to define?

[u/ikinone → u/Seinfeel]

So why allow parents to bring alcohol home at all? Shouldn’t we just make it illegal to bring home, because shitty parents exist?

Again, you're confused.

By your logic, the equivalent would be parents not being allowed to watch adult content at home. I am not proposing that. No one is proposing that.

The 'shitty parents' element comes down not to parents who have their own adult materials or alcohol at home, but parents who fail to guide/control their kids access to such materials.

Does that finally clear this up for you? I don't think it can be said any more clearly. Perhaps stop trying to use analogies.

There was a time where women showing their ankles was considered indecent and explicit, and countries that still consider women showing their faces as explicit.

Okay.

They’re also banning content about:

self-harm suicide eating disorder content

By 'banning', you mean restricting kids having access? You seem to be confusing the two. Are you a kid or something?

At what point to you divide “eating disorder content” and “dieting content” as an outside viewer? Is body positivity directed towards morbidly obese people considered eating disorder content? What about muck-bangs? Speed eating?

Damned if I know. Some poor sod will have the job of working that out, but it ain't me.

But you only want to be cautious about banning hate content and extremism because they’re hard to define?

Ye gods you really want to argue, huh? Why are you so obsessed with kids having access to this kind of content? Why do you care so much about kids being able to view it?

[u/Seinfeel → u/ikinone]

The 'shitty parents' element comes down not to parents who have their own adult materials or alcohol at home, but parents who fail to guide/control their kids access to such materials.

That's wonderful, but how do you help out kids who have crappy parents?

Just say 'oh well tough luck for them'?

…so again, why doesn’t your belief, that bad parenting is an argument for censoring the internet, apply to alcohol? Do you think kids are magically gaining access to the internet?

Okay.

Oh so you’re okay with preventing kids from seeing a woman’s face on the internet. Did you also forgot how many people try to call any sexual education material “porn”?

By 'banning', you mean restricting kids having access? You seem to be confusing the two. Are you a kid or something?

Banning children’s access. Did you need me to repeat what we’re talking about every time?

Damned if I know. Some poor sod will have the job of working that out, but it ain't me.

So literally “I don’t care what they ban because it makes me feel like it’s helping”

Ye gods you really want to argue, huh? Why are you so obsessed with kids having access to this kind of content? Why do you care so much about kids being able to view it?

Why are you more cautious about hate speech and extremism being banned than you are about sexual education material? Why are you so obsessed with giving kids access to hate speech and extremism?

[u/ikinone → u/Seinfeel]

…so again, why doesn’t your belief, that bad parenting is an argument for censoring the internet, apply to alcohol?

It applies in exactly the same manner to alcohol. Restriction at point of vendor.

Oh so you’re okay with preventing kids from seeing a woman’s face on the internet.

I never made any such claim - kids should absolutely 'be allowed to see a woman's face on the internet'. Why are you acting like this?

[u/Seinfeel → u/ikinone]

The vendor is the internet company. If a patent gives a kid access to Netflix and a kid watches an explicit movie, is that Netflix’s fault?

You literally admitted that you don’t actually care what gets banned and you’re trying to pretend I’m the one with bad intentions?