Comment by Havoc
15 days ago
UK tech laws seem to consistently be the worst of both worlds. Not rights centric like the EU and not business supportive like the US.
Just old people making bad laws about stuff they don't understand - or are straight up citizen hostile, sometimes hard to tell which it is.
> Not rights centric like the EU
Sadly, the EU is trying very hard and very persistently to pass the Chat Control bill. So far the EU hasn't succeeded, but I would be surprised if EU politicians didn't keep trying until it is finally codified into law.
There's always competing interests, but I like to look at it as a glass half full. It's the focus on rights that has ensured it's still not passed.
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The EU has one extremely corrupt legislative body, yes. But they are usually not a problem due to them not having any formal power.
Successive UK governments consistently fail to understand the UK's place in the modern world. Insisting on access to encrypted data in all jurisdictions globally is just another example of them thinking small and acting big. Its the digital equivalent of sending a gunboat to put-down the troublesome "natives". Meanwhile its 2025, not 1925.
(disclosure: brit)
This was even warranted in 1925, more like 1875.
It would be like demanding a lock up in NYC open a locker in your name and seize all contents.
I'd like to think that we've reached the point now that there will be mass resistance to threats to privacy and freedom of speech in the UK, but Britons are such a docile, accepting, and pliant people when it comes to standing up to Big Brother.
Why now? I gave up on this at least 10 years ago. If you can't even get techy people to think about the ethical ramifications of encryption etc then it's a lost cause. What makes you think now it's different? They said it couldn't get much worse 10 years ago, as did they 20. Do you really think the UK population has a breaking point where they will suddenly understand privacy and why it's important?
The UK population generally wants to put their fingers in their ears and pretend everything is ok. Remember we're all descended from people who didn't go to the colonies to try to get a better life.
Why now? Well FWIW I also don't have much hope it will happen. But maybe the needle will be moved if Apple doesn't back down and it affects UK iPhone users.
It's pretty standard for the UK gov to take a "worst of both worlds" approach.
Ignorant rather than old. Alan Turing was born more than 100 years ago.
I looked them up and they are not terribly old but did Ancient and Modern History at Oxford - the guy who did the law and philosophy, politics and economics at Oxford - Home Secretary. I doubt they are very up on tech.
What are you talking about? I'm a german and the surveillance here is crazy. The EU is pushing for more surveillance. I always love the left wing echo chambers like reddit/HN who pretend like the EU is some kind of utopia.