This post tracks responses to the proposed expansion of the UK’s censorship regime, which includes a social media ban of ten platforms, device-level ID checks, expanded ID checks for other app uses, and banning certain features like disappearing messages.
Keeping in mind that the government’s current position appears to be “the ban will fail, but it will make things better…”
…let’s see what everyone else thinks.
Think Tanks & NGOs
Maxwell Marlow of the Adam Smith Institute: the ban will fail and make things worse.
Me, in my capacity as a Fellow of the Adam Smith Institute: the ban will fail and make things worse.
Christopher Snowdon of IEA: the ban will fail and make things worse.
Andy Burrows of the Molly Rose Foundation (with whom I do not ordinarily see eye to eye): the ban will fail and make things worse.
Save the Children UK: the ban will fail and make things worse.
The Royal Society for Blind Children and the National Deaf Children’s Society have expressed “concerns” with the ban:
Tech Companies
Communicating my clients’ (4chan et al.’s) position: “No.”
My clients are not particularly interested in the policy horse trading. The ban is unenforceable in the United States, would be unconstitutional in the United States, and they have no intention of according it reciprocal treatment in the United States. End of discussion.
YouTube: opposes the ban.
Meta: opposes ban on efficacy grounds, pushes for device-level ID verification.
Will add more feedback as it becomes available.