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The Official Congressional Blacklist

Vendor-Lazarus

Arch Disciple
Sanctuary legend
Messages
937
I love how these congresspeople flail about trying to find any other solution to regulate big tech that they can besides, you know, actually breaking up the monopolies.

"But if we did that, how will my Googly Maps work??"
I mean, how would they get money if they broke up monopolies like the 6 corps owning all news & entertainment media, or the 3 corps owning all social media? You have to take these things into account! ,)
 

Arnox

Master
Staff member
Founder
Messages
5,288
After around six months of general lawmaking silence, sadly, we're back, bois. We got another fucking dumbass bill. The EARN IT Act of 2022. Designation S.3538 And we got 19 cosponsors for this piece of shit. Many of which are (surprise, surprise) already on the blacklist. I still gotta update the list though.
 

Arnox

Master
Staff member
Founder
Messages
5,288
Updated the list as I missed a senator. Also missed bill H.R.6544 which is the same as the EARN IT Act of 2022 in the senate. Updated the list with those names as well.
 

Arnox

Master
Staff member
Founder
Messages
5,288
We're back again!

This time with S. 3663. The Kids Online Safety Act.


List has been updated.
 

Arnox

Master
Staff member
Founder
Messages
5,288
Now this bill I'm kind of torn on, so I've added the sponsors of the bill to the list tentatively until I decide for sure if they should stay on the list or not.


You may wanna read this bill for yourself in order to decide. It's not that long actually. Basically though, the government wants to crack down hard on software services, games, and general web apps controlled by US adversaries including China, Venezuela, North Korea, and co. It sketches me out though because the bill is kinda broad. If I'm reading this correctly, it gives special power as well to shut down anything even tangentially related to US adversaries. So... Paying for hosting a site in Russia? Well, they can take that site down in the US and probably even prosecute you. Now, the bill does specifically state it's targeting software services, games, and general web apps with a user count of 1,000,000 or more, so there is at least SOME kind of leash on this bill, but still... Is it enough?
 

Phiwise_

Adherent
Messages
29
Specialization
Technophiliacs & Technophiles
If I'm reading this correctly, it gives special power as well to shut down anything even tangentially related to US adversaries. So... Paying for hosting a site in Russia? Well, they can take that site down in the US and probably even prosecute you.
Why are these clowns incapable of doing something good for once?

Notably, isn't archive.today based in Russia? Can't wait for my gov to give the monopoly on archiving to those scum at internet archive.
 

Arnox

Master
Staff member
Founder
Messages
5,288
Notably, isn't archive.today based in Russia? Can't wait for my gov to give the monopoly on archiving to those scum at internet archive.
Oh, you don't like Internet Archive?

EDIT: Fuck it. After looking at Rossmann's video, the names are staying on the list.
 
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Arnox

Master
Staff member
Founder
Messages
5,288
UPDATE: We got five new co-sponsors to add to the list for the RESTRICT Act since the last list update. Wheeee! The good news though is I think the bill may die in committee at this point. Maybe...
 

Phiwise_

Adherent
Messages
29
Specialization
Technophiliacs & Technophiles
Of course Mittens is behind this garbage. No wonder the glowies tried to unseat Lee last cycle. They wanted another instrument of panic. Lee asked a few too many questions at ie the chokepoint hearings.
 

Arnox

Master
Staff member
Founder
Messages
5,288
Of course Mittens is behind this garbage. No wonder the glowies tried to unseat Lee last cycle. They wanted another instrument of panic. Lee asked a few too many questions at ie the chokepoint hearings.
Who's Mittens? Mitt Romney?
 

Arnox

Master
Staff member
Founder
Messages
5,288
Would this be something to keep track of possibly?

That bill seems fine all the way up until I read that non-governmental organizations can use these digital identity verification services. For something like credit reporting services, fine. It makes sense. (Although companies REALLY shouldn't be controlling credit-reporting in the first place, but I digress.) For anything else though, this looks kinda fucked.

I don't know. Maybe I misread this? Could someone else please read it and give a second opinion?
 
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Phiwise_

Adherent
Messages
29
Specialization
Technophiliacs & Technophiles
Would this be something to keep track of possibly?

>Government-run identity security for the whole country

What could possibly go wrong?

Literally the only good part of the SSN-as-ID system is thst your SSN is explicitly not a government ID and therefore the bureaucrats aren't allowed to feature-creep a universal security apparatus around it. If they wanted to stop benefits fraud they could do it entirely in the executive through updating their own known bad procedures and some very basic infosec. Many banks would probably even volunteer to help run it, since know your customer regularly catches them in the fraud blame game. All this could be is an attempt to jawbone the tech and business sectors into responsibity for their government and customer's poor security decisions.
 

Arnox

Master
Staff member
Founder
Messages
5,288
>Government-run identity security for the whole country

What could possibly go wrong?

Literally the only good part of the SSN-as-ID system is thst your SSN is explicitly not a government ID and therefore the bureaucrats aren't allowed to feature-creep a universal security apparatus around it. If they wanted to stop benefits fraud they could do it entirely in the executive through updating their own known bad procedures and some very basic infosec. Many banks would probably even volunteer to help run it, since know your customer regularly catches them in the fraud blame game. All this could be is an attempt to jawbone the tech and business sectors into responsibity for their government and customer's poor security decisions.
Oh it could get far worse than that. Suddenly, almost every big website will be able to force you to give your social security number and other private information just to sign up.
 

Phiwise_

Adherent
Messages
29
Specialization
Technophiliacs & Technophiles
Oh it could get far worse than that. Suddenly, almost every big website will be able to force you to give your social security number and other private information just to sign up.
Ah yes, whatever will I do if a website asks me for something I don't want to give them?

/me closes website
 

Phiwise_

Adherent
Messages
29
Specialization
Technophiliacs & Technophiles
And what will you when most of them force you to give that information? Quit the internet?
No, I'll vote with my feet and use the ones that don't. Thus why it's a problem that the gov looks to be gearing up to not let any of them choose to compete for my business by not requiring info I don't want to give.
 

Arnox

Master
Staff member
Founder
Messages
5,288
No, I'll vote with my feet and use the ones that don't. Thus why it's a problem that the gov looks to be gearing up to not let any of them choose to compete for my business by not requiring info I don't want to give.
Either way, you have to admit that it would at least be extremely annoying.
 
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