UK will be blocked early July 😢

[viking8x6]

4 hours ago, Knightfalconer said:

But every profile shows a location, even if its hidden from other members.

Not true. The profile location is completely optional, and is entered by the member with no verification. If you see a member with no address in their profile, it's not that they blocked it, it's that they never entered one.

The site blocking works based on the (putative) location of the IP address reported by the client browser. That is why using a VPN will let you get into the site without triggering the blocking. Your browser sees the IP address given by the VPN, and reports that to BZ instead of the IP address assigned by your ISP.

[cockfun69]

5 hours ago, viking8x6 said:

The site blocking works based on the (putative) location of the IP address reported by the client browser. That is why using a VPN will let you get into the site without triggering the blocking. Your browser sees the IP address given by the VPN, and reports that to BZ instead of the IP address assigned by your ISP.

Does this deception actually stand up to the legalities imposed by UK's Ofcom (or other countries' laws/regs)?

[Knightfalconer]

17 hours ago, viking8x6 said:

Not true. The profile location is completely optional, and is entered by the member with no verification. If you see a member with no address in their profile, it's not that they blocked it, it's that they never entered one.

The site blocking works based on the (putative) location of the IP address reported by the client browser. That is why using a VPN will let you get into the site without triggering the blocking. Your browser sees the IP address given by the VPN, and reports that to BZ instead of the IP address assigned by your ISP.

It appears that anyone who can afford a VPN can bypass the blocking and need not worry.

For the rest of us, (no matter how long you've been a member, nor how much you've contributed to the site) its 'Thanks for coming, but you're no longer welcome here'.

[sluttony]

1 minute ago, Knightfalconer said:

It appears that anyone who can afford a VPN can bypass the blocking and need not worry.

For the rest of us, (no matter how long you've been a member, nor how much you've contributed to the site) its 'Thanks for coming, but you're no longer welcome here'.

Oh come now. That is about as immature and selfish as it gets.

If it means so much to you, why not draft up some legally binding agreement that says you will personally handle all the costs, risks and technical aspects of allowing in guests from the UK?

How on earth can you react like that when this risk to Rawtop is very fucking real? Grow up. It isn't a case of not being welcome, it's a case of risk mitigation and if you can't see that, then you are thicker than syrup.

[sluttony]

12 hours ago, cockfun69 said:

Does this deception actually stand up to the legalities imposed by UK's Ofcom (or other countries' laws/regs)?

It's an interesting question. In theory, yes, because Rawtop will geoblock UK based IP address ranges. In practice? Not sure it's a big enough problem for anyone in such a position who needs to, to care about. After all the site admin has done what they can within the bounds of reason.

[Knightfalconer]

10 minutes ago, sluttony said:

Oh come now. That is about as immature and selfish as it gets.

If it means so much to you, why not draft up some legally binding agreement that says you will personally handle all the costs, risks and technical aspects of allowing in guests from the UK?

How on earth can you react like that when this risk to Rawtop is very fucking real? Grow up. It isn't a case of not being welcome, it's a case of risk mitigation and if you can't see that, then you are thicker than syrup.

It is nothing of the sort. UK members have every right to feel unhappy that access to the site is being taken away when measures could be taken to circumvent this.

It is neither immature, nor selfish, but your personal attack is certainly rude.

Edited Thursday at 09:49 AM by Knightfalconer
Missed word

[drscorpio]

Moderator's Note: Let's take a breath and calm down a bit. 

[biobare]

On 1/18/2025 at 3:03 PM, rawTOP said:

Sadly what’s happening in red states is not isolated to red states. UK’s Ofcom has issued really strict guidelines for implementation of the child protection act. The cost to comply makes compliance impossible. And, while I have no business presence in the UK, the legal ties between the US and the UK are close and I’d rather not risk the rather hefty fines (£18M). 

Unlike what red states are doing it looks like this will affect social media like X and Telegram since it doesn’t have the exemption for less than 1/3rd adult content. So I expect this to be a major news story in the coming months.

Oh, and the block should work better than the red state block since it’s an entire country (countries don’t exchange IP addresses like states do). 

Lastly… Voting matters! Don’t just sit there and complain. 

Does this mean I cannot chat with guys from UK any more? I'm in Berlin.

[sluttony]

21 hours ago, Knightfalconer said:

UK members have every right to feel unhappy that access to the site is being taken away when measures could be taken to circumvent this.

What measures? You keep saying this but give no solutions. What do you propose? What measures do you recommend that are techinically and legally sound, secure, would be trusted by people and simple to integrate into the site? I posted some such options above but let me tell you something I would not use any of them. Putting the onus onto RT isn't fair or reasonable. Using an unknown third party and handing them over my PII for a site such as this? Not happening.

Again it comes across as self entitlement - this is a free website for the owner to run as he sees fit and in a way that won't get him shut down or held liable for breaking the law - and this is demonstrated by the words you choose to use such as "every right" - I am afraid to inform you but you have literally the same rights as everyone else here: none. And you frame it like it's an attack of some sort on guys from the UK - what about all the red states that RT has had to block?

Part of the problem is that people in the UK have allowed shit like this to happen over an over. Every Home Seceratary going back to before Theresa May has been desperate to weaken encryption and have used everything from terrorism to "think about the children" to try to get it. This is yet another weapon in their armory - it won't stop here and people need to wake up and start to take a stand. I suspect this, like many other attempts, is actually doomed to fail because it's too difficult to police - especially abroad - but it's just another attempt to get where they want to get to.

[hntnhole]

My VPN allows me to choose "locations" throughout the world.  When you-know-hoo re-ascended to the Oval, I "moved" from where I actually live to Copenhagen - which cleared up all the picayuni crap the Administration had caused.  Sometimes I have to turn it off (the VPN) momentarily to reach some sites, but not BZ.   

[BootmanLA]

On 4/9/2025 at 5:46 AM, Knightfalconer said:

But every profile shows a location, even if its hidden from other members.

Which can be complete bullshit. I could list myself as living in London if I wanted instead of the actual place in the US where I live. 

[BootmanLA]

On 4/10/2025 at 4:34 AM, Knightfalconer said:

It appears that anyone who can afford a VPN can bypass the blocking and need not worry.

For the rest of us, (no matter how long you've been a member, nor how much you've contributed to the site) its 'Thanks for coming, but you're no longer welcome here'.

It bears repeating that there are free VPN services out there that will get you online here just fine. It's not a question of affording; someone else may be arriving here in a 2025 S-Class while others get here in a 1993 Camry, but once here we're all equal.

[sleazebugga]

We in the UK and partner and I keep to keep on this site. Have been looking at VPNs. Before I buy, does anyone have positive or negative feedback on NordVPN? it seems to get quite good reviews.

cheers!