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We need to talk about these age verification laws.
5 months ago
General
Being a furry, scaly, otherkin or whatever makes you open an account here isn't a sexual thing by itself, we all know it. But it's a fact that most of use are very comfortable being open about our sexuality and showing it proudly. This alone is enough to make us keep it among ourselves in a global culture where sex is still largely something ostracized. But I always considered sex openness to be the path to oppenness in general, to being more at peace with yourself, all things that scare off most humans, creatures of comfort and fear of unknown.
So it doesn't surprise me that such an open community will never gain the favor of society, given that society itself refuses openness - and therefore, maybe, it was only a matter of time before they'd start cracking down on it.
Yeah, these age verification laws don't target furries in particular. But that doesn't change the subsrance. All over the USA (where most websites we use are based) and Europe (my continent), governments are now starting to demand that we give proof of our real identity if we want to see sexual content on the internet.
As I'm writing, in the UK websites are being obscured or shut down because they cannot economically comply with their new draconian law called Online Safety Act. In the USA, the Supreme Court has judged the states have all the rights to shield citizens from watching sex without compromising privacy. In France, Italy and Spain, media regulators have already ruled similar things. E621's own existence is at legal risk.
In a better world, I wouldn't have as many problems with it - if only society had a mature approach to sex, and not the repressive, juvenile approach inherited by - ahem - certain religions. Who among us dares risk associate our real identity with our furry identify when the latter is so associated with kinks most people don't even k ow about? Maybe someone will, driven by libido, but look at me in the face and tell me that you won't prefer using a VPN.
We all know what these laws are presented to be for - "for the children". These mystic, pure beings that are a shield to any kind of decision that may be questionable. I also assume you guys know that it was never about the children, who are already exposed to all kind of atrocities anyway (dear parents, making me listen to the news every meal was NOT beneficial), and that sexual repression is a pillar of every authoritatian force. I can only hope it's just a political phase, and that it will end up like other times when the internet seemed to be going into shambles. But this time they seem to be more serious.
All this to talk about one thing: the future of our communities. I am afraid for Furaffinity, for E621, for my UK friends, for the artists I like, and for the community in general which will be forced to go even more underground and become much more difficult to find for those who need it.
I could revert back to being solely SFW, yes. But one year after finally being honest with myself? When being open led me to so many new friends and revitalized my art? I will survive, yes, but it'll be a poorer, more repressed Random (let alone Modnar), and so will most of you, no longer able to express what you can't do elsewhere.
Will we make it to 2026?
So it doesn't surprise me that such an open community will never gain the favor of society, given that society itself refuses openness - and therefore, maybe, it was only a matter of time before they'd start cracking down on it.
Yeah, these age verification laws don't target furries in particular. But that doesn't change the subsrance. All over the USA (where most websites we use are based) and Europe (my continent), governments are now starting to demand that we give proof of our real identity if we want to see sexual content on the internet.
As I'm writing, in the UK websites are being obscured or shut down because they cannot economically comply with their new draconian law called Online Safety Act. In the USA, the Supreme Court has judged the states have all the rights to shield citizens from watching sex without compromising privacy. In France, Italy and Spain, media regulators have already ruled similar things. E621's own existence is at legal risk.
In a better world, I wouldn't have as many problems with it - if only society had a mature approach to sex, and not the repressive, juvenile approach inherited by - ahem - certain religions. Who among us dares risk associate our real identity with our furry identify when the latter is so associated with kinks most people don't even k ow about? Maybe someone will, driven by libido, but look at me in the face and tell me that you won't prefer using a VPN.
We all know what these laws are presented to be for - "for the children". These mystic, pure beings that are a shield to any kind of decision that may be questionable. I also assume you guys know that it was never about the children, who are already exposed to all kind of atrocities anyway (dear parents, making me listen to the news every meal was NOT beneficial), and that sexual repression is a pillar of every authoritatian force. I can only hope it's just a political phase, and that it will end up like other times when the internet seemed to be going into shambles. But this time they seem to be more serious.
All this to talk about one thing: the future of our communities. I am afraid for Furaffinity, for E621, for my UK friends, for the artists I like, and for the community in general which will be forced to go even more underground and become much more difficult to find for those who need it.
I could revert back to being solely SFW, yes. But one year after finally being honest with myself? When being open led me to so many new friends and revitalized my art? I will survive, yes, but it'll be a poorer, more repressed Random (let alone Modnar), and so will most of you, no longer able to express what you can't do elsewhere.
Will we make it to 2026?
I wish it really was just the parents taking responsibility to make sure children aren't accessing these materials this easily, but Age-Verification has been on the table since 2020, and I'm not surprised this is another type of "Agenda 2030" type of thing the governments have been trying to implement for the past 20 years.
Why countries want to be like China and North Korea is very odd to me, but this will affect every type of mature content out there, including ones on Weasyl, deviantART, and Youtube.
I wish you the best in trying to survive past 2026. As for New Jersey, the bill has only been introduced but I hope it will be declined. God bless you out there Random, and the same with other people online.
And those sites that use the subscription service already have enough data about you thanks to your bank card details.