2026-01-16 14:46 UTC
@nocci @Tutanota Why is it inappropriate..? Genuine question.
The similarity seems intentional to highlight that forms of control like this lead to government overreach and authoritarianism or even fascism.
Replies (1)
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@nocci@punk.cyber77.de 2026-01-16 14:55
@jathanasiou@mastodon.social The issue is that Niemöller's poem specifically addresses the Holocaust and Nazi persecution - the systematic murder of millions. Using it for age verification, no matter how concerning those policies are, trivializes the Shoah. Age verification absolutely raises serious privacy and surveillance concerns that deserve strong opposition. But we can make that case without invoking genocide. The slippery slope to authoritarianism exists, but comparing a digital rights issue to the Holocaust weakens both arguments. There might be plenty of other powerful ways to criticize age verification laws. @Tutanota@mastodon.social