James Baker
JamesBaker@social.openrightsgroup.org
<p>Platform power and free expression program manager at <span class="h-card" translate="no"><a href="https://social.openrightsgroup.org/@openrightsgroup" class="u-url mention">@<span>openrightsgroup</span></a></span>. Director of <span class="h-card" translate="no"><a href="https://mastodon.social/@gamersvoice" class="u-url mention">@<span>gamersvoice</span></a></span>. Orchestrator of Stop Killing the Internet. Messaging in a personal capacity.</p>
Posts
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The Philippines is looking to ban Discord and Reddit unless they setup offices in just 24hrs. As CICC seek to blame platforms for school shootings. There is a pattern globally of internet access facing restrictions as the web gets the blame for social problems with multiple complex causes. #philippines #discord #reddit https://cicc.gov.ph/news/cicc-demands-reddit-discord-to-establish-ph-presence-within-24-hours/
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The 16-17 curfew being optional seems like a bit of a climb down or like DSIT officials managed to persuade ministers it was unworkable. Alternatively is it salami slicing like the smoking ban. Gradually normalising redirection? The lack of VPN age restrictions also seems like some reason, and arguments put to government against this having won out for the time being. #VPN #Socialmedia
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We are now up to 19 organisations around the world who are a part of https://www.stopkillingtheinternet.net/ it’s been a huge amount of work helping to found this organisation. Also so exciting as it seems to be resonating with people that there is a need for a global movement to push for Internet freedoms + solutions to problems with big tech that respect human rights #stopkillingtheinternet #stopKillingInternet
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👏 well played @mullvadnet@mastodon.online
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Coming to the U.K. soon thanks to Starmer and the Kings Speech https://www.biometricupdate.com/202604/french-govt-confirms-hack-of-at-least-18m-records-from-id-document-database
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So the past couple days the @gamersvoice team has been working with @StopKillingGames. Pleased to announce we have agreed to act as the U.K. Chapter of the campaign. So we will be using Gamer’s Voice as the NGO to take things forward! See https://gamersvoice.org/uk-stop-killing-games/ for details #gaming #SKG #UK
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Tomorrow morning there should be a letter about online digital ID checks (what industry and the establishment like to brand age verification ) being published by a range of organisations including @openrightsgroup
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Ah Timoson the great progressive reform of prisoners. Who gives them and honest days work and then (checks notes) invites Palantir to come up with a tech dystopian visit to create a digital open air prison… https://www.techpolicy.press/the-uks-sentencing-act-leaves-the-door-open-for-big-tech-to-build-digital-prisons/
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This really alarming that Europol was running a shadow IT system to snoop on people https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366642525/They-protect-the-law-while-breaking-it-Inside-Europols-shadow-IT-system @jim said “As a matter of urgency, Europol needs to explain how deep these problems go, and whether they extend to questions over evidential integrity.” #EU #europol #privacy
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Ofcom’s work on scanning your private messages has dropped https://www.ofcom.org.uk/online-safety/illegal-and-harmful-content/consultation-technology-notices it looks to me like they unlawfully narrowed the scope the scope of their impact assessment by refusing to assess the real-world consequences of scanning private communications at scale. @neil @cyberleagle
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So I now get to live under a Reform majority controlled Council…
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AI policing nuked this guy’s account. He had to waste days trying to get it resolved. When ‘safety algorithms’ become mandated everywhere this will get lots lots worst. https://www.reddit.com/r/FuckMicrosoft/s/QWI2guPk8W
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In case you missed it. Meredith at @signalapp was excellent at setting out the problems with UK Gov’s plans to back door end-to-end encryption. If you haven’t done already please support @openrightsgroup campaign on this https://action.openrightsgroup.org/dont-scan-me #encryption #privacy #onlinesafetybill
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It’s funny I listen to debates from parliamentarians on social media and then I listen to my 14 year old son. I can only conclude the 14 year old is wiser and more clued up about it than most MPs and peers. Rather than trying to ban teenagers and exclude them as in need of protection, I think older generations should listen and learn from them.
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@neil @cyberleagle Latest government amends to OSA and Data protection act in Children and School’s wellbeing bill ping pong https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/bills/cbill/59-01/0414/amend/children_rm_cclm_0410.pdf
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I finally got around to reading the actual government amendment on intimate image abuse and it’s very far from sensible. It creates a government register of intimate image abuse images and places a registrant in charge of them and the subsequent automatic censorship will occur via forthcoming Ofcom guidance. https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/bills/cbill/59-01/0416/amend/crime_rm_ccla_0413.pdf
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Swing the censer, bless thy blade, fear an altar where laws are made, when the children cry at night, thrones take power in sacred light. Ash and earth, salt and flame, Burn the liberties in your name Chant the spell hold the charm None can spare us from every harm
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@neil @cyberleagle New Kidron amendments to the OSA have dropped see https://bills.parliament.uk/publications/65607/documents/8082 think hope is Government goes for them in ping pong of Children and School’s wellbeing bill
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Phil Booth has done a video explaining the Digital ID consultation and how the scheme relates to Gov.uk One Login. Well worth a watch and sharing with friends and family https://youtu.be/mC16RbBzd2Y?si=pCn6E2-m33z-US4E #DigtialID #privacy #no2id
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House of Lords has defeated Government again on Online Safety. Rejecting new Henry VIII powers to ban sites. Insisting on an under 16 ban for social media. Also dropping requirement to age gate VPNs 🎉. Final twist Kidron has proposed a new raft of amendments that create quite radical changes to the Online Safety Act. I guess in hope Government goes for them in ping pong. #Parliament #onlinesafety #VPN
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The ICO issued a joint statement on ‘age assurance’ aka privacy invading digital ID. Their odd position is now people must go through privacy invading procedures to ‘protect their data’ and to be sure users are &gt; 13 years old. This likely why Apple are saying U.K. law requires age assurance stuff. https://ico.org.uk/about-the-ico/media-centre/news-and-blogs/2026/03/joint-statement-from-ico-and-ofcom-on-age-assurance/ #AgeGate #apple #ICO #UK
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Corrected! They renumbered lord’s amendment 92 to 37 so its now included in the new SoS powers MPs that a minister could age gate VPNs. But not banned yet end. #Censorship #agegates
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“North Somerset&#39;s Sadik Al-Hassan, who said if social media was a drug, it would be banned.” Because banning can crimalising drugs really solved all the harms.
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Ofcom and ICO are now saying major platforms much impose digital identity processes on their sites to establish the age of users and ensure they aren’t children. This will be a huge expansion of teenagers and adults having to hand over sensitive personal data to age assurance companies. https://www.ofcom.org.uk/online-safety/protecting-children/keep-underage-children-off-your-platforms-ofcom-tells-tech-firms #privacy
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It’s been a bit of a bleak week for digital rights and privacy. Monday new powers for Ministers to age gate the entire web. Tuesday Digital ID consultation launches. Thursday news that ICO and Ofcom want to age gate sites at 13. #privacy #UK #politics
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The Iran regime cuts off internet to millions. UAE bans people taking pictures or filming drone strikes. Authoritarians everywhere hate ordinary people having internet freedoms.
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The amount of U.K. Government advertising on big tech platforms is quite something at the moment. If you ever venture outside of an ad blocked experience that is!
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The Lib Dem’s have an emergency motion opposing a blanket ban on U16s. Has some good points about freedom of expression for young people. Still faces issues around how you rate platforms, small sites and the issue around age gates + personal data. Under an age system access to anything other than a U rating requires proof of age. #LibDems #privacy #onlinesafety https://www.libdems.org.uk/conference/papers/spring-2026/extra
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This seems like a terrible copyright take https://www.pcgamer.com/games/notorious-uk-rights-group-launches-legal-action-against-valve-for-distributing-music-in-games-on-steam-without-a-license/ @jim #copyright #steam #gaming
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Lib Dem’s passed their motion opposing a blanket ban on social media for 16s.