If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties‚ subscribe to Reclaim The Net. Bad as that can be‚ and misinterpreted – not even “awful but lawful” is a thing in Scotland. In Scotland‚ there is a concerted political and legislative effort from those currently in power to make “non crime hate incidents” happen. But not everyone seems prepared to “go gently into that (dystopian) night” – that’s because Scottish Parliament Member (MSP) Murdo Fraser seems ready to take legal action against the police because his social media posts have been “cataloged” as just that – “non-crime hate incident.” Fraser‚ a Scottish Conservative‚ “dared” share his thoughts about the government’s policy on transgenderism on X. And now‚ for posting in response to an article about Scotland’s “Non Binary Equality Action plan‚” he is effectively being treated as “non-crime-committing-criminal.” Now – how’s that for a brand new identity. /s Fraser’s post‚ which put him in the police records‚ read‚ “Choosing to identify as ‘non-binary’ is as valid as choosing to identify as a cat. I’m not sure Governments should be spending time on action plans for either.” But the case exemplifies the broader issue with the legal provisions‚ contained in Scotland’s Hate Crime Act. Reports are saying that once the law is in effect‚ Police Scotland‚ by their own admission – and in a somewhat surreal turn of events as far as law enforcement is concerned – intend to give priority to “every hate speech crime complaint” over things like theft and other forms of criminal damage. Can you make this up? The Telegraph doesn’t seem to‚ since it’s quoting Police Scotland representatives as saying “the plan to stop investigating all crimes risks helping criminals.” There has recently been a pilot of the new policy carried out in Aberdeen‚ and yet while for the first time “admitting” to the possibility‚ the police there said they would not reveal the details – so as not to give criminals “tactical advantage.” The implication is that the law provides for that advantage‚ and it’s now simply up to criminals to find out how‚ and exploit it. None of this – free speech‚ law enforcement‚ or any other concerns seem to have made a dent in Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf’s faith in the policy allowing (or forcing‚ if you like) the police making records of people “committing” non-crime hate incidents – at the expense of actually policing their communities. “It’s important that they are recorded because what it does is it gives police an idea of where there might be spikes in hatred‚” said Yousaf‚ adding‚ “That behavior might not be criminal but they can then see a pattern‚ be it in a particular geography or be it in particular parts of the country‚ and they can see any patterns that might be emerging.” The post Scotland’s First Minister Humza Yousaf Supports Police Recording “Non-Crime Hate Incidents” appeared first on Reclaim The Net.

If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties‚ subscribe to Reclaim The Net. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has signed the state’s age verification law‚ HB 3‚ banning minors younger than 14 from having social media accounts‚ while those under 16 must have parental consent‚ going forward. In order for the law to make sense‚ in technical terms‚ social platforms clearly must be able to digitally verify their users age/ID. And once this is done‚ those under 14 who already have accounts will have them terminated‚ the law mandates. Related: The 2024 Digital ID and Online Age Verification Agenda As ever‚ there are coinciding and juxtaposed arguments in favor and against the law. They all purport to “care for the children” – but while supporters of the law say social media playground is a dangerous one‚ those opposing it see the harm as the right to anonymity online is removed and digital ID is pushed. Interestingly‚ the proposals rely heavily on mental health arguments: the former to stress how harmful social platforms can be‚ in the words of DeSantis‚ “in a variety of ways” (anxiety‚ depression‚ both…) – while the latter play on the “isolation” card. Namely‚ the fact that isolating people of any age from a social environment‚ albeit a virtual one‚ is harmful in and of itself. (One wonders‚ though‚ if those promoting this take on the law had the same sentiment about Covid restrictions and surveillance and the radical social isolation it imposed on EVERYONE). Regardless‚ the new Florida law is the result of a “rewrite” – the original passed by the state legislature in February banned everyone younger than 16 from social media. The governor‚ however‚ disagreed and vetoed it‚ on the grounds that it removed parents’ rights from the equation. Hence the provision that will let those aged 14-16 have social media accounts‚ if their parents consent to it. The whole thing is supposed to come into effect on the first day of 2025. Seemingly more substantial than the “forcing children into isolation” argument against the law is that it is simply not constitutional‚ specifically pertaining to the First Amendment and the right of parents vs. government(s). The post Florida Digital ID: DeSantis Signs Online Age Verification Law appeared first on Reclaim The Net.

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