My friend needs to ...
 

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My friend needs to prove their age online...

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...how would my friend go about this safely!?

Think they must be buying beer or a knife. 🤷‍♂️


 
Posted : 25/07/2025 9:04 am
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I did wonder if this would bring about a resurgence in magazines about beer and knives, so people didn't have to provide sensitive data to unknown/questionable American verification sites.

Edit: insert 'Readers Knives' gag.


 
Posted : 25/07/2025 9:07 am
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What options does the site give?  If they are buying something with a credit card can the same card not be used for age verification?


 
Posted : 25/07/2025 9:13 am
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Posted by: Rubber_Buccaneer

What options does the site give?  If they are buying something with a credit card can the same card not be used for age verification?

LOL this is for P0rn sites. 

 


 
Posted : 25/07/2025 9:15 am
bruneep reacted
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What length of knife are we talking about ?

Anything more than 3 inches long  (fixed) is an offensive weapon.


 
Posted : 25/07/2025 9:17 am
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In France now we have to provide proof of age for adult sites (but only French ones, the American grot is still a free for all). The sites use verification sites provided by external providers (what could possibly go wrong ?) which use either facial recognition or ID card. I took a leap of faith on the basis it's .fr and operating within French law but neither work. So good luck to your friend.


 
Posted : 25/07/2025 9:19 am
 Mark
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I was hit with the age verification thing in the Bluesky app yesterday. I did the face recognition thing where it estimates your age. I passed but was disappointed that it didn’t tell me what age it thought I was. 


 
Posted : 25/07/2025 9:20 am
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Would a VPN help your friend in this situation? I’ve been watching TDF on ITVX whilst on Spain, NordVPN has helpfully been telling ITV I’m in the UK. Would the same work in reverse if your friend told a knives and beers website they were from a country that doesn’t need age verification. 


 
Posted : 25/07/2025 9:23 am
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Posted by: Mark

I passed but was disappointed that it didn’t tell me what age it thought I was. 

That reminds me of the hilarious joke when someone tells you their age......."Wow, you don't look it at all! quickly followed by"mind you, you probably did about 10 years ago"

 


 
Posted : 25/07/2025 9:28 am
ossify and nbt reacted
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I'm looking forward to when one of the age verification providers gets hacked and we get to find out what kind of grot our overlords are into.

 

Posted by: franksinatra

Would a VPN help your friend in this situation? I’ve been watching TDF on ITVX whilst on Spain, NordVPN has helpfully been telling ITV I’m in the UK. Would the same work in reverse if your friend told a knives and beers website they were from a country that doesn’t need age verification. 

Yes, so the next well thought out piece of law will be to ban VPNs. 

 


 
Posted : 25/07/2025 9:32 am
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LOL this is for P0rn sites

Oh dear, 56 years old yet I’m still so naive 😀

I was hit with the age verification thing in the Bluesky app

Not heard of it but it has ‘blue’ in the name so I guess Weeksy is right? 🤣


 
Posted : 25/07/2025 10:54 am
 irc
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Once one has acquired a VPN - Opera browser apparently has a free one built in -  is there any countries that can provide free cycling/golf/football coverage if you are accessing the internet from them rather than UK?


 
Posted : 25/07/2025 11:18 am
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I think hedge grot will make a comeback 


 
Posted : 25/07/2025 11:25 am
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I was hit with the age verification thing in the Bluesky app yesterday. I did the face recognition thing where it estimates your age. I passed but was disappointed that it didn’t tell me what age it thought I was. 

Ease your disappointment by perusing the unsolicited stairlift, cruise and sheltered accommodation brochures you soon be flooded with! 

I think hedge grot will make a comeback 

White dogshit too? Halcyon days.... 


 
Posted : 25/07/2025 11:48 am
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Caught part of Jeremy Vine discussing this need for age verification on the radio and the expert said that VPNs were the way round it.


 
Posted : 25/07/2025 11:52 am
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Yep everyone will just run VPNs including the kids it's supposed to protect. So in reality a bit of a pointless piece of legislation but it will make anyone who knows nothing about tech feel like it's making a difference.


 
Posted : 25/07/2025 12:11 pm
 MSP
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Yes, so the next well thought out piece of law will be to ban VPNs.

 

Aren't they already trying to ban encryption, so by default that would rather render VPN's illegal.

Although when the political backers tell them that due to the age verification laws they have all invested heavily in VPN providers they will probably drop that.


 
Posted : 25/07/2025 12:24 pm
 mos
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My friend was buying beer & knives earlier today but the website he was on didn't seem to need age verification.


 
Posted : 25/07/2025 12:42 pm
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Posted by: Rubber_Buccaneer
Oh dear, 56 years old yet I’m still so naive 😀

Username checks out!


 
Posted : 25/07/2025 12:43 pm
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Out of curiosity, a friend has just had a look at a couple of the more popular knife and beer purveyors and they definitely have concerns about entering personal details to view the products available. They too have decided that perhaps a VPN may give them access without giving away said details.

He wondered if there was anyone who could suggest a good VPN for use on an iPad as that is the devise they generally use for knife and beer shopping.


 
Posted : 25/07/2025 1:28 pm
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Nord VPN is my first VPN experience and I’m using it on iPhone and MacBook. Seems pretty seamless and if you go via The Rest Is Politics Pod you can get descent discount. Not used it for knife and beer shopping though. 


 
Posted : 25/07/2025 1:36 pm
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Posted by: Rubber_Buccaneer

Not heard of it but it has ‘blue’ in the name so I guess Weeksy is right? 🤣

It’s the alternative to Xitter that doesn’t have an entitled manbaby with a superiority complex running it. It’s where people who are emotionally intelligent go to talk. 
Check it out, it’s been around for a while. I don’t use it much, I’m usually on Xitter trolling ultra-Right and Repugnicant fascists, and people like Rowling, for my shits’n’giggles. 🤷🏼‍♂️


 
Posted : 25/07/2025 2:03 pm
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Posted by: MSP

Aren't they already trying to ban encryption, so by default that would rather render VPN's illegal.

 

If you mean the government trying to force Apple into providing a back door so nosy Ministers can poke around, then no, the government’s been told that it’s not going to happen, so they’re burying it out the back along with No 10’s cats turds.


 
Posted : 25/07/2025 2:08 pm
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Thinking about this could my friend use a pre-paid debit/credit card - such as FairFX. Then load it with just a fiver?

I don't think my friend is worried about their identity getting out - more about getting fleeced!


 
Posted : 25/07/2025 2:21 pm
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Posted by: mtbfix

'Readers Knives' gag

 

You need to be careful there, you might end up with a nasty gash.

 


 
Posted : 25/07/2025 2:24 pm
doomanic, AD, teethgrinder and 7 people reacted
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Posted by: slackboy

You need to be careful there, you might end up with a nasty gash.

 

 

Brilliant!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🔪


 
Posted : 25/07/2025 2:27 pm
 beej
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Posted by: irc

Once one has acquired a VPN - Opera browser apparently has a free one built in -  is there any countries that can provide free cycling/golf/football coverage if you are accessing the internet from them rather than UK?

I believe SBS in Australia has free to air coverage of lots of the road season. Sportza  in Belgium, RAI in Italy... apparently.

No idea on football.

 


 
Posted : 25/07/2025 2:33 pm
 MSP
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I have heard an enterprising person can use a VPN and subscribe to sky Germany (wowtv.de) and pay with paypal to get premier league matches, it isn't that much cheaper than sky uk, but has all the matches, and you can choose English commentary, with a bonus of switching to German punditry at half time and after the match so you don't have to suffer Neville and Keane whining all the time.


 
Posted : 25/07/2025 3:04 pm
 MSP
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quote instead of edit user error


 
Posted : 25/07/2025 3:05 pm
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I passed but was disappointed that it didn’t tell me what age it thought I was. 

That would be interesting - I was told once as a youngster that I was 'born 40'


 
Posted : 25/07/2025 3:12 pm
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Posted by: fasthaggis

Anything more than 3 inches long  (fixed) is an offensive weapon.

Is there such a thing as an inoffensive weapon?  Like, a knife with "pardon me" etched onto the blade?


 
Posted : 25/07/2025 3:28 pm
 irc
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Searches for VPN through the roof.

 

https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=today%203-m&geo=GB&q=VPN


 
Posted : 25/07/2025 4:03 pm
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I’ve been using Mullvad VPN to watch ITV tour highlights from holiday. They collect almost no personal data and charge a . €5 per month flat rate with zero contracts. Can’t confirm if it works on beer/knife shops though 


 
Posted : 25/07/2025 4:28 pm
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Do you think this change in regulation might help the middle aged who should know better be less addicted to beer and knife online browsing and return to putting more effort into polishing the actual beer and knives they have to hand.....even if they aren't quite as 'exotic' as the beer and knives that can be found online?

Edit - obviously not the middle age IT consultants as they'll have the VPN sorted already, but to be fair there's a good chance, what with them being IT consultants, they won't have any beer or knives in residence so it's probably a more pressing need. 


 
Posted : 25/07/2025 5:04 pm
steveb reacted
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Dame Melanie Dawes, its chief executive, told the BBC "we are starting to see not just words but action from the technology industry" to improve child safety online.

 

She told BBC Radio Four's Today programme that "no other country had pulled off" such measures,

Do we think she did that on purpose


 
Posted : 25/07/2025 5:34 pm
AD and Bazz reacted
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Posted by: convert

Do you think this change in regulation might help the middle aged who should know better be less addicted to beer and knife online browsing and return to putting more effort into polishing the actual beer and knives they have to hand.....even if they aren't quite as 'exotic' as the beer and knives that can be found online?

Edit - obviously not the middle age IT consultants as they'll have the VPN sorted already, but to be fair there's a good chance, what with them being IT consultants, they won't have any beer or knives in residence so it's probably a more pressing need. 

Bravo on the wonderful phraseology.

That probably depends whether the beer and knives they have to hand show any inclination in being polished.

 


 
Posted : 25/07/2025 7:25 pm
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*Cough* TOR *Cough*


 
Posted : 25/07/2025 8:06 pm
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A friend told me this morning that apparently there were a couple of popular knife and beer sites that gave instant access.

 

I'm not sure which ones m'lud, you'll possibly have to peruse a few to find out


 
Posted : 25/07/2025 8:41 pm
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You should've downloaded your beer and knives by now.


 
Posted : 25/07/2025 8:42 pm
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You never have this problem with vhs, modern problems require oldfashioned solutions


 
Posted : 26/07/2025 1:02 am
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Is there also not a problem with modern smart tvs in that even if you are using VPNs the tv itself does content recognition to see what you are watching so even your VHS isn't going to work.  Super8 ftw


 
Posted : 26/07/2025 6:04 am

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