I’ve been concerned about this for a number of years. It’s now being considered in France. Where one goes, they all go. This would block websites the government deems unsafe, right in your browser. You wouldn’t be able to change it.
In a well-intentioned yet dangerous move to fight online fraud, France is on the verge of forcing browsers to create a dystopian technical capability. Article 6 (para II and III) of the SREN Bill would force browser providers to create the means to mandatorily block websites present on a government provided list. Such a move will overturn decades of established content moderation norms and provide a playbook for authoritarian governments that will easily negate the existence of censorship circumvention tools.
It sounds like they are saying at this time France is concentrating specifically on malware and phishing protection. Or so they say, and of course this is for the benefit of the consumer.
I just noticed this article today; I don’t think they are going right for our browsers— yet, but it seems there are certain people right here in the good old USA that have been busy working on a somewhat similar idea. The difference is that here they have figured out a more stealthy way to protect us poor consumers from disinformation; or what they perceive to be disinformation.
Note: This site has a lot of ads, I click on “enter immersive reader” to avoid them.
This whole subject is probably more dangerous than anyone realizes. Governments could dictate which websites are to be banned. Web browser companies: Chrome, Brave, Safari, Modzilla, etc would then have to comply, by blocking said website within the browser itself.
Unless you’re an experienced hacker, there will be no way around it. I don’t even want to live in that world. When you can only see what the government wants you to see, I suppose that’s when I become a woodsman. Oh that and the eating bugs bit.
I experienced something yesterday. As I was searching for natural remedies I found it extremely difficult. It never used to be like that. I am now digging back in my notes so I can jot down or saving my go-to websites to get the information I need. It’s truly sad. I despise the term “alternative medicine”. Natural remedies are God given remedies and it’s certainly not “alternative”!
Anytime the government wants to do something to protect us, there is another reason for it, control. If they really cared about our welfare, they would have shut down BLM, the border etc.
