this post was submitted on 27 Oct 2023
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For those of you who don't live in the UK and don't keep track of UK politics, well done, don't start it's crap.
But it's important to understand how these things always pan out. The government in its current form are in absolute freefall, the next election is going to be at the absolute latest in early Jan 2025 if not earlier (the UK political system being what it is, it's entirely possible it will be earlier). Current polling shows that if they have any seats left it'll be a miracle for them, basically they're going to get wiped out at the next election.
So they've started doing all this bullshit to make life worse for the new government when they come in, like selling off assets to make future infrastructure projects impossible in a fit of spite. They've also started to pass all sorts of ridiculous laws under the guise of raising taxes or protecting children or counterterrorism, but really it's got nothing to do with any of that stuff and everything to do with just getting as much money out of the system as possible, while at the same time making life as difficult as possible for a new government. This law is just in the vein of that.
They know it won't work, they know it's impossible, and they don't care.
They're just hoping there's going to be some terrorist attack after the new government come in and rescind this ridiculous law, and then they can go and point to it and say, "ah this wouldn't have happened if you still had a good law". And then presumably everyone cheers and then they get reelected.
Of course it won't happen, but these guys are delusional.
So honestly I'd advise everyone just ignore it. No one's getting fined because they're not going to bother putting the infrastructure in to actually enforce the law, if they're going to be out in potentially less than 14 months time.
It hurts small providers more than anything. My main fediverse instance has locked everything down in fear of retaliation. They might be paranoid, but at the same time I don't blame them. Not to mention, the smaller providers will find it harder if not impossible to fund for compliance with this. It ironically makes Big Tech stronger.
Oddly enough, another site I frequent - Rate Your Music - separated the main site and the forums at the same time. They blame it on "technology companies", I wouldn't be surprised if it was this exact bill and Ofcom that forced their hands.
I hope you're right. The opposition haven't indicated they're going to rescind anything yet. They've shuttled so far to the right in the last three years in a successful effort to woo the disillusioned "centrists" that it's really hard to get a grip on where they stand ideologically. All that can be said is they will do anything and say anything if they think it will get them more votes, and they won't commit to anything which might upset the centrists.
The law is designed in such a way that it's basically a noose around the government's neck. It will cost an absolute fortune to actually enforce, everyone will hate it, it will achieve nothing because it's fundamentally unworkable, it probably violates human rights, and it makes businesses wary of operating in the UK reducing collectible taxes.
It's no mistake that this be law is being implemented now rather than 16 years ago when the Conservatives first got into power. If they thought they had even the barest hint of actually being in power after the next election and have to deal with the consequences of their decisions they wouldn't have been enacted this law.
Even in Corbyn's Labour they weren't willing to pull the over-reaching surveillance laws. IIRC Corbyn said he wasn't going to pull the Snooper's Charter / Investigatory Powers Act. Actually, if I recall the Lib Dems were the strongest opposition to the Snooper's Charter in 2017.
I'm so hoping they or the Greens say something.