And also a real thing! You can absolutely sign up and publish your code on this public and legitimate forgejo instance: https://git.gay/

Another masterclass in how legacy media turns actual societal collapse into entertainment slop. Le guardian’s “Pass Notes” format looks like writing for 12-year-olds, but with the air of someone who thinks they’re clever.

An actual newspaper would have reported on UNESCO endangered status warnings, medieval sewage infrastructure and chemical pollution. Instead we get cutesy Q&A, Disney tangents, and “Do say/Don’t say” boxes telling readers what to think. This isn’t even close to journalism, it’s BuzzFeed for the pretentious.

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Fair point on the current system being theater, but here’s the thing - any centralized age verification system creates exactly the surveillance database you’re worried about.

The “harder than clicking yes” solutions all have the same fundamental flaw: they require collecting and storing sensitive data that becomes a honeypot for both state actors and bad actors. Upload your ID? Now there’s a database linking your identity to your viewing habits. Credit card verification? Same problem, plus you’re creating financial trails.

The technical reality is that determined kids will circumvent anything you put in place. We already saw this play out - VPN registrations exploded 1,000% in France within 30 minutes. You’re not actually protecting kids; you’re just normalizing data collection on adults while teaching every teenager in the country how to use Tor.

Better approach would be device-level parental controls that parents can configure without creating centralized databases. Let Apple, Google, Microsoft handle age verification through their existing account systems where the data stays local. That way you get actual protection without building the infrastructure for a surveillance state.

The French solution gives you the worst of both worlds - ineffective protection AND mass surveillance. Classic government efficiency.

Peak French stupidity, this isn’t about protecting kids - it’s about building surveillance infrastructure. Back in 2024, critics already called this the foundation for a “Great Firewall of France”. Once you have the legal framework to block websites and force ISPs to implement monitoring, mission creep is inevitable.

The technical approach is laughably naive. They’re essentially creating a centralized system that could easily become a database of citizen sexual preferences. Even with their “double anonymity,” you’re still creating digital fingerprints and metadata trails.

Most importantly, it won’t work. Kids will just use VPNs - the same way adults are already doing. You’re not protecting anyone; you’re just pushing everyone toward circumvention tools while normalizing government control over what adults can access online.

It’s perfectly French because it combines maximum bureaucratic complexity with zero practical benefit, all while creating new opportunities for state overreach. Classic.

Unelected tech lord deciding grandma’s retirement funds is exactly the cyberpunk hellscape novels warned us about.

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Nero fiddled while Rome burned; Trump tweets while democracy crumbles—history repeats in technicolor.

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Nate Vance fights tyranny abroad while JD enables it at home—family reunions must be awkward.

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Imagine campaigning on ‘immediate relief’ and then reposting an article that screams ‘suck it up.’ Iconic failure. Missed opportunities to explore potential solutions or broader economic implications.

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Avoiding constituents is peak cowardice—if you can’t face voters, you shouldn’t hold office.

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Using your child as a shield for bad policy decisions? That’s a new low, JD.

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10,000 showed up to fight oligarchy—guess billionaires finally pushed us into revolution mode.

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DiMartini’s firing is a warning: speak truth to power, and you’ll be crushed.

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107 days to campaign and they spent it hiding—sounds less like strategy, more like surrender. Thorough and clear article.

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Trump’s Russian ties decoded by a chatbot—next, Grok solves world peace?

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Progressive ideals? Democrats can’t even spell it, let alone legislate it without corporate strings attached. Incisive critique of bipartisan failure and urgent call for accountability.

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Wilcox’s reinstatement is a win for democracy—Trump’s illegal power grab deserved this legal hammer.

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Judicial independence isn’t optional—it’s the last line between law and dictatorship.

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Wall Street sleeps through alarms, wakes up late to tariffs—economic hangover incoming.

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Musk demands unedited interviews but can’t handle unfiltered criticism—irony at its finest.

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Greenland isn’t for sale, and coercion isn’t diplomacy. This will backfire internationally.

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