'Won't somebody think about the victims?"

[JellySlice]

Which article on accessing porn sites. Adult sites are now required to ensure that only over-18s access them. This means that the porn sites are required to gather identifying personal data, which could be hacked and used for blackmail. This concerns Which.

But does anyone have the right to access porn? If you don't want to risk blackmail, don't watch it.

Why is the viewers' right to securely accessing porn over-ruling the actors' right to safety, to not being abused and trafficked?

Depends what sort of porn you’re talking about. I can’t put it all in the same category. And I disapprove of anyone being blackmailed even if people might think they ‘deserve’ it. People have a right to a private life.

Blackmail is a crime. No matter how embarrassing the reveal is for the victim the best course of action is calling the blackmailer's bluff and reporting a crime.

If you are doing something which means you would rather be a victim of a crime than bear the thought of it being revealed maybe you should reconsider the activity.

If porn users are concerned about crime its only when it affects them. They aren't bothered if the porn they are watching uses trafficked women.
Women are constantly being told that if we are victims of crime all we need to do is complain. So they can take that advice.

If you are doing something which means you would rather be a victim of a crime than bear the thought of it being revealed maybe you should reconsider the activity.

This.

Women are constantly being told that if we are victims of crime all we need to do is complain. So they can take that advice.

I agree, sauce for the gander would be tasty.

It's rather more than just stopping children from accessing porn:
The draft Age Appropriate Design Code puts the startup ecosystem in the UK at risk. It will mean age-gating across the internet, huge amounts of data collection, & create an internet for kids designed by tech giants.
twitter.com/Coadec/status/1134384112712724481

If you're interested in finding out more, @WebDevLaw on Twitter posts about all aspects of internet privacy..

The new law will do nothing to protect women.

It will compromise people's personal information - it will make no difference if that personal information was stolen or cloned.

When people (men, women & teenagers) go looking for porn (which they will no matter how much you tell them not to and why they shouldn't), they will avoid the more restricted, managed sites which require registration and use the sites with no regulations or standards. That will mean more extreme pornography that is not allowed on the big sites will be freely available and marketed.

I don't think that's good for anyone, particularly women and teenagers.

Certainly I disapprove of blackmail, however, if you insist upon your right to access and support exploitative practices, why should you expect to be protected from exploitation yourself?

The concern in the article appears to be entirely for the well-being of the consumers of porn.

why should you expect to be protected from exploitation yourself?

But they will still be protected. Anyone being blackmailed is entitled to the protection of the law.

I'm really not seeing the issue. If they were viewing a legal site then the response should be to call the blackmailer's bluff. As I said before if you are doing something so embarrassing or shameful that you cannot face turning to the protection available for a victim of blackmail, then why are you doing it?

Don’t the blackmailers threaten to do stuff like expose the person to their employer or friends? Whether you like porn or not, it’s not illegal, but obviously it’s very embarrassing to have that happen to you. It’s maybe not that easy to just call the blackmailer’s bluff.

Also, many women view porn, so it’s not just creepy men who will be caught out by this.

I think there should be protections to ensure that nobody can be exposed or doxxed for what they do legally on the internet.

and just because something is embarrassing and shameful for people to own up to to others does NOT automatically make it so wrong that they shouldn’t do it. Eg if a former partner threatened to release a sex tape, most people would be horrified and embarrassed at the thought of anyone finding out. That’s not because having sex is wrong but because it is private and personal.

Your argument rests on the assertion that all forms of porn are equally bad and exploitative and that anyone who views porn is a bad person. Not everyone agrees with that position.

I think there should be protections to ensure that nobody can be exposed or doxxed for what they do legally on the internet.

As the saying goes, computer security is something you do, not something you buy.
There are protections in place; doxxing and blackmail are already illegal, and the majority of people are honest and law abiding.

Your argument rests on the assertion that all forms of porn are equally bad and exploitative and that anyone who views porn is a bad person. Not everyone agrees with that position

No it doesn't and that isn't what I said If you choose to watch legal porn and you are blackmailed for it you have every right to seek the protection of the law by reporting it. If you don't think porn is wrong why on earth would you have any qualms in reporting you are being blackmailed? Blackmailed is treated seriously in the UK.

There are protections in place; doxxing and blackmail are already illegal

Exactly- what more do porn viewers want?

Your argument rests on the assertion that all forms of porn are equally bad and exploitative and that anyone who views porn is a bad person. Not everyone agrees with that position.

I accept that I am arguing from a personal position. I do feel that all forms of porn are bad - for what they teach the viewer - and potentially exploitative. The debate lies, I think, in defining what constitutes porn. I think viewers of porn likely fall into two main groups: those who choose to consume porn, and the naïve.

But from the consumer's POV porn is like smoking. Before you start you already know that it is addictive and causes cancer. If you choose to start smoking, why should you expect to be protected from addiction and cancer?

Before you start you already know that it is addictive and causes cancer. If you choose to start smoking, why should you expect to be protected from addiction and cancer?

That doesn't really work as an analogy. The porn viewers are claiming they might be victims of blackmail. Well they might be, but blackmail is a serious crime and they, like everyone else already are protected.

Women are constantly being told that if we are victims of crime all we need to do is complain. So they can take that advice