Because of the Social Media Platforms (Ofcom Licensing) Bill in the uk, fediverse admins globally now have to get a license to be able to be connectable from the uk.
Edit: I forgot to add that this hasn't passed yet, but it probably will because politicians don't listen to us here
This is the bill: https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/4285
Please not that it says operating in the uk not operating from the uk, so it applies globally.
To get a license:
- You have to send snail mail to ofcom to get a license
- Employ a compliance team
- Keep all your logs
- Ensure that content made available does not "incite criminal conduct, violence, hatred or public disorder." Whatever the fuck that means, it's so vague you can make that anything
- Ensure that content made available does not violate the laws of the uk... So you have to follow uk law outside of the uk now
- Ensure that there isn't misinformation, so I would just not have to post misinformation on my lemmy instance then? Or is that not enough for them? I can't remove stuff on other instances you fucking morons
- You have to dox all your users
The punishment for breaking any of these rules is as follows:
- An unlimited fine
- Up to two years of jail time
- A court order to have ISPs block you(fucking horrible my lemmy instance is in my wardrobe I don't want my internet cut off)
- And anything else the court " considers appropriate." Which is anything so just anything else
#fediadmin #fediverse #fuckwestminster #uk #authoritarianism #censorship #ofcom