This is just the beginning of the KYC internet. Agent131711 on Substack relates a horror story that has cost them ~$6k already. It's almost unbelievable so I'll leave you to get the details of it from them, but basically Substack isn't covered by the ban, but contracted with Smile to implement the age verification anyway, after telling all it's adult users for the past year they wouldn't be affected and then instantly cutting off access to their accounts until they submitted biometric ID. Then the chargebacks started, and each chargeback comes with a $15 fee. So, Substack has been transformed (or revealed to be) a merciless data broker without the least concern for integrity, free speech, or it's users.

While that's just terrible management and a hellish and unnecessary transition, you make a good point that none of the pr0n sites are required to block minors. That utterly belies the claim this ID law is about protecting children. It's about controlling everybody. That's where it's going, to where every word you speak your phone can hear, every word you post, and the very people you speak to, will affect your social credit score, and that will affect the prices you pay, what you can eat, where you can go, and etc. They're going to set your thermostat, turn off your lights at the hour you're expected to go to sleep, and basically end up treated like a prisoner in a jail. Something people aren't much mentioning is that this is suddenly being imposed globally. Oz isn't the only place doing this. Dozens of US states are too. From vietnam to the UK, digital ID is being required for access to social media. That focus on social media is telling. This is about censoring inconvenient truths, maintaining the narrative the global quasi state wants you to faithfully parrot, no exceptions, and will monitor your every breath with AI that cannot be bargained with to ensure. If it hits my ISP you'll never hear from me again, because I'm not going to submit to biometric ID ever.

Thanks!