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Re: Mobile USENET readers

Cross-posted to 3 groups.

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Trolleybus <ken@birchanger.com> posted:

> On Sun, 23 Aug 2026 07:12:11 -0800, Maria Sophia
> <mariasophia@comprehension.com> wrote:
> 
> >Jeff Layman wrote:
> >>> In addition, there are web pages if READING is truly the only goal.
> >>>   <https://newsgrouper.org/comp.mobile.android> <== still works as of 6/2026
> >> 
> >> It's unfortunately not available in the UK unless a VPN is used:
> >> "Blocked due to UK Online Safety Act"
> >
> >Hi Jeff,
> >
> >Oh, wow. Really? That sucks. 
> >
> >What the heck is "online safety" when it comes to Usenet? WTF? 
> >They're idiots.
> >
> >I just looked and it works for me (in the USA, in California).
> > <https://newsgrouper.org/comp.mobile.android> 
> >
> >I'm going to guess that since porn is on Usenet (as porn is everywhere),
> >that "the UK authorities" decided to lock up all of Usenet, in their
> >infinite wisdom in applying their sick so-called morals to others?
> >
> Do you think that nobody in the UK is on Usenet?
> 
> What happened is that some non-UK organisations thought it was easier
> to block access to those in the UK rather than try to meet the
> requirements of the Act.

Newsgrouper.org is my site, I'm just an individual not an organisation
with a legal team, and I *am* in the UK so it would be risky for me to 
ignore UK law.  The Online Safety Act applies to all services accessible
in the UK which provide "User to user" communication facilities.
The requirements of the Online Safety Act are far-reaching but not
very clearly defined, and the penalties for non-compliance can be
severe.

When the act was introduced I spent considerable time studying it.
The official guidance produced by Ofcom runs to a few thousand pages!
You are required to undertake and document complicated reviews of
your service across many specified potential risk areas.  You are
then required to respond any reports of such problems and remove
anything problematic.  BUT you also have a duty to preserve your users'
rights to free speech.  There are no clear definitions of where the
line between these potentially conflicting obligations should be drawn.

To take just one example, the legality of "assisted dying" has been a
live political issue here in the last few years.  But aid or
encouragement to commit suicide is one of the types of speech strictly
forbidden by the OSA.  It is easy to imagine discussion of the general
question being attacked by opponents of assisted dying and reported
as a violation of the act.

So I reached the conclusion that the only practical course for me was
to block access to my site from my own country :-(

-- 
Colin Macleod ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ https://cmacleod.me.uk

FEED GAZA NOW!  SAVE GAZA NOW!  HOUSE GAZA NOW!  FEED GAZA NOW!

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Mobile USENET readers Jim the Geordie <jim@geordieland.co.uk> - 2026-08-22 13:41 +0100
  Re: Mobile USENET readers Jörg Lorenz <hugybear@gmx.net> - 2026-08-22 15:28 +0200
  Re: Mobile USENET readers Jeff Layman <Jeff@invalid.invalid> - 2026-08-22 17:11 +0100
    Re: Mobile USENET readers Dave Royal <dave@dave123royal.com> - 2026-08-22 18:20 +0100
    Re: Mobile USENET readers Maria Sophia <mariasophia@comprehension.com> - 2026-08-22 09:26 -0800
      Re: Mobile USENET readers Jeff Layman <Jeff@invalid.invalid> - 2026-08-23 14:48 +0100
        Re: Mobile USENET readers Maria Sophia <mariasophia@comprehension.com> - 2026-08-23 07:12 -0800
          Re: Mobile USENET readers Jeff Layman <Jeff@invalid.invalid> - 2026-08-23 18:51 +0100
            Re: Mobile USENET readers Woody <harrogate3@ntlworld.com> - 2026-08-23 20:13 +0100
              Re: Mobile USENET readers Truth in Writing <OnlyTruthMatters@is.invalid> - 2026-08-23 21:14 +0000
              Re: Mobile USENET readers David Wade <g4ugm@dave.invalid> - 2026-08-23 23:46 +0100
          Re: Mobile USENET readers Trolleybus <ken@birchanger.com> - 2026-08-24 09:14 +0100
            Re: Mobile USENET readers Colin Macleod <user7@newsgrouper.org.invalid> - 2026-08-24 09:43 +0000
              Re: Mobile USENET readers Maria Sophia <mariasophia@comprehension.com> - 2026-08-24 16:42 +0200
      Re: Mobile USENET readers Colin Macleod <user7@newsgrouper.org.invalid> - 2026-08-24 08:59 +0000
    Re: Mobile USENET readers Ivan Zelenyi <iz264279@gmail.com> - 2026-08-23 18:21 +0500
  Re: Mobile USENET readers Andy Burns <usenet@andyburns.uk> - 2026-08-22 21:30 +0100
  Re: Mobile USENET readers Lumin Etherlight <lumin+usenet@etherlight.link> - 2026-08-23 12:58 +0300
    Re: Mobile USENET readers Nuno Silva <nunojsilva@invalid.invalid> - 2026-08-23 19:12 +0100
    Re: Mobile USENET readers Jim the Geordie <jim@geordieland.co.uk> - 2026-08-23 20:13 +0100

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