try this link (actual link, not a Rick Roll)

That would perhaps make sense, but it's actually the "2TB model" (steam machine on its own) and the "2TB bundle" (steam machine with 1 steam controller)

[...]it seems pretty similar to age-based tobacco, marijuana, alcohol, or gambling restrictions to me.

Weed isn't legal to buy in the UK, so we can ignore that one, as you don't need to use ID.

As for tobacco, alcohol and gambling, these are based on "If you visually look under 25 years of age, we'll ask for ID to prove that you're over 16/18 etc".

If you go into the shop, and visually look 30 or 40 years old or whatever, no ID is required.

If you show ID, the person in the shop looks at the ID, then gives you it back. The interaction ends there.

They don't care what your name is. They don't store the ID. They don't record that "this person with this ID bought these things". They don't create a database of who you are, what you buy and cross reference it with other things you do, places you go etc. They don't follow you home and see what you do with the alcohol/tobacco/gambling - they leave you alone, none of their business.

Online scanned ID is stored, databased, cross-referenced, attached to online accounts, bank accounts, mortgage accounts etc permanently.

Say for example, "Reform" become the next UK Government. In local councils, they've been trying to ban/cut funding to/actively oppose "gay stuff", "woke stuff", "trans stuff" and "autistic stuff". They want to crack down on things like "women's rights", "trans rights" etc.

Suppose that's our next Government?

Suppose they've got a database of passports and photos and addresses of everyone who's ever said or done anything gay/"woke"/autistic/trans?

Was it worth it?

Instead of just putting fucking parental controls on admin accounts on phones and computers?

Ah, got you. Apologies for my rant :)

I don't think the opposition is anything to do with restricting young people's access to poisonous social media - the problems are in application:

1. Applying it to any and all possible websites which have a comment section

2. Instead of local computer admin account options, which could be implemented safely at home and easily complied with by any website, large or small, they've chosen to go with the same method as their porn ban - every person over that age must upload a scan of their face, a copy of their passport etc etc and freely give this information over to proven untrustworthy websites

All these websites must use "authorised age checking technology" from "our list of approved vendors" who are not trustworthy, and sell on the data.

Even if those were secured, once people have normalised "please scan your face" on websites, it's very easy to set up a scam site to trick photos and IDs out of people. Horrific security risk for everyone in the country.

Anyway, the face scanning software is easy for large corporate websites to put in place, plus they get extra data gathering for free! This is difficult for smaller hobbyist websites to put in place, so it's easier for them to simply block the UK, like many already do.

Basically, the social media ban would include things like Lemmy, or small obscure hobby forums, and using them would be illegal (for website and user) unless they could be tracked to your scanned face and photo ID.

So if, in future, I were to say something like "Israel is not 100% correct about everything" on Lemmy, that can be easily tracked back to my name, face and address - and currently, that carries a risk of imprisonment as a "terrorist".

Basically it's literally nothing to do with kids at all, and simply part of a larger plan to destroy any privacy or anonymity on the Internet.

When we were younger, one of the first things we were taught about using the internet was "Your personal ID should never be used online". This is still true.

"A small drop down menu in the administrator account of a computer or phone, to set the age range of the other users"

Plus

"Adults are responsible for their own children, and should set these age range flags on any devices the children will use unattended"

That's all we needed.

Another glorious victory for criminals and spies.

Isn't 17-18ibs about 8-9kg e.g. two normal cats?

What kind of giant cat-monster is he?

No clue about Castle Frank, but Castle Howard is a museum in North Yorkshire.

*record scratch*

*freeze frame*

Yep. That's me. You're probably wondering how I got here...

Depending on the specifics type, you can normally eat it, which might help get rid of it quicker?

p.s. Do not eat billionaires.

In the metaphor, this is pollution and microplastics.

Probably worth doing in both to be fair.

I have no idea what has been said in the Commons unless it's significant enough to be reported on - but as you say, it's the correct place to ask such things.

If you also want a bit of public support though, the public need to be aware of it, and twitter still has a lot of users, and its posts appear to be "newsworthy", at least to some news places.

I can understand them not being amused - I imagine it was a little bit frightening.

If I go into my garden now, and pull up all the weeds, the garden will look good for a bit, and the nutrients they were stealing from other plants will be spread out amongst the remaining plants.

However, there are likely some smaller weeds just under the surface, so within a few weeks, there'll be some weeds again, and they'll begin taking nutrition away from all the other plants. A year from now, there'll be just as many weeds as before, and they'll have strangled and starved many of the other plants in the garden.

It's generally accepted that there's two ways to deal with such weeds.

1. Regular maintenance. You need to cull all the weeds, every week, to keep on top of them. Eventually this will weaken the roots, rhizomes and seeds and then there'll be fewer weeds. Over time there'll be fewer weeds to remove each week, but you must never stop maintaining, or else they'll take over as before.

2. Preventative measures. Look at the circumstances that cause weeds to form, and make structural changes to stop this. This may include things such as ground-cover plants, which protect the soil from weed growth, but store and then distribute their nutrients back into the soil. It can also include things like organising, supporting and strengthening your other plants, using things such as companion planting (where two plants take and release opposing nutrients, both working together and feeding each other to become stronger). When the garden is unified and stronger and working harmoniously, there are fewer opportunities for weeds to thrive.

It's best to take both approaches simultaneously.

Oh, sorry, I accidentally posted this gardening tip in a comment about billionaires!

If you skipped the sugar and instead added some salt, and a little cheese, this would be lovely meal (p.s. I am British).

Onanism?

233°C, if anyone wondered.

Don't worry, that's just businesses competing and improving standards in a race to the top.

I'm not falling for that again. I once bought a record by The Special AKA, and it said "Free Nelson Mandela" on it.

When I opened the package, there wasn't a Nelson Mandela included at all, and years later I still haven't recieved my free Nelson Mandela.

Yes, almost certainly. Apologies, I thought that was obvious.