Govs at some stage will require CPUs enforce 'secureboot' allowing only certified OSes to load, which in turn will only run certified applications. We have to stop voting for this

Following the announcement that under-16s will be banned from social media in the UK, we spoke to our digital safety expert, Jeffrey DeMarco to get his thoughts on this and what children's rights look like in the digital age. He explains that protecting children online is not simply about restricting access to technology or social media, but about building digital resilience, strengthening support networks and ensuring that technology companies design products with children's wellbeing in mind. To find out more about how can we ensure children are able to benefit from the opportunities online platforms create while remaining safe, informed and empowered, watch the full interview on YouTube here: bit.ly/49Y9fe4

It’s removing parental controls This happened in Australia

There’s been some reporting that Meta contributed an unfathomable sum to promote age verification laws globally. This is broadly true, but actual situation is a bit more complex. Figured it was worth an update.

13 years ago this month, the Guardian broke the Snowden story...the biggest mass surveillance exposé in history. Today it calls your concern about ID-linked browsing, spyware in your photos and messages, and broken encryption, "fake outrage" while Starmer's government demands backdoors into your iCloud and calls for people to be arrested for tweets. The watchdog became the lapdog.

🆔Starmer's plans for child-locked devices is a Trojan horse for digital ID "The only way to escape Starmer’s Great British Firewall and get regular internet access is to undergo a digital ID check on the device to register yourself as an adult user. Convenient, perhaps, for a Prime Minister who has failed to get a digital ID system through the front door" - @silkiecarlo

welcome to the mass surveillance endgame

Jess Phillips resigned last month demanding phone scanning on every device. The government called her demands too extreme. This week they announced exactly what she demanded. Two ministers resigned for not moving fast enough on surveillance. The surveillance is now moving fast enough.

If there is productive spending this will lead to growth regardless if funded by issuing more and more claims for same goods and services or by tax payers.

Wes Streeting has this morning set out his tax plans - specifically bringing capital gains tax into line with income tax He says that the current system is unfair because it penalises work Higher or additional rate taxpayers will pay 24% on gains in the current financial year. Streeting said that the rates should mirror income tax bands - so 40% for higher rate taxpayers and 45% for additional rate taxpayers He says that the approach could raise £12billion a year Streeting said: “A member of my family is a cleaner in Lancashire. She pays a higher tax rate on her salary than her landlord pays for the growing value of the home she lives in. She slogs her guts out, he puts in far less effort, yet the state rewards him more than her. And we wonder why people are angry. “The system is penalising work. It’s not fair and it’s bad for our economy. We need a wealth tax that works. A pound made from simply owning assets should not be taxed less than a pound made from a hard day's work. We can do it in a way that is pro-growth, pro-entrepreneur and pro-work.”

Also the problem: long term investors get no allowance for inflation. Invest £100k in 2016 and get £150k back today, and that's a gain of only £10k after inflation. But you pay £12k tax on that £10k of "real" gain. Effective rate 120%. Disincentive to long term investment