You will need vpn in Louisiana & other states

[WalterB]

Had a ton of trouble last nite. Only caught the 1st 5 minutes of Julia's show, then suddenly I couldn't get on line. Computer worked fine locally, but wouldn't go on line. Took me about 4 hours to finger it out. It was related to these damn VPN's. I had 2. Got ExpressVPN, which I know works good. Then Amy found SurfShark much cheaper. That one comes up in Best Site searches so I decided to try it.

There were issues. I may have had both of them running at once, which is bad. Both seem to me to be very hard to find out how to stop them. Maybe the problem is me (old fart, brain befuddled, etc.) In any case, after working about 4 hours, lots of looking around for answers, I finally discovered that, VPNs establish Virtual Network Adapters to use as part of their program of getting on line with 'fake' credentials.

So, I finally found my Network Adapters list and there were 3 or 4 virtual adapters listed. I had previously deleted both programs in case something was running I couldn't see. So now I deleted those Virtual adapters, and rebooted, and all was good.

It wasn't easy to finger things out. Even the MS Help Center was no help, giving me everything except the help I needed. So if you have problems, try removing the offending program. But look around. Many programs come with a specific removal link so that the program can be sure and remove everything it installed. By just moving it to the recycle bin, I may have missed some links that would have removed those Virtual Adapters.

[stickyvicky]

https://www.ynot.com/report-illinois-se ... ation-law/

And another copy cat. Why does no one have a brain? If you don't want your kids looking at porn, put a filter on their phone and computer. Problem solved.

[WalterB]

OK, number one, this will only work for membership websites. The hundreds of thousands of simple "display" websites (sites that show you collections of pictures or videos,) are not going to and you don't need to sign up for ANYTHING in order to see all the porn you want. These laws do nothing more than punish FULLY LEGAL adults already following all laws forced upon them.

It's like gun laws. There are now hundreds of thousands of "laws" on the books. But wait! Isn't it already against the law to shoot someone? Isn't it already against the law to kill someone? Isn't it already against the law to rob or steal? Someone PLEASE tell me how more laws will protect me. How about enforcing the THOUSANDS of laws already on the books. When the HELL are the courts going to step up and quit mollycoddling the criminals while leaving the victims hanging out to dry.?

[stickyvicky]

Well fuck me, looks like we will have to block Texas after all...
https://mailchi.mp/e9d809cd1d86/silvers ... ceeba48fa1
In case you can't read it, this is what it says:
Latest Development: New Rules for Adult Content Sites
Texas passed a law in June, 2023 requiring age verification and a mandatory health warning on all adult content websites. An initial injunction blocking this law was recently lifted by the 5th Circuit, without detailed reasoning. The law is now in effect, pending expedited appeal.

Why Does This Matter to You?
Potential for Increased Liability: If you operate or invest in websites that host user-generated and/or adult content, these changes to Texas law could expose you to new legal risks.

Shifting First Amendment Landscape: The decisions by the 5th Circuit Court indicate a changing interpretation of First Amendment rights, which could have wider implications for online businesses.

Immediate Action Required: The law is currently in effect. If you have not yet implemented age verification and health warnings on relevant websites, you may need to act quickly.

What Should You Do?
Stay Updated: This is a rapidly evolving situation. Make sure you're keeping up with the latest legal developments.

Consult Legal Counsel: Given the complexity and ongoing changes, it's essential to seek legal advice to understand how these developments may impact your business.

Policy Review: If applicable, review and update your website policies to ensure they are compliant with the current law.

Final Thoughts
It’s crucial to stay vigilant as these developments could have far-reaching implications for online businesses and First Amendment rights. Consult your legal advisors to understand how this could impact your operations.

[stickyvicky]

And this is what Mike Stabile from Free Speech Coalition had to say:

It depends on your tolerance for risk. The Texas Attorney General can begin going after sites at anytime, though we have some reason to believe they may be hesitant to do so while our case for preliminary injunction is being heard. In part, that may be because our case — arguing a preliminary injunction is necessary to prevent "irreparable harm" — could potentially be made stronger if the AG began to enforce this now.

But there are no guarantees, and the risk is certainly there. Ken Paxton is returning as AG following his impeachment trial, and has also signalled he may want to run for Senate — and this is a political issue. Or maybe the AG's office feels they were put in charge of a law they didn't ask for. Its Texas, and so the traditional logic doesn't really hold. There are a lot of unknowns.

So that's why, unfortunately, it's always a question for you and your legal counsel. Are you likely to be targeted? How much do you stand to lose in blocking Texas?

The good news is that the 5th Circuit has expedited the case, which shows they're taking it seriously. We hope to have a ruling on the PI in the next couple of weeks, which will help us provide more direction.

We generally recommend people comply with all applicable laws, but the law here is confusing in many respects and those decisions are individual. If you decided to block Texas while the motion is playing out, we have a blocking page here:

https://www.defendonlineprivacy.com/tx.php

A little more on the wacky physics of Texas here:

https://www.techdirt.com/2023/09/20/las ... ctly-fine/

Would be curious to know how others on the board are handling.

And obviously, if anyone is contacted by Texas, it's imperative to let FSC know immediately.

[stickyvicky]

[WalterB]

I can find absolutely nothing that says the Texas block has been lifted. Not on FSC or anywhere. I've done 4 different searches and absolutely nothing regarding this comes up. Personally, I would think this would be all over if it had happened.

UPDATE: OK, after a lot of insanity, I finally found it. I am still astounded that this is the only place I have found so far which seems to back the story up. Near the bottom of the TechDirt link,

It's called an "Unpublished Order?" That sounds like the courts passed something, but aren't going to tell anyone. I don't know. VIcky needs to stay safe. So the rest of us will have to deal with it. I'm just upset because I installed a VPN a couple tears ago, then removed it because of issues. Now this comes up. So I put in another VPN. That one doesn't work right, so I go try another. That one's way expensive. So I removed it. Then I found a cheaper one I liked. So I installed it. Then the law ws blocked. So I removed my VPN. Now the law is in effect (? Does anyone really know?) Now the law is back and I gotta put my VPN back in.

Vicky has to protect herself. That's the bottom line. So, like. it or not, we need to follow her leadership. She knows what she's doing and she's working for US. So I will wish her the best in dealing with this. Technology is an ever-changing force and we need to change with it. Then we have to deal with stupid, antiquated societies, like the Texas legislature.

[greggl]

Looks like I may now be falling prey to this stupidity as North Carolina just passed age verification requirements for porn sites. I had heard nothing being reported about this until today after it passes. unfortunately the article does not go into much on specifics


https://wlos.com/news/local/north-carol ... uirements#

[stickyvicky]

NC not passed yet, it's still a bill. Not law yet, but will likely be passed like the others if no one stops it.

[WalterB]

Folks, you might as well go ahead and get a VPN if you're in a state that has or is trying to enact such asinine laws. So far, SurfShark seems to be good, and it's cheaper that Express or Nord. Maybe it does less, I don't know. But all I need is the VPN, and I know that the others come with numerous add/ons. That is fine, it's just stuff I don't need. So why pay for it?

I simply cannot understand how there are so many abysmally stupid people in our governments.

[stickyvicky]

The wording of the North Carolina law is really strange. It says that I would need to have proof that the person viewing the tour area who may not ever join my site is over 18, but I'm not allowed to keep that proof. I have to delete it. So if I was sued by someone, apparent, or a government official, whatever the case may be, because a 17 year old was damaged by viewing my tour area how can I prove that he was allowed and that he did upload an id, if I am not supposed to keep it?

[WalterB]

Keep it anyway. No one would know and you could let your lawyer figure it out should there ever come a problem.

[stickyvicky]

No because if I used it as proof to show that the person was over 18 when he viewed my free tour, then I would be breaking the law.

[WalterB]

That's why i say let your lawyer look at it. Things may change by the time you need to prove anything.

But, yes, I guess I'm suggesting that you break the law, lol.

Remember, it's only a crime if you get caught (I Can't Drive 55, LOL.)

[Stacie]

No because if I used it as proof to show that the person was over 18 when he viewed my free tour, then I would be breaking the law.

That is quiet the predicament it puts you in, maybe a legal opinion if you haven't already? I still think credit card verification should be proof enough!

[stickyvicky]

It's not for members, it's for casual surfers who visit the tour page and look at promo vids and updates pages. The members area is not the issue - that part is fine.

[lance_s]

The wording of the North Carolina law is really strange. It says that I would need to have proof that the person viewing the tour area who may not ever join my site is over 18, but I'm not allowed to keep that proof. I have to delete it. So if I was sued by someone, apparent, or a government official, whatever the case may be, because a 17 year old was damaged by viewing my tour area how can I prove that he was allowed and that he did upload an id, if I am not supposed to keep it?

What you really need is proof that you verified the proof. Keep a one way hash of the drivers licence number. Its doable, but messy, and I'm not sure it would be practical. Or get validation from the state DMV and keep a record of the validation, but not the licence.

And as you just posted while I was writing, its for casual surfers, so would not work at all.

[stickyvicky]

Yeah I think all of you misunderstood from the beginning, it has nothing to do with the members area it's all about the free tour, every casual Surfer would have to upload an ID just to view the website tour area. Who in their right mind is going to want to do that?

So they may as well just come out and say it, these laws have nothing to do with protecting children, and everything to do with just simply shutting down porn sites.

[WalterB]

I realize that the tour pages are your advertising, your 'enticement' for folks to come on in. But, can't you clean that up so that it still grabs people's attention? You can add comments like "Much More Inside," or "Join up to see the really good stuff"?

I know it's not easy. And the only ones being punished are the law abiding folks. Now, I can certainly understand if a site has full-on pictures or clips out there. I can remember when you started, that's how it was. No 'dirty' stuff on the outside. Bikini pics, lingerie pics. Remember? You tried putting the forum outside, but slugs kept screwing it up. So you had to being it inside. So we have all opened up with the changing times and freedoms. Used to be you couldn't display bondage fucking anywhere. But now it's all over.

I probably don't need to study the law. Besides, each state's law will be different - "modeled on" some other state's idiotic idea. But there are a lot of things I don't understand. I guess that's the whole point, isn't it? We cannot understand what these idiots are doing or why.

[stickyvicky]

There are 40 websites and probably six tour pages on each one so I would have to pay a designer, to redo 240 pages, then I would have to pay someone to reintegrate those Graphics back into the CMS and our code, and I would have to pay someone to go change the GIFs or the thumbnails on every single website update be it a video update where there are three GIFs or a photo update where there is just one thumbnail to something that is pg. Even that may be not enough? Because the text talks about fucking and sucking. So it's still a porn site.

We get traffic from all over the world, I am not going to change everything because of a couple of states it's easier to just block them. At least for now.