Looks like some have to the come conclusion that the problem in “1984” was the dangerous lack of surveillance. This is a left-wing (Labour) government, btw.
Stuff like this is why I no longer want regulations to protect us from big tech. Thank you very much.
While I’m 100% on your side here and I make a point to champion the actual values of these anxiety riddled glass boxes, I do want to point out that we can do all that without them. My kid didn’t get modern electronics until he was competent with paper books, dictionary, and offline only tech.
That said, the added stance here is that we can have both. My kid’s phone is locked down to the point that he can’t even message contacts that I didn’t approve. It’s all operated in house from his phone, my phone, and the shit box excuse for a server I run. I have a curated plan for how he’ll earn his way up to full access and planned strategies for teaching him the safety and independence he needs. I know exactly fuck all about tech, can’t remember any commands for Linux, struggled to understand Docker, but still managed to make it happen. If I can pull it off, the only thing stopping literally anyone else is the choice not to do it.
Hmmh. Is there good Free Software to do these things with a Linux server at home?
Right now I’m using a combination of Home Assistant on the server, GrapheneOS on the phones, a pihole set up as a DNS whitelist, and an app that escapes me from F-droid that locks other apps bases on screen time. Took me maybe 10min to find everything and 2 months to set up but that was mostly due to my sheer incompetence when it comes to anything that isn’t physical. Along the way I even got a jellyfin server going age appropriate music and video sectioned off for him. When he’s responsible enough for it I’ll be teaching him how to pirate his own content.
Awesome!
My first computer of my own was a wiped surplus machine my father brought home from work, with a pack of Redhat floppies and an 800 page user manual in a binder. I was allowed to do whatever I wanted on it as long as I could figure it out myself.
So like, now I have a PhD in engineering. Weird how that works.