UK: https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2018/04/25/banned-gay-porn-uk/

Germany: https://www.wired.co.uk/article/germany-porn-laws-age-checks

gay porn was not banned in the UK, but rather things associated with violence, aggression or non-consent; as such I fail to see the link to religion.

I'm not sure how requiring age check relates to being non-secular either. I'm not religious, but I don't think children should watch porn.

UK bans a lot of perfectly consensual BDSM porn, for example.

> violence, aggression or non-consent

That was overturned.

The head of state is not the head of government, but you may be interested in this recent judgement to overturn a ban of some sexual acts in porn https://uk.news.yahoo.com/violent-porn-including-bdsm-no-lon...

UK is as close to police / surveillance state as it can get: a lot of things are benned, privacy is severely limited, internet is censored, strong crypto isn't exactly legal (even though no one been thrown in jail, yet), banking banned crypto and have severe KYC requirements, etc.

So in many areas UK has less freedoms than poor authoritarian countries. I cant say anything about Germany since I havent lived there.

It's fascinating to me that you've used "crypto" as synecdoche for both cryptography and cryptocurrency in successive parts of the same sentence!

Pardon me. I didnt put much mind into the fact this could be confusing.

It’s ok. You were just being a little crypto.

TIL what synechdoche means ...

Have a reference for strong crypto being illegal? I know the government store a month of all our personal correspondence (due to the snoopers charter) but Afaict crypto is still legal.

It is legal, but with caveat that you have to provide decryption keys on court order and refusing to do so is illegal. It wasn't heavily used against anyone as far as I aware, but it's can always change.

> banking banned crypto

cryptocurrency? Revenue taxes crypto gains so I doubt that.

Banks don't care if you paid taxes. Most of major banks will close your account if they suspect crypto-related transactions. And almost all fintech companies will ban your account if you even just buy crypto with a card payment: Wise, Monzo, Starling, etc.

crypto-related transactions is a different thing from banning banks from dealing in crypto. If banks don't want to deal with the Due-dil that's fair & fine to me. You don't need a bank to use an exchange.

> almost all fintech companies will ban your account

I believe revolut operates in the UK and allows you to trade in btc.

> You don't need a bank to use an exchange.

And what do you suggest to use? Trade crypto to cash? And then how will I put said cash on bank account without getting on check list?

In UK even if you have 1000 GBP in cash they look at you like you're drug dealer.

> I believe revolut operates in the UK and allows you to trade in btc.

Revolut itself is shady and at least until recently didnt have or used any banking license in UK. And it's can ban you at any moment for no reason.

In the UK you literally have to ask your ISP before you are allowed to see porn (or use a different name server).

And Germany is far from secular too - for example church taxes (even if you can opt out) are still collected via the government. There is also much more censorship in video games than in most other countries.

> for example church taxes (even if you can opt out) are still collected via the government.

In other news US post office caught delivering mail to churches, synagogues and mosques. Religious conspiracy or completely normal?

> even if you can opt out

You had to be opted in in the first place, you don't get randomly assigned to one of the religious groups that signed up for that service.

> There is also much more censorship in video games than in most other countries.

Gotta love how quickly school shooters got blamed on video games. Can't blame the government, can't blame the poor parents who were barely even aware of their kids existence in the months leading up to the shooting, lets blame and censor games the kid never played.

> In other news US post office caught delivering mail to churches, synagogues and mosques.

You have GOT to be joking!

Do you not see the difference between the government delivering postal mail to everyone, and the government collecting money for churches only - money that you have to explicitly opt-out of giving?

Will the government collect debts that other people owe me? Hell, no! So why should the government collecting church taxes for them?

> and the government collecting money for churches only

I would be quite a bit richer if the government collected only church taxes. Would have been nice if I could have opted out of paying for that mess in Afghanistan.

> Will the government collect debts that other people owe me?

No, but maybe you could start a movement to have it recognize other, non religious, groups for this service.

I would suggest that giving religious institutions tax-free status in the US is a form of subsidy. That’s why it’s such a problem when they begin to preach in a partisan manner.

There are a lot of churches in the US, though. If we only paid taxes that went to churches - who knows - it might reach Afghanistan levels. Plus, there would be even more “private contractors from god” getting into the game.

The equivalent would be for each existing organisation (or individual) to have a box listed to check in the tax form (that is the privilege). That would be a long form, though.

Only the big 5 ISPs, I've got a small local one and it's pretty much completely unrestricted

> In the UK you literally have to ask your ISP before you are allowed to see porn (or use a different name server).

Or use a better ISP.

The UK doesn't really have a "state church" - arguably England does, but that's only part of the UK (albeit by far the largest part).

I've just learned about the UK internet blocks.

Is it true that torrent sites are blocked for adults and consensual BDSM like spanking is considered illegal pornography?

I can't really believe it till I hear it from a person.

I had no idea. This completely changes my view of the UK and the world suddenly seems much darker.

Apart from the fact that I can't go to a supermarket at 5pm on a Sunday, of course.

Yes, though from what I can tell that's mostly been defended by the unions now?