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Re:Government orders GitHub to remove Bluetooth-based chat a... by petcat on Friday July 24, 2026 @11:44AM (#49037352)
Something like this would be basically impossible in the US, and it wouldn't even matter what kind of administration tried it. The US government doesn't even order ISPs to block websites. They just have the FBI seize a domain after a court order.

Honestly I would think something like this would come from the EU or UK. UK is trying to ban VPNs, EU is trying to ban private chat completely. EU countries routinely block whole swaths of IPs and websites, etc.

Re:Government orders GitHub to remove Bluetooth-based chat a... by anpago on Friday July 24, 2026 @12:10PM (#49037718)
The UK for now have given up on trying to ban vpns

'This is the right call' — VPN industry praises the UK’s decisions to leave VPN alone | TechRadar https://share.google/CyBImh95bt3VTubJV

Re:Government orders GitHub to remove Bluetooth-based chat a... by lava_pidgeon on Friday July 24, 2026 @11:59AM (#49037575)
Oh boy , this is American exceptionalism at its finest. The US has by far the most authoritarian government of all mentioned entities. Really you should protest against your government.
Re:Government orders GitHub to remove Bluetooth-based chat a... by mcherm on Friday July 24, 2026 @12:25PM (#49037932)
What a mix!

Yes, it is American exceptionalism (and quite foolish) to make the claim that "This could never happen in the US".

No, the American government is NOT more authoritative than the UK in the way they handle freedom of websites. The grandparent comment is correct: the US government does not (currently) order ISPs to block specific websites.

Yes, those in the US should protest the current government (many of us already are doing so).

Re:Government orders GitHub to remove Bluetooth-based chat a... by etiennebausson on Friday July 24, 2026 @02:49PM (#49040019)
I think maybe there is more than one way to quantify authoritative.

Just looking at the percentage of the population in prison, or murders by cop per inhabitant, that are also good indicators of "repression", and the US might rate first worldwide.

Re:Government orders GitHub to remove Bluetooth-based chat a... by mdgld on Saturday July 25, 2026 @01:36AM (#49044820)
First worldwide? Are you on crack? Are you familiar with the country called North Korea? Or Saudi Arabia?

As a note, I think you meant authoritarian; authoritative means “preeminent/most trustworthy”

Re:Government orders GitHub to remove Bluetooth-based chat a... by inigyou on Saturday July 25, 2026 @05:04PM (#49051558)
I thought the USA have more murders by cop per capita than both of those
Re:Government orders GitHub to remove Bluetooth-based chat a... by lava_pidgeon on Friday July 24, 2026 @01:46PM (#49039244)
Sorry OPs first sentence mentions this is basically impossible in the US and then compared to EU or UK. There is a certain tone and I don't think this comment was a good faith criticism on EU or UK policy
Re:Government orders GitHub to remove Bluetooth-based chat a... by inigyou on Saturday July 25, 2026 @05:04PM (#49051553)
The American government censored a Dutch porn site (Motherless) just last week.
Re:Government orders GitHub to remove Bluetooth-based chat a... by ecshafer on Friday July 24, 2026 @12:36PM (#49038124)
How many people has the US sent to jail due to saying naughty things on Twitter vs the UK? If were going to speak of authoritarianism. Just due to ensuring free speech and right to bear arms the US is possibly the least authoritarian developed nation outside of maybe Switzerland.
Re:Government orders GitHub to remove Bluetooth-based chat a... by lava_pidgeon on Friday July 24, 2026 @01:45PM (#49039221)
The US government killed two people protesting against their migration policy. Oh boy, MAGA is deep into America. Thanks for reminding me.
Re:Government orders GitHub to remove Bluetooth-based chat a... by ted_dunning on Friday July 24, 2026 @02:38PM (#49039894)
Alex Pretti would like a word.
Re:Government orders GitHub to remove Bluetooth-based chat a... by ecshafer on Saturday July 25, 2026 @09:20AM (#49047376)
Henry Nowak would as well.
Re:Government orders GitHub to remove Bluetooth-based chat a... by mdgld on Saturday July 25, 2026 @01:44AM (#49044850)
This is 100% not true. On multiple measures of freedom the US scores around the 75th percentile if I remember correctly; I believe the category is something like “flawed democracy” on the economist’s democracy index, and that’s not even an publication that I particularly like. It’s not even in the top 30.
Re:Government orders GitHub to remove Bluetooth-based chat a... by sophrosyne42 on Friday July 24, 2026 @02:45PM (#49039969)
Most europeans love their chains, they call it freedom as a coping mechanism
Re:Government orders GitHub to remove Bluetooth-based chat a... by inigyou on Saturday July 25, 2026 @05:05PM (#49051570)
say what you like but at least in Germany when you say free Palestine, they bring you to a court instead of a summary execution