Just came across this nugget:
The video also mentions Android/Google devices - as /e/OS is an un-Googled platform, suspect this could also be affected.
Regain your privacy! Adopt /e/OS the deGoogled mobile OS and online services
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I will watch this later. I suspect I am at the top of their hit list anyway as I sent an extensive missive to my mp all about my concerns. Haven’t heard back yet - am not sure that I will.
I can confirm that I have no issues accessing the internet here in the UK using Linux and eOS.
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Not at the moment no. I am currently in email conversation with the local LUG co-ordinator. On his advice I would advise you install a VPN while you can. ProtonVPN and RiseUp! are two free alternatives.
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I watched little bit from 4:40 and I disagree. Most of the argument he makes is about browser user agent strings which are easily changed. There are browser extensions that will spoof them for you. I live in the UK and use Linux. The website issues I do hit are either.
- US news sites that geoblocked the EU after GDPR
- Cloudflare sites misconfigured to block ipv6
That’s it.
edit: The video might be saying the issue is about being blocked from age verification providers, but I haven’t yet tried signing up to one as none of the sites I visit have required them. Neither do I use third party vpns to access them.
Before I watched the video, I logged on to my computer to check my subscription with Simple login (now owned by Protonmail). I was able to log in as normal, with my VPN running with a UK server. But, when I tried to check something to do with my subscription provided by an external payment service called Paddle, I was blocked. I changed my VPN server to Germany and I was able to access Paddle in the usual way. It was a bit of a shock - just one website, I know but, it blocked me - because of the UK IP address, because of Linux or both - I am not sure. It wasn’t the VPN. Now I am worried that I might be blocked from accessing more websites, my email or using my phone. I am not sure where this will end.
I think the problems are coming down the line. If @Baggypants you watch the video in its entirety the problem lies partially with TPM and certificate validation which you only get with closed source systems. The YouTuber makes it clear that because of the very nature of GNU/Linux is that it respects privacy and because it has a varied nature there is no method of validating the OS. The same goes for BSD. It will be interesting to see how the European initiative on expanding Open Source Software will fall at the first hurdle.
Other applications I have been advised to use are ufw (which I already use - gufw), fail2ban, and on mobile we already have the ability to block trackers and ads. The other advice is to install malwarebytes which I have done but only the free version. I used their digital fingerprint scanner on both @e.email and @murena.io and it seemed to think they were not real emails!
I used to use an AV from F-Droid and Hypatia, the latter using ClamAV engine but seemed to stop working so I currently use Antivirus AI and Anti Spy from ProtectStar.
@linux_fangirl I know what it is like communicating with our constitutional representative - It’s why I don’t vote. You get an acknowledgement, a statement that they are following the party line and self-fulfilling of “follow me on …” all of which I would ban outright, Facebook, X, Whatsapp, TikTok and any other streaming media/info sharing platforms. People need to get outdoors more and get a real life.
On the one hand, I don’t disagree that in the future there certainly could be systems implemented that would limit operating system choice to proprietary only systems.
On the other, the part of the video I watched was so woefully uninformed and couched in language designed to create fear and unreasonable doubt, I figure the whole production was probably produced with a view more to generate revenue than to educate, and I didn’t want to pursue it any further. The title and contents are clickbait and not indicative of the current situation.
I asked my AI about this. It said that there was no official confirmation that Ofcom had decided to block Linux users from using the internet in the UK but, there is much chatter to indicate that this is what people are concerned about. A significant number of people are complaining about being blocked from some websites. It is possible that this is just misinformation. But, it is equally possible that some testing of blocking is being carried out and that is why some people are encountering problems. The problem is, if blocking was suddenly implemented, our communications could be suddenly seriously disrupted and there would be no time to plan for the eventuality, or organise how we would deal with it.
My AI suggested setting one laptop to use the same overseas server, all the time. It said, not to switch between servers as this might look suspicious. So, I will do this and test some of my importance sites like my bank to see if they work with an overseas server. I am thinking that it might just buy me a little time, if something like this did happen. And I might boot up my old Mac mini as it is probably too old to start asking for ID verification - it has been out of support for some time.
The guy actually would be affected as those servers are all running FreeBSD. I watched his state of BSD 2026. What I found amusing is that Netflix runs on thousands of FreeBSD Servers.
I contacted members of the local Linux User Group. The following advice was given:
- Use a VPN (on smartphone and Desktop)
- Install fail2ban (no good to me as I use GNU/Linux without systemd but you should be OK with Zorin).
- Ensure UFW (Gufw) is active (Gnome Uncomplicated FireWall)
- On smartphone use Malwarebytes. (I am using the free one (I couldn’t upgrade anyway as can’t access Play Store).
The co-ordinator was in the process of ordering a Jollaphone which comes with Sailfish OS with Wireguard:
Jolla Phone Pre-order – Jolla Shop (sold out on pre-orders and I can’t spend over another £500 after just purchased a Fairphone6).
The other advice is block trackers and ads which /e/OS has by default. It was one of the first things I enabled on each Fairphone purchased.
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Is there a written version of the issue anywhere on the internet??
The title seems very unlikely, crazy and alarmist, and I dont want to increase popularity of a video like that. I also hate youtube videos in general.
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Totally clickbait. Imagine all Linux servers in UK’s datacentres going offline. Not going to happen.
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Think about it. Servers are not clients. They serve out data. It’s the client side that needs verification. Which I suspect is the motive behind MS introduction of TPM.