Image-hosting platform Imgur has blocked people in the UK from accessing its content.
Imgur is used by millions to make and share images such as memes across the web, particularly on Reddit and in online forums.
But UK users trying to access Imgur on Tuesday were met with an error message saying “content not available in your region” - with Imgur content shared on other websites also no longer showing.
The UK’s data watchdog, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), said it recently notified the platform’s parent company, MediaLab AI, of plans to fine Imgur after probing its approach to age checks and use of children’s personal data.
Personally, I think it’s just a result of the political machinery becoming more technology proficient. It was inevitable that governments were going to (at least try to) regulate more and more of the Internet at some point. Now the knowledge and tools are aligning themselves to make this a reality.