[dizzy9]

Sadly, it's Mullvad VPN itself which may be banned in the UK. VPNs will require identify verification. Not a problem for companies which require credit cards for payment, but Mullvad famously allows anonymous cash payments through the post.

[sunaookami]

When will the UK citizens stand up against the regime?

[sph]

Mass surveillance and living in a police state is an ingrained part of British culture.

It is no wonder to me that police procedurals are the most popular genre of TV shows in UK by quite a margin. They really are high-quality, but it does really feel like thinly-veiled propaganda (often commissioned by the BBC) portraying the State and police as the good guys in their endless quest against the baddies. Thank god there are CCTVs at every corner keeping the peace!

[walthamstow]

Weird extrapolation. They're popular in lots of places - Law & Order has been running 30 years.

None of this is unique to the UK. I'm old enough to remember 24, the show that whitewashed torture while people were getting renditioned by the CIA.

I'd be more surprised if there was a country where this kind of thing didn't happen.

[remus]

Have you lived in the UK? I have, and it doesn't feel like a police state.

[tim333]

Indeed "totalitarian state controlled by a political police force" is not the thing - Brit here. Iran maybe.

[sph]

I didn't use the word "totalitarian", which the UK still isn't for the time being. A surveillance state doesn't necessary have to be totalitarian (the CCTVs were in good conscience put there to protect us from the baddies). But it certainly is a precondition to become that over time.

[sph]

Almost 15 years, yes. Were you born in the UK, or do you have outside perspective?

[OJFord]

Not GP but I was born in the UK, and from 'CCTV on every corner' even as an exaggeration I'd question if you stepped outside London in those 15 years, not counting 'London' airports.

[tim333]

The age rules are broadly popular - 69% in favour, 22% against. It's a democracy - they'll probably be voted out some time. (survey https://yougov.com/en-gb/articles/52693-how-have-britons-rea...)

[direwolf20]

When they don't like it. You disagree with the regime, but the vast majority of UKranians do not.

[aPoCoMiLogin]

not gonna happen, the issue is very deeply rooted already, you can't change that without force

[gib444]

It’s illegal to protest in a way that has any real effect now

[tim333]

I live in central London and there are protests pretty much daily about all sorts of things. The problem is more no one paying attention to them rather than their being illegal.

[gib444]

"that has any real effect". All the words I wrote were to be read

[OJFord]

How do you want to be able to protest (for 'real effect') that is currently illegal?

[gib444]

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/mar/11/shabana-mah...

I don't support that organisation, but I support the right not to be banned from walking in protest, in a pre policing move.

You can bet the static protest people will be kettled too as a defensive measure. I don't support frightening makeshift imprisonment in the street.

I don't support the requirement to get permission from the police to walk in protest either

Tell me: how much change you think you can effect with a few people stood static, self policing your words as not to cause offence to anyone, and then likely kettled by the police? Tell me that isn't banning protest

You're basically permitted to stand silent with a totally inoffensive sign (offensive or potentially to absolutely nobody) in a very small group that attracts no attention

[karel-3d]

Honestly both Labour and Conservatives are bound to take a beating next elections. I have no idea how will Greens and/or Reform government look like, we shall see.

[ndsipa_pomu]

I've used Mullvad VPN in the past without any issue in the UK. Currently using NordVPN as I found Mullvad wasn't very quick for downloading Linux ISOs