Weekly News

To Members of Parliament: end-to-end encryption keeps us safe

68 million of your constituents are at risk of losing the most important tool to keep them safe and protected from cyber-criminals and hostile governments.

End-to-end encryption means that your constituents' family photographs, messages to friends and family, financial information, and the commercially sensitive data of businesses up and down the country, can all be kept safe from harm's way. It also keeps us safer in a world where connected devices have physical effect: end-to-end encryption secures connected homes, cars and children's toys. The government should not be making those more vulnerable to attack. The draft Online Safety Bill contains clauses that could undermine and in some situations even prohibit the use of end-to-end encryption, meaning UK citizens will be less secure online than citizens of other democracies. British businesses operating online will have less protection for their data flows in London than in the United States or the European Union. Banning end-to-end encryption, or introducing requirements for companies to scan the content of our messages, will remove protections for private citizens and companies' data. We all need that protection, but children and members of at-risk communities need it most of all.

Don't leave them exposed.

With more people than ever before falling prey to criminals online, now is not the time for the UK to undertake a reckless policy experiment that puts its own citizens at greater risk. We, the undersigned, are calling on the Home Office to explain how it plans to protect the British public from criminals online when it is taking away the very tools that keep the public safe. If the draft Online Safety Bill aims to make us safer, end-to-end encryption should not be threatened or undermined by this legislation.

Sincerely,

• ARTICLE 19*
• Association for Proper Internet Governance
• Big Brother Watch*
• Bikal
• Blacknight*
• CCAOI*
• Centre for Democracy and Technology*
• Coalition for a Digital Economy (COADEC)
• Defenddigitalme
• Derechos Digitales*
• Digital Rights Watch*
• eco 203 Association of the Internet Industry*
• English PEN
• Global Partners Digital*
• Internet Governance Project, Georgia Institute of Technology*
• Internet Society*
• Internet Society Ghana Chapter*
• Internet Society Hyderabad Chapter*
• Internet Society UK England Chapter*
• Mega Limited*
• New America's Open Technology Institute*
• Open Rights Group*
• Paradigm Initiative (PIN)*
• Praxonomy*
• Privacy International*
• Prostasia Foundation*
• Riana Pfefferkorn, Research Scholar, Stanford Internet Observatory
• Simply Secure*
• Statewatch
• techUK
• The Tor Project*
• Tresorit*
• Tutao GmbH 203 Tutanota*

*Members of the Global Encryption Coalition

In the Line of Fire is a 1993 USA action crime mystery by Wolfgang Petersen.
With Clint Eastwood, John Malkovich and Rene Russo.

Cut by the BBFC for cinema release, VHS and DVD, then uncut for Blu-ray. Uncut in the US

See cuts via Quick Trims on YouTube. See more from Cutting Edge

UK: Previously passed 15 uncut for strong violence and language:

• 2021 Sony Pictures R0 4K Blu-ray at UK Amazon #ad released on 14th June 2021

Promotional Material

A gripping, gut-wrenching thriller that delivers suspense in almost unbearable doses, IN THE LINE OF FIRE showcases Clint Eastwood at his finest. In a performance that won universal acclaim, Eastwood stars as Frank Horrigan, a veteran Secret Service agent haunted by his failure to protect John F. Kennedy from assassination. Thirty years later, he gets a chance to redeem himself when a brilliant psychopath threatens to kill the current president and take Horrigan with him. Taunting him by phone and tantalizing him with clues, the assassin (John Malkovich) lures Horrigan into an electrifying battle of wits and will that only one man can survive. Co-starring Rene Russo as Horrigan's risk-taking Field Chief, IN THE LINE OF FIRE is a high-wire balancing act of searing suspense, explosive action and surprising romance.

Django is a 1966 Italy/Spain western by Sergio Corbucci.
With Franco Nero, José Bódalo and Loredana Nusciak.

The BBFC banned the 1969 cinema release. The film was passed 18 without BBFC cuts for 1993 VHS and then passed 15 without BBFC cuts for 2004 Argent DVD. A restored and extended version as been released in the US.

US: Uncut and MPAA Unrated for:

• 2021 Arrow [Django 4K + Texas Adios Blu-ray] R0 4K Blu-ray/(RB) Blu-ray Combo at US Amazon #ad released on 1st June 2021

Promotional Material

In this definitive spaghetti western, Franco Nero ( Keoma , The Fifth Cord ) gives a career-defining performance as Django, a mysterious loner who arrives at a mud-drenched ghost town on the Mexico-US border, ominously dragging a coffin behind him. After saving imperilled prostitute Maria (Loredana Nusciak), Django becomes embroiled in a brutal feud between a racist gang and a band of Mexican revolutionaries

With Django , director Sergio Corbucci ( The Great Silence ) upped the ante for sadism and sensationalism in westerns, depicting machine-gun massacres, mud-fighting prostitutes and savage mutilations. A huge hit with international audiences, Django s brand of bleak nihilism would be repeatedly emulated in a raft of unofficial sequels.

The film is presented here in its 4K UHD Blu-ray debut, with a wealth of extras. Also included is the bonus feature Texas, Adios on Blu-ray, which also stars Franco Nero, and was released as a sequel to Django in some countries.

2-DISC 4K UHD BLU-RAY LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS

4K (2160p) UHD Blu-ray presentation of Django , in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)

High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation of Texas, Adios

Uncompressed Mono 1.0 PCM audio

Original English and Italians soundtracks

English subtitles for the Italian soundtracks

Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing for the English soundtracks

Six double-sided collector s postcards

Double-sided fold-out poster

60-page perfect-bound book featuring writing by Howard Hughes and Roberto Curti, and original reviews

Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Sean Phillips

DISC 1 DJANGO [4K UHD BLU-RAY]
 

Audio commentary by film critic, historian and theorist Stephen Prince

Django Never Dies , an interview with star Franco Nero

Cannibal of the Wild West , an interview with assistant director Ruggero Deodato

Sergio, My Husband , an interview with Sergio Corbucci s wife Nori Corbucci

That s My Life: Part 1 , an archival interview with co-writer Franco Rossetti

A Rock n Roll Scriptwriter , an archival interview with co-writer Piero Vivarelli

A Punch in the Face , an archival interview with stuntman and actor Gilberto Galimberti

Discovering Django , an appreciation by spaghetti westerns scholar Austin Fisher

An Introduction to Django by Alex Cox , an archival featurette with the acclaimed director

Gallery of original promotional images from the Mike Siegel archive

Original trailers

DISC 2 TEXAS ADIOS [BLU-RAY]
 

Audio commentary by spaghetti western experts C. Courtney Joyner and Henry C. Parke

The Sheriff is in Town , an interview with star Franco Nero

Jump into the West , an interview with co-star Alberto Dell Acqua

That s My Life: Part 2 , an archival interview with co-writer Franco Rossetti

Hello Texas! , an appreciation by spaghetti western scholar Austin Fisher

Gallery of original promotional images from the Mike Siegel archive

Original trailers

Apple on Monday updated its App Store Review Guidelines to emphasise some existing policies and add new requirements for apps. One of those changes, guideline 1.1.4, bans 'hookup' apps that include pornography or are used to facilitate prostitution.

The revised guidelines, as Pink News noted, would ban overtly sexual or pornographic material, defined by Webster's Dictionary as explicit descriptions or displays of sexual organs or activities intended to stimulate erotic rather than aesthetic or emotional feelings.

Apple's new rules around dating apps won't affect non-sexy platforms like Grindr and Scruff.

Novelist Elin Hilderbrand suffered a woke lynching on Instagram for a passage in her new summer 2021 book, Golden Girl. The passage is an exchange between two teenagers, Savannah and Vivi, where they discuss how Vivi will hide in the attic of Savannah's home without Savannah's parents knowing.

You're suggesting I hide here all summer? Vivi asks. Like... like Anne Frank? she adds. The narrator then says, This makes them both laugh -- but is it really funny, and is Vivi so far off base?

The passage was criticized through a post on the Instagram page of Little, Brown and Company, Hilderbrand's publisher. The original post, which has since been deleted, described the passage as horifically antisemitic, and demanded an apology from both the publisher and Hilderbrand.

Others accused Hilderbrand of thinking antisemitism is funny, described the passage as gobsmacked in every way with insensitivity, and disgusted.

The lynching forced the author to apologize, promising to remove the passage from all future printings. Hilderbrand wrote in her apology:

In a flashback scene in GOLDEN GIRL, p. 144, my main character Vivi compares herself to Anne Frank. I want to wholeheartedly apologize for this. It was meant as hyperbole but was a poor choice, that was offensive and tasteless. I have asked my publisher to remove the passage from digital versions of the book immediately and from all future printings.

Another similar example of book censorship targeted Casey McQuiston for her book Red, White & Royal Blue , a popular 2019 romance novel. This time the 'offending' post referenced Israel. A supporting character says:

Well, my UN ambassador fucked up his one job and said something idiotic about Israel, and now I have to call Netanyahu and personally apologize.

A Twitter user claimed the passage was unnecessary, and another insisted that the passage : normalizes the genocide & war crimes done by Israel that will always be backed up & unashamedly supported by America.

McQuiston responded that the line was "not a statement of my beliefs" but "a dig at US presidential diplomacy." She also caved to the complainers and stated that the line has "been changed from all future printings."

The BBFC has released a new survey into attitudes towards swearing which shows that while the use of strong language is on the rise, parents are keen to protect their children and do not want to see increased use of strong language in media content.

The survey, carried out by Magenta, was commissioned to find out if parents would accept more frequent uses of strong ('fuck') and very strong language ('cunt') at the 12 and 15 categories, and to understand people's opinions and use of these words in their lives. The report showed that 60% say swearing is part of their daily life, with 30% saying they use strong language more than five years ago.

The survey showed that people think that the BBFC is getting it right when it comes to classification of strong and very strong language in films and TV content. People feel that there is a time and a place for using stronger language, and therefore do not want to see an increase in strong and very strong language at the 12 category.

61% agree that while they are comfortable using strong language with friends they refrain from doing so if children can hear. Only 20% parents say they're comfortable swearing in front of children under 16 at home because they are keen to shield their kids as long as possible.

The survey showed that how words are said raises more concerns than what is said. Language feels more problematic and/or adult when it is; directly targeted at an individual, or used in an aggressive way, especially when used by men towards women; used in a sexual context; used in a sexually violent way or referencing abuse, rape, coercion, or sexually aggressive behaviour.

David Austin, Chief Executive of the BBFC, said:

Children are watching more content on multiple screens, and their parents want to protect them from strong and very strong language wherever they can and for as long as possible. Parents told us they are keen for media industries to share the responsibility - and that's where we come in. Very strong language retains an innate shock value, and for some remains the last taboo. While it can occur in a variety of contexts, including comic and colloquial, it has a particularly distressing potency when used towards women - so it's reassuring to hear people think we are getting it right when it comes to classifying these words.

For the first time, the BBFC has also published a guide to what terms parents can expect to hear in films and TV shows in the U, PG and 12A/12 categories. The guide lays out common words that are permitted at the junior categories, and also includes sections on Hindi language.

David Austin added:

This research has underpinned our knowledge that parents are the gatekeepers when it comes to language at the lower age ratings, U, PG and 12A/12. This is why we've launched our guide to terms at the junior categories, so that parents can feel empowered and confident when choosing content that is right for their families.

Despite parents being keen to protect their children for as long as possible, there's a clear generational divide when it comes to swearing, with 46% of Gen Zs frequently using strong language daily, compared to only 12% of 55-64 year olds and 12% of over 65s. 25% of 16-24 year olds say they would never use strong language in public, compared to75% of over 65s.

When it comes to acronyms - for example WTF - people felt that the meaning is rarely lost on viewers, including children. In most cases, they are treated as if the word were spoken in full. Therefore, the BBFC will classify acronyms as if they are a use of strong language in full.

The BBFC's list of language vs age rating is as follows

	'damn', 'hell', 'God', 'Jesus Christ'. We know that some people find these words particularly offensive, but our research shows us that the majority of parents are comfortable with their children hearing them in U rated films. 'butt', 'jerk'. And, depending on the context, you may also hear the word 'screw' if it is used instead of 'messed up', eg. 'I screwed up'.
	At PG, we only allow mild bad language. If words are used in an aggressive or very frequent way, then this might result in the content being rated higher. 'bloody', 'bugger', 'son of a bitch', 'shit', 'arsehole', 'bastard', 'bollocks', 'piss', 'crap', 'arse', 'ass', 'sod', 'git', 'arse'.
	Prick, wanker, twat, bitch, whore, slag, slut, cock, Depending on context, frequency, and tone: fuck'

Members of the House of Lords are clamouring for more red tape and censorship in the name of protecting children from the dangers of the internet. Of course these people don't seem to give a shit about the safety of adults using the internet.

Maurice Morrow is attempting to revive the failed age verification for porn in his bill, Digital Economy Act 2017 (Commencement of Part 3) Bill [HL]. The original bill failed firstly because it failed to consider data protection for porn user's identity data. The original authors of the bill couldn't even be bothered to consider such security implications as porn users handing over identity data and porn browsing data directly to Russian porn sites, possibly acting as fronts for the Russian government dirty tricks dept.

Perhaps the bill also failed because the likes of GCHQ don't fancy half the porn using population of the UK using VPNs and Tor to work around age verification and ISP porn blocking.

See Morrow's bill progress from bills.parliament.uk and the bill text from bills.parliament.uk . The bill had its first reading on 9th June.

Meanwhile Beeban Kidron has proposed a bill demanding accurate age assurance. Age assurance is generally an attempt to determine age without the nightmare of dangerously handing over full identity identity data. Eg estimating the age of soical media users from the age of their friends.

See Kidron's bill progress from bills.parliament.uk and the bill text is at bill text from bills.parliament.uk . The bill had its first reading on 27th May

The Devil-Ship Pirates is a 1964 UK action adventure thriller by Don Sharp.
Starring Christopher Lee, Andrew Keir and John Cairney.

BBFC category cuts were required for a U rated cinema release in 1964. UK home video releases are PG rated and uncut. Uncut and MPAA Unrated in the US.

UK: Passed PG uncut:

• 2021 Network R2 DVD at UK Amazon #ad released on 31st May 2021

Promotional Material

An action-packed adventure drama set in the summer of 1588, The Devil-Ship Pirates stars Christopher Lee in a memorable turn as the evil captain of a Spanish privateer. Stylishly directed by Don Sharp - and one of several swashbucklers made by Hammer in the 1960s - it is featured here as a High Definition restoration from original film elements in its as-exhibited Hammerscope theatrical aspect ratio.

While the British fleet is engaged in a desperate battle with the Armada, a Spanish vessel, the Diablo, puts in at a lonely inlet on the Cornish coast for emergency repairs. Finding a nearby village, the Spaniards terrorise the local population and take village girls as hostages.

The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It is a 2021 USA horror mystery thriller by Michael Chaves
Starring Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson and Julian Hilliard

Uncut and MPA R rated in the US. This was initially rated 18 uncut, by the BBFC but the distributors preferred a cut 15 rated version for 2021 cinema release. The film is rated 16 uncut  by IFCO for Irish cinema release.

Both the uncut 18 rated version and the cut 15 rated have just been passed for home video release but it is not yet clear which versions will be released on which formats.

Summary Notes

A chilling story of terror, murder and unknown evil that shocked even experienced real-life paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren. One of the most sensational cases from their files, it starts with a fight for the soul of a young boy, then takes them beyond anything they'd ever seen before, to mark the first time in U.S. history that a murder suspect would claim demonic possession as a defense.

Versions

category cuts cut:   run: 113m pal: 108m		UK: The UK edit was passed 15 for strong threat, horror, violence after BBFC category cuts: 2021 Warner Bros Entertainment UK Ltd video 2021 cinema release The BBFC commented: The distributor chose to reduce bloody injury detail in a suicide scene in order to obtain a 15 classification. An uncut 18 classification was available. Of course the BBFC is referring to vertical wrist slitting which is disallowed at 15.
uncut run: 113m pal: 108m	Ireland	UK: Passed 18 uncut for strong injury detail, horror: 2021 Warner Bros Entertainment UK Ltd video 2021 cinema release, unreleased as the distributors opted for a cut 15 release Ireland: Rated 16 uncut for very strong gory violence. It is reported that the Irish 16 rated cinema release is the uncut version running at 111:44s US: Uncut and MPA R rated for terror, violence and some disturbing images.

 Comcast Cable (owners of the Xfinity brand)-- the largest cable television company in the United States with close to 20 million pay TVsubscribers is banning cable channels and streaming services owned by Mindgeek (owners of Pornhub).

A Comcast representative said that they were deeply concerned over the growing number of reports against MindGeek for unlawful business practices, including minors being exploited on their sites. As a result of this increasing evidence, Comcast decided to drop all MindGeek content from their cable systems. As of April 2021, all MindGeek material has been removed.

Furthermore, Comcast disabled new subscription video on demand (SVOD) signups and notified all their existing SVOD customers of their decision to remove content and cease distribution of MindGeek's SVOD services. Existing customers were informed of Comcast's decision through bill messages. Once the subscriber notification process was completed, the SVOD content became unavailable on their cable channels.

Don't Look Now is a 1973 UK / Italy horror thriller by Nicolas Roeg.
Starring Julie Christie, Donald Sutherland and Hilary Mason.

Uncut and BBFC X/18 rated from 1973 to 1986. Uncut and 15 rated since 2001. The film was originally cut in the US for an R rating but home video releases have been the uncut version.

Summary Notes

John and Laura Baxter are in Venice when they meet a pair of elderly sisters, one of whom claims to be psychic. She insists that she sees the spirit of the Baxters' daughter, who recently drowned. Laura is intrigued, but John resists the idea. He, however, seems to have his own psychic flashes, seeing their daughter walk the streets in her red cloak, as well as Laura and the sisters on a funeral gondola.

US: Uncut and MPAA Unrated for:

• 2021 Paramount (RA) Blu-ray at US Amazon #ad released on 25th May 2021
• 2021 Paramount Amazon Prime VoD [US only] at US Amazon #ad