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armistace 235661bc43 use master trivy
Build and Push Image / Build and push image (push) Failing after 24m17s
2025-09-29 17:13:29 +10:00
armistace d2a36f6d99 add trivy scan to pipeline
Build and Push Image / Build and push image (push) Failing after 22m24s
2025-09-29 16:27:19 +10:00
armistace ab23eec10b add some headings
Build and Push Image / Build and push image (push) Successful in 27m26s
2025-09-17 16:57:24 +10:00
armistace fc16292a70 edits to provide slightly more context to the content
Build and Push Image / Build and push image (push) Successful in 26m55s
2025-09-17 15:18:00 +10:00
armistace 65d6382db1 edits to provide slightly more context to the content
Build and Push Image / Build and push image (push) Has been cancelled
2025-09-17 15:15:33 +10:00
armistace 03376a2a70 Merge pull request 'an_actual_solution_to_the_social_media_ban' (#20) from an_actual_solution_to_the_social_media_ban into master
Build and Push Image / Build and push image (push) Successful in 24m26s
Reviewed-on: #20
2025-09-17 14:17:54 +10:00
armistace 7cc5d2fd01 human edits to make it run 2025-09-17 14:14:47 +10:00
Blog Creator e9ca7fcb79 'DNS solution for online safety' 2025-09-17 02:44:15 +00:00
Blog Creator d82db6e7b9 'DNS solution addresses social media ban.
'
2025-09-16 20:32:05 +00:00
Blog Creator 00c41dedac 'Legislation failed, DNS solution proposed.
'
2025-09-16 05:03:50 +00:00
armistace 982f28caf9 Merge pull request 'apple_the_anti_dev_platform' (#19) from apple_the_anti_dev_platform into master
Build and Push Image / Build and push image (push) Successful in 27m9s
Reviewed-on: #19
2025-08-28 14:33:29 +10:00
5 changed files with 135 additions and 51 deletions
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@@ -44,6 +44,16 @@ jobs:
tags: |
git.aridgwayweb.com/armistace/blog:latest
- name: Trivy Scan
uses: aquasecurity/trivy-action@master
with:
image-ref: ${{ vars.DOCKER_SERVER }}/${{ vars.DOCKER_USERNAME }}/blog:latest
format: table
exit-code: 1
ignore-unfixed: true
vuln-type: os,library
severity: HIGH,CRITICAL
- name: Deploy
run: |
echo "Installing Kubectl"
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@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
[core]
repositoryformatversion = 0
filemode = true
bare = false
logallrefupdates = true
[remote "origin"]
url = gitea@192.168.178.155:armistace/blog.git
fetch = +refs/heads/*:refs/remotes/origin/*
[branch "master"]
remote = origin
merge = refs/heads/master
[branch "kube_deployment"]
remote = origin
merge = refs/heads/kube_deployment
[branch "when_to_use_ai"]
remote = origin
merge = refs/heads/when_to_use_ai
[pull]
rebase = false
[branch "an_actual_solution_to_the_social_media_ban"]
remote = origin
merge = refs/heads/an_actual_solution_to_the_social_media_ban
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
Title: An Actual Solution to the Social Media Ban
Date: 2025-09-16 20:00
Modified: 2025-09-17 20:00
Category: Politics
Tags: politics, social meda, tech policy
Slug: actual-social-media-solution
Authors: Andrew Ridgway
Summary: The Social Media ban is an abject failure of policy. I propose an actual technical solution that addresses the issues raised by the legislation and also ensures user privacy and data security through an opt in solution.
## The Toothless Legislation
The Australian Government recently announced it would be “watering down” the requirements of the upcoming legislation regarding online safety. The irony isn’t lost on anyone observing the situation. Specifically, the planned mandatory minimum “flag rate” for underage detection technology has been dropped – a clear indication that initial testing proved unachievable. Furthermore, the legislation now only requires tech companies to demonstrate “reasonable steps” to remove children from their platforms.
Let’s be frank: this legislation, as it stands, achieves very little. Experts in the field consistently warned that the proposed age verification approach was flawed and ignored industry input. The result? Parents are arguably in a worse position than before. The focus on punitive measures, rather than practical solutions, has been a misstep, and the relentless pursuit of this agenda by the eSafety Commissioner feels increasingly disconnected from reality.
It’s important to state that criticism of this legislation isn’t an endorsement of big tech, in fact I’m actively working to reduce my own reliance on these platforms. It is about the Australian Government overreaching in an area where it lacks the necessary expertise and, frankly, the authority. The driving force behind this appears to be a personal vendetta, fuelled by someone unfamiliar with the fundamental principles of how the internet operates.
So, with the current legislation effectively neutered, what *can* the government do to genuinely help parents navigate the challenges of online safety? I believe there’s a technically feasible solution that doesn’t involve trampling on privacy or creating massive security vulnerabilities.
The answer lies in a system we’ve been using for decades: the Domain Name System (DNS). Simply put, DNS translates human-readable URLs like [https://blog.aridgwayweb.com](https://blog.aridgwayweb.com) into the corresponding IP address (e.g., x.x.x.x). It’s a foundational component of the internet, and while seemingly simple, it’s incredibly powerful.
## What is DNS?
Most people rely on the DNS provided by their Internet Service Provider (ISP) or the manufacturer of their router. However, it’s possible to change this setting. Popular alternatives include Cloudflare’s 1.1.1.1, Google’s 8.8.8.8, and paid family-friendly options like OpenDNS. For those with more technical expertise, it’s even possible to run your own DNS server – I personally use Pi-hole to block ads at the network level.
This existing infrastructure offers a unique opportunity. The Chinese government has long leveraged DNS as part of its “Great Firewall,” demonstrating its capability for large-scale internet censorship and control. While that application raises obvious concerns, the underlying technology itself isn’t inherently malicious and is a good fit for the purposes of *opt in* age verification.
<img alt="Current DNS" height="auto" width="100%" src="{attach}/images/dns_currently.png">
## How can we leverage DNS for age verification?
My proposal is straightforward: the Australian Government could establish a large-scale DNS server within the Communications Department. This server could be configured to redirect requests to specific websites – like Facebook or TikTok – to an internal service that requires some form of authentication or identity verification. Once verified, the request would then be forwarded to the correct IP address.
<img alt="Optional Government DNS" height="auto" width="100%" src="{attach}/images/optional_gov_dns.png">
This DNS server could be *optionally* configured on any router, with ISPs assisting less technically inclined customers. The result? Access to certain websites from that router would require passing through the government’s age verification process.
The authentication could be managed by an adult in the household, providing a valid identity document to receive some form of auth mechanism (password? passkey? authenticator?) to allow the user to continue to their 'restricted' website.
Mobile phones could also have the internal DNS updated by manufacturers to incorporate this DNS setting.
This would allow for the creation of “Government-certified” or “Family-Friendly” devices – routers or phones pre-configured with this DNS server – ensuring a consistent level of online safety as defined by the Australian Government. These devices could be subsidised by the government to ensure accessibility for all families.
Crucially, this system is optional. Individuals who prefer to manage their own online security – as I do – would remain unaffected. However, for parents who lack the technical skills or desire to implement their own solutions, this offers a practical and effective alternative to managing their child’s online safety.
This approach also avoids the need to collect and store sensitive identity data offshore. No tech company needs to be involved in the verification process, and the skills to build and maintain this system already exist within the Australian public service.
Furthermore, the eSafety Commissioner could easily update the list of websites subject to verification, providing a flexible and responsive system. It wouldn’t cover the entire internet, of course, but it would provide a valuable safety net for those who need it.
## Where to from here?
Now that the government has acknowledged the shortcomings of its initial approach, it’s time to explore real solutions. A government-run, family-friendly DNS system that routes certain domain names to a verification process is a solid starting point for a genuinely effective technical solution to help families navigate the online world.
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