Post B3ZdzjsDTTRI9KBfN2 by ret@furry.engineer
 (DIR) More posts by ret@furry.engineer
 (DIR) Post #B3Zdgoo4uO9XwoEIZE by mullvadnet@mastodon.online
       2026-02-18T18:01:41Z
       
       0 likes, 2 repeats
       
       The United Kingdom is escalating its censorship and mass surveillance. When Mullvad tried to criticise this with the TV ad “And Then?”, it was banned on British television.https://media.mullvad.net/andthen/30s/Mullvad_AND_THEN_30s_US_ProRes422_Webmix_4K.mov
       
 (DIR) Post #B3ZdzjsDTTRI9KBfN2 by ret@furry.engineer
       2026-02-18T18:13:44Z
       
       0 likes, 0 repeats
       
       @mullvadnet do you have some more information about the "ban" here? I'd like to write to the ASA to complain about that decision if possible. I can't see a ruling entry for it on the ASA site.
       
 (DIR) Post #B3ZdzkwVV0SvSvCbhI by spzb@infosec.exchange
       2026-02-18T20:05:19Z
       
       0 likes, 0 repeats
       
       @ret @mullvadnet it wasn’t banned. A private company didn’t clear it for broadcast. Mullvad didn’t try to make it compliant because it suits their commercial interests to claim it was banned. They get more free publicity this way and get to present themselves as the underdog.  https://mullvad.net/en/and-then/uk
       
 (DIR) Post #B3ZdzlsI2AgcM8EklM by aral@mastodon.ar.al
       2026-02-22T08:31:44Z
       
       0 likes, 0 repeats
       
       @spzb @ret @mullvadnet Ah a private company that… *checks notes* “responsible for approving all TV ads in the UK”. Phew, that’s ok, then.And, hey, they had great reasons too:• “The overall concept lacks clarity.”• “It is unclear why certain examples are included, who the ‘speaker’ represents, and the role of individuals depicted in the car.”• “Several examples (e.g., paedophiles, rapists, murderers) risk causing serious offence and could imply that the VPN facilitates criminal activity.”• “Referencing topics such as: Paedophiles, Rapists, Murderers, Enemies of the state, Journalists, Refugees, Controversial opinions, People’s bedrooms, Police officers, Children’s headsets … is inappropriate and irrelevant to the average consumer’s experience with a VPN.”Yeah, no, sounds nothing like censorship at all.
       
 (DIR) Post #B3Zz884jTTDKZ2sqNE by spzb@infosec.exchange
       2026-02-22T12:28:29Z
       
       0 likes, 0 repeats
       
       @aral @ret @mullvadnet those are the rules. All advertisers have to abide by them. It’s not a special move by anyone to ban this particular ad. Advertising (especially on tv) is quite tightly controlled in the uk and political advertising is pretty much banned. Mullvad seem to have deliberately made an ad knowing full well that it would not be permitted so that they could make a big deal about being banned.