Avatar thumbs - Content not viewable

[alt3rn1ty]

Anyone else seeing this or is it just for me in the UK (although maybe complicated by me using Quad9 DNS servers) ..

Avatars for a fair few people (including my own) going Purple background, and a little notice on them which reads "Content not viewable in your region"

My old War of the Worlds avatar has now been replaced by this, its not original film content, I'm pretty sure it was just a hobbyist model of the floating Alien ship photographed (I found it somwhere about 20 years ago, and manipulated it into its current form with G.I.M.P), so unlikely to be a copyright thing.

So I am thinking its a hosting site issue for the avatar image, which in my case is imgur

[Alan Phipps]

I'm in the UK and your avatar both in posts and in your profile looks fine to me and with no caution issues. The only thing that I can think of is that your IP is maybe dynamic because you do post from a lot of different ones and your IP provider has shifted you (perhaps temporarily) to one considered out of region. Just a weak theory though as you have previously used the one for the post above a lot and it could just be a server settings issue instead.

[Chips]

It's blocked for me (UK) and I imagine it is cache issue for those it's not blocked for; or maybe vpn?
If I load up the VPN to be American - it resolves fine. Same for selecting Belgium...

If I disconnect, it still shows fine until I click through to the actual location (imgur) and get the blocked sign again.

UK thing I'd assume (i see my own just fine, but if I click through to the actual location it's also content not available. Guess there's some law or something that's kicked in, like imgur hosts porn. Or something?).

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4gzxv5gy3qo

Imgur blocks access to UK users after regulator warned of fine

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.

Yep. Appears they just ignored responsibility and this is their knee jerk reaction. It won't avoid the fine, and if it's a stunt to try and cause outrage, life's too short to care. So... sod them.

[alt3rn1ty]

I'm in the UK and your avatar both in posts and in your profile looks fine to me and with no caution issues. The only thing that I can think of is that your IP is maybe dynamic because you do post from a lot of different ones and your IP provider has shifted you (perhaps temporarily) to one considered out of region. Just a weak theory though as you have previously used the one for the post above a lot and it could just be a server settings issue instead.

As mentioned in the OP, I use Quad9 9.9.9.9 as my Primary DNS server, and Cloudflares 1.1.1.1 as backup Secondary DNS server in case Quad9 has any hiccups (none experienced for quite a few years so far).

So my IP depends on where Quad9 pops me up in the world from their servers joining the internet.

[alt3rn1ty]

~ there's some law or something that's kicked in, like imgur hosts porn. Or something?).

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4gzxv5gy3qo

Imgur blocks access to UK users after regulator warned of fine

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.

Yep. Appears they just ignored responsibility and this is their knee jerk reaction. It won't avoid the fine, and if it's a stunt to try and cause outrage, life's too short to care. So... sod them.

Oh thats interesting, and probably the cause. The UK is still pushing for its orwellian control over the Internet with the new privacy/data protection "Online Safety bill" (its been renamed/reworked and repushed several times now over many years), and threatening loads of other countries/companies with fines. Includes things like trying to get Apple to give a back door to de-encrypt their phones for legal investigations, and breaking encryption methods. Cant work of course without breaking it for everyone, once there's a back door anyone can use it, so there has been a huge amount of push back on the UK Gov being stupid in its heavy handed and often technically challenged approach.
I guess imgur have just said "well stuff the brits, their only a small percentage of world users anyway"

Edit: Correction - This is GDPR related not the Online Safety Bill

[alt3rn1ty]

Well .. Its about time the true me emerged

[Chips]

The UK is still pushing for its orwellian control over the Internet with the new privacy/data protection "Online Safety bill" (its been renamed/reworked and repushed several times now over many years), and threatening loads of other countries/companies with fines. Includes things like trying to get Apple to give a back door to de-encrypt their phones for legal investigations, and breaking encryption methods.

That was an attempt under the Investigatory Powers Act 2016, not the "Save the kids" online safety bill.

As you note later, the issue was data protection and age verification, not the Online Safety act per se.

Now I need to load vpn and find my own image again so i can host it elsewhere

[alt3rn1ty]

Now I need to load vpn and find my own image again so i can host it elsewhere

I found another, dont know if it will be long term reliable or not but try postimg
See this topic full of Avatars viewtopic.php?t=473149 ( shameless plug )