Every Tuesday afternoon, a panel of three retired Colonels meets in the back room of The Red Lion in Maidenhead to review submissions to the BrexVPN block list. Decisions are made by majority frown. Below: the Colonels themselves.
All three Colonels have served the Crown with distinction. None have any formal training in content moderation, internet safety, or media policy. We consider this a strength.
Retired in 1992 from the Royal Logistics Corps. Specialism: lawn maintenance and 'spotting a wrong’un'. Holds the deciding vote on all matters relating to the BBC.
Personally responsible for the blocking of all vegetarian content from major recipe sites. Believes a "lentil" is a type of legal document. Brings the Hobnobs.
Reviews all content originating outside the British Isles. Has personally vetoed 4,217 articles from Reuters on the basis that "they sound a bit French".
Every Tuesday at 14:30 sharp, the Colonels convene at a corner table in The Red Lion, Maidenhead. Pints are ordered (one ale, two bitters). Index cards bearing potentially problematic URLs are produced from a manila folder marked "URGENT". The session begins.
Each card is presented in turn. The Colonels observe it in silence. The chair (Henry) calls "verdict" and each Colonel either nods (allow), frowns (block), or — in rare cases — does a sort of squint-shrug, which is recorded as "abstain".
Submit a URL to the Colonels for consideration at the next Tuesday session. Decisions are final, binding, and may be made over a pint of mild.