this post was submitted on 03 Dec 2025
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[OPINION] Canada’s age-verification bill for porn is a slippery slope to a restrictive internet (www.theglobeandmail.com)
submitted 2 days ago by NotSteve_@piefed.ca to c/canada@lemmy.ca
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Canada’s proposed Bill S-209, which addresses online age verification, is currently making its way through the Senate, and its passage would be yet another mistake in tech policy.

The bill is intended to restrict young peoples’ access to online pornography and to hold providers to account for making it available to anyone under 18. It may be well-intentioned, but the manner of its proposed enforcement – mandating age verification or what is being called “age-estimation technologies” – is troubling.

Globally, age-verification tools are a popular business, and many companies are in favour of S-209, particularly because it requires that websites and organizations rely on third parties for these tools. However, they bring up long-standing concerns over privacy, especially when you consider potential leaks or hacks of this information, which in some cases include biometrics that can identify us by our faces or fingerprints. [...]

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[–] floofloof@lemmy.ca 54 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (2 children)

It's always referred to as age verification, but it's ID verification. It's the introduction of a regime where you can't use the internet without everyone knowing exactly who you are, and without the government being able to track your activity via your ID. Governments around the world are making what must surely be a coordinated effort to end anonymity, and thus privacy, online. In other countries this has gone along with a push to end encryption for phone calls and chat, and a push to outlaw VPNs. Canada's government is embarking on a program that's very hostile to its own population.

[–] Rekorse@sh.itjust.works -1 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

What's the difference? I use ID verification to buy alcohol and marijuana. They have no idea I'm old enough for sure, they trust the license.

The scenario you describe about using the internet with a regime knowing everything, has been the default in North America for about a decade.

This slippery slope argument is nonsense. There is a problem, and this is the tool we have to attempt to fix it with. Half the people on here seem to want to argue that porn has no negative effects on developing children and teens.

[–] loonsun@sh.itjust.works 4 points 1 day ago (1 children)

You don't store and track who buys alcohol by that ID when you go to a shop, you just show them it

[–] Rekorse@sh.itjust.works 0 points 1 day ago (1 children)

They scan my ID and absolutely save it and sell the data.

[–] loonsun@sh.itjust.works 1 points 22 hours ago (1 children)

Didn't know the dude at the liquor store you flashed your ID to was rocking the meta raybands

[–] Rekorse@sh.itjust.works 1 points 18 hours ago

I'm not going to keep explaining, believe me or dont.

[–] nik282000@lemmy.ca 4 points 2 days ago

Looks like it's time for a more self hosted and distributed web.