Thanks for sharing this, here’s a bit from the article:
In 2026, a photo ID is not just paperwork — it essentially grants you permission to exist in society. Last month, Kansas legislature passed a law categorically invalidating trans people’s driver’s licenses and IDs overnight, requiring them to obtain new IDs with incorrect gender markers. Now, with a slew of online “Age Verification” laws requiring online platforms to perform digital identity checks, tech policy experts warn that the inherent dangers are being expanded onto the internet, where biased automated systems threaten to expose and lock trans people out of websites, public services, and apps.
As of March 2026, over half of US states have passed an “Age Verification” and “Digital ID” law. These verification systems (sometimes called “age-gating”) add a new dimension to problems that trans people have been dealing with for decades.
As many have pointed out, having an ID that doesn’t match your appearance or lived reality is not a matter of pronouns or “validation,” but one of material consequence: it prevents trans people from freely moving about the world without risking constant harassment, violence, and discrimination. Advocates For Trans Equality notes in its guide on trans identity documents that “incorrect identification exposes people to a range of negative outcomes, from denial of employment, housing, and public benefits to harassment and physical violence.”
“Age Verification” in fact forces *everyone* to “out themselves” to use the internet. That’s kind of the stated point of it. It says so right on the front of the box…
MathematicianAfter57 on
This isn’t super specific to trans people tho and it’s not helpful imo to always call out that it’ll impact a narrow subgroup in a certain way. We know trans people are under attack but this is not a very unique situation to them.
mokunuimoo on
Seems like we should just abolish gender markers for everyone
AvailableReporter484 on
If they’re so concerned about the wellbeing of the children then I suggest they start with the members of the child fuck island club. The internet is for hanging out, get these fucking dorks out of here.
rocketblob on
is this supposed to convince anyone who wasn’t otherwise convinced it’s a bad idea? what’s the intersection of people who are pro trans-rights and pro age-verification?
CondiMesmer on
It’s not age verification, it’s just Internet surveillance. This is as intended because fascists are gonna fascist.
mnmsaregood3 on
Who cares lol
_John_Dillinger on
or more likely will force them to become more technically literate and start using p2p and distributed mesh networks. which i think everyone should start doing yesterday
[deleted] on
[removed]
videodevil2500 on
Kek
Every cloud
jcunews1 on
The idea of age verification itself exposes some dumbazzes in power. Nothing will end well when dumbazzes hold power.
[deleted] on
This planet sucks.
vriska1 on
Here a list of bad US internet bills and how to contact your Rep.
Having to upload a face picture is scary. They’ve already developed AI that can determine if you’re gay by your facial shape with over 90% accuracy. Like, why??
23 Comments
[removed]
Thanks for sharing this, here’s a bit from the article:
In 2026, a photo ID is not just paperwork — it essentially grants you permission to exist in society. Last month, Kansas legislature passed a law categorically invalidating trans people’s driver’s licenses and IDs overnight, requiring them to obtain new IDs with incorrect gender markers. Now, with a slew of online “Age Verification” laws requiring online platforms to perform digital identity checks, tech policy experts warn that the inherent dangers are being expanded onto the internet, where biased automated systems threaten to expose and lock trans people out of websites, public services, and apps.
As of March 2026, over half of US states have passed an “Age Verification” and “Digital ID” law. These verification systems (sometimes called “age-gating”) add a new dimension to problems that trans people have been dealing with for decades.
As many have pointed out, having an ID that doesn’t match your appearance or lived reality is not a matter of pronouns or “validation,” but one of material consequence: it prevents trans people from freely moving about the world without risking constant harassment, violence, and discrimination. Advocates For Trans Equality notes in its guide on trans identity documents that “incorrect identification exposes people to a range of negative outcomes, from denial of employment, housing, and public benefits to harassment and physical violence.”
Gift link: [https://www.theverge.com/policy/892075/age-verification-kansas-id-trans?view_token=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJpZCI6InZzNGxrYmd4SGkiLCJwIjoiL3JlcG9ydC84OTQwOTAvbWFjYm9vay1uZW8tcGMtd2luZG93cy1sYXB0b3AtY29tcGV0aXRpb24tYXN1cy1mb290aW5tb3V0aCIsImV4cCI6MTc3MzgzODU0MCwiaWF0IjoxNzczNDA2NTQwfQ.0Y37jwDLDniT1aL9x3RQRVNWadL14KFzAbUIgspntvE&utm_medium=gift-link](https://www.theverge.com/policy/892075/age-verification-kansas-id-trans?view_token=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJpZCI6InZzNGxrYmd4SGkiLCJwIjoiL3JlcG9ydC84OTQwOTAvbWFjYm9vay1uZW8tcGMtd2luZG93cy1sYXB0b3AtY29tcGV0aXRpb24tYXN1cy1mb290aW5tb3V0aCIsImV4cCI6MTc3MzgzODU0MCwiaWF0IjoxNzczNDA2NTQwfQ.0Y37jwDLDniT1aL9x3RQRVNWadL14KFzAbUIgspntvE&utm_medium=gift-link)
“Age Verification” in fact forces *everyone* to “out themselves” to use the internet. That’s kind of the stated point of it. It says so right on the front of the box…
This isn’t super specific to trans people tho and it’s not helpful imo to always call out that it’ll impact a narrow subgroup in a certain way. We know trans people are under attack but this is not a very unique situation to them.
Seems like we should just abolish gender markers for everyone
If they’re so concerned about the wellbeing of the children then I suggest they start with the members of the child fuck island club. The internet is for hanging out, get these fucking dorks out of here.
is this supposed to convince anyone who wasn’t otherwise convinced it’s a bad idea? what’s the intersection of people who are pro trans-rights and pro age-verification?
It’s not age verification, it’s just Internet surveillance. This is as intended because fascists are gonna fascist.
Who cares lol
or more likely will force them to become more technically literate and start using p2p and distributed mesh networks. which i think everyone should start doing yesterday
[removed]
Kek
Every cloud
The idea of age verification itself exposes some dumbazzes in power. Nothing will end well when dumbazzes hold power.
This planet sucks.
Here a list of bad US internet bills and how to contact your Rep.
http://www.badinternetbills.com
Support the EFF and FFTF.
Link to there sites
http://www.eff.org
http://www.fightforthefuture.org
And Free Speech Coalition
http://www.freespeechcoalition.com
Yeah that’s why it’s bad
Ladies and gentlemen, the literal point.
Nevermind, I support age verification now!!
Having to upload a face picture is scary. They’ve already developed AI that can determine if you’re gay by your facial shape with over 90% accuracy. Like, why??
https://sds.utoronto.ca/news/ai-can-now-identify-people-as-gay-or-straight-from-their-photo/
Out themselves? You mean the same as everyone else who is forced to use age verification.
This is a feature not a bug to the people pushing for implementation.
We suffer from internet surveillance in a unique way, but we’re not the only ones who suffer
Ok so what?
It forces people to out themselves no matter if they are trans or cis anyway. Since it would require their id eventually anyway