Internet Researcher Maggie MacDonald Pens Op-Ed on the Risks of Canada's Age Verification Proposals

Internet Researcher Maggie MacDonald Pens Op-Ed on the Risks of Canada's Age Verification Proposals

TORONTO — Information technology researcher and Ethical Capital Partners advisory board member Maggie MacDonald has penned an editorial for the Toronto Globe and Mail arguing that mandatory age verification for adult content will not protect minors, but will erode everyone’s privacy instead.

MacDonald wrote the op-ed in response to a recent legislative push for age verification in Canada, driven by the leadership of the opposition Conservative Party and aping talking points from religious conservative Republicans in several U.S. states.

In the piece, MacDonald notes recent legislative developments related to AV: Canada’s Online Harms Act (C-63), which is currently making its way through the House of Commons; a federal bill (S-210) aimed at “protecting young persons from exposure to pornography,” which has received Senate approval; and proposals to require digital IDs from conservative and Quebec nationalist politicians.

“Support for anti-porn bills offers an easy route to positive PR,” MacDonald writes. “But good intentions don’t make for good laws.”

Calling the current age verification proposals “alarmingly vague,” MacDonald explains that the bills “gloss over the enormous technical and critical privacy concerns they’d provoke if implemented” and pose “significant privacy risks” for all Canadians online.

After noting that a centralized “porn watcher” archive would surely become a prime target for hackers, and that the proposed bills would have a chilling effect on online free speech, MacDonald concludes by pointing out what she calls the fundamental flaw in the premise of age verification: the notion that pornography is “inherently harmful and should be managed through censorship.”

“Not only are Charter-enforced freedoms of expression in direct opposition to this approach, but peer-reviewed research in medicine, sociology and psychology consistently refutes beliefs — primarily driven by moneyed American lobby groups — linking porn to addiction, violent dysfunction or child abuse,” the op-ed explains. “Studies around human-computer interaction and child development prove policies of enclosure don’t limit harm or even prevent porn-watching. Instead, they mostly alienate young people.”

The proposed Canadian laws, MacDonald adds, “won’t halt porn-watching; they’ll just push it underground, making conditions worse for the many Canadians who rely on legal porn work for income, and access significantly riskier for audiences who will continue to seek it out.”

As XBIZ reported, MacDonald — a University of Toronto Faculty of Information academic — released a video last year titled “Porn, Platforms & Sex Panic” through her “Internet Maggie” YouTube channel, in which she explains “how content creation, algorithms, media amplification and panicky policy have shaped how porn looks today.”

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

Strike 3 Holdings Sues Meta for Pirating Vixen Media Group Content to Train AI

Vixen Media Group owner Strike 3 Holdings filed suit in federal court this week, accusing Facebook parent company Meta of copyright infringement and alleging that Meta has extensively pirated VMG content to train its artificial intelligence models.

Pineapple Support, Streamate to Host 'Navigating Grief and Loss' Support Group

Pineapple Support and Streamate are hosting a free online support group to help performers cope with grief and loss.

Friday is Final AV Compliance Deadline in UK

Friday, July 25 marks U.K. media regulator Ofcom’s deadline for user-to-user services such as tube, cam and fan sites to implement its requisite “highly effective age assurance” measures for preventing minors from viewing adult content.

AEBN Publishes Popular Searches for May, June

AEBN has released the top search terms for the months of May and June from its straight and gay theaters in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Two Texas Bills Restricting Sex Toy Sales Fail to Pass

Two bills aimed at restricting sales of sex toys have failed to pass the Texas state legislature during its 2025 session.

NYC Adult Stores Petition for Rehearing in Zoning Law Case

A group of adult businesses on Tuesday petitioned the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit to rehear a case involving a zoning law that could severely limit adult stores’ operations in New York City.

Ofcom Releases Transparency Reporting Guidelines

Ofcom, the U.K. media regulator, has made public its official guidance detailing how online service providers — including adult sites — will be required to publish annual transparency reports on their efforts to protect children from online harms.

New AV Rules Take Effect for Ireland-Based Sites

Ireland’s Online Safety Code came into force Monday, including a provision requiring adult sites headquartered in Ireland to implement age assurance measures beyond self-declaration.

XBIZ Amsterdam Calls on New Startups for 'Spotlight' Program

XBIZ is pleased to announce that its new “Startup Spotlight” programming will make its European premiere at XBIZ Amsterdam 2025, set to take place Sept. 2-5 at the Jakarta Hotel Amsterdam.

Texas Resumes AV Lawsuit Against Aylo Following SCOTUS Decision

A district court judge in Texas has unfrozen the state’s $1.6 million lawsuit against Aylo for allegedly failing to comply with age verification requirements, Bloomberg Law is reporting.

Show More