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

FSC Toasts Jeffrey Douglas for 30 Years of Service

n the very same evening when the adult industry was hit hard by the Supreme Court ruling supporting Texas’ controversial age verification law, HB 1181, members of the Free Speech Coalition board, staff and supporters gathered to celebrate Jeffrey Douglas’ 30 years as board chair — a fitting reflection of his reputation as an eternal optimist.

TTS Opens UK Testing Location

Talent Testing Service (TTS) has opened a new U.K. location in Ware, Hertfordshire.

FSC: Age-Verification Laws Go Into Effect South Dakota, Georgia, Wyoming on July 1

The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) has published a statement regarding new age verification laws set to go into effect tomorrow in South Dakota, Georgia, and Wyoming.

FSC Responds to Supreme Court Decision on Texas AV Law

The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) has released a statement responding to last week's Supreme Court decision on FSC v. Paxton, the Texas age verification law.

Sex Work CEO Debuts Upgraded 'GPTease' AI Assistant

Sex Work CEO has introduced the new Canvas in-chat editing feature to its AI-powered, NSFW text generator, GPTease.

UPDATED: Supreme Court Rules Against Adult Industry in Pivotal Texas AV Case

The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday issued its decision in Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton, striking a blow against the online adult industry by ruling in support of Texas’ controversial age verification law, HB 1181.

North Carolina Passes Extreme Bill Targeting Adult Sites

The North Carolina state legislature this week ratified a bill that would impose new regulations that industry observers have warned could push adult websites and platforms to ban most adult creators and content.

Supreme Court Ruling Due Friday in FSC v. Paxton AV Case

The U.S. Supreme Court will rule on Friday in Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton, the adult industry trade association's challenge to Texas’ controversial age verification law, HB 1181.

Ofcom: More Porn Providers Commit to Age Assurance Measures

A number of adult content providers operating in the U.K. have confirmed that they plan to introduce age checks in compliance with the Online Safety Act by the July 25 deadline, according to U.K. media regulator Ofcom.

Aylo Says It Will Comply With UK Age Assurance Requirements

Tech and media company Aylo, which owns various adult properties including Pornhub, YouPorn and Redtube, plans to introduce age assurance methods in the United Kingdom that satisfy government rules under the Online Safety Act, the company has announced.

Show More