Digital ID Verification is Coming... Are We Ready? (The North State Podcast)
Australia's new law brings troubling questions for Canadians
This week on The North State, the Australian social media ban for those under sixteen got me thinking. Are Canadians aware there is a bill currently in the House of Commons that would require the same methods of age verification that Australia is considering? It's for accessing sexually explicit content, and it may become law soon. I spoke to two people with experience in sex work on the implications of the bill and how journalism handles speaking with sex workers in general. RSS feed here.
Description
Recently, Australia passed a law requiring social media to ban people under sixteen from their services. In order to implement this law, the two avenues of age verification broadly encompass either facial recognition software or government ID verification. Both have disastrous privacy implications at the best of times. So why does Canada have a similar bill in the House of Commons, currently under way to become law? What has the news media missed? Most importantly, who does it affect the most? Scott talks with Kate Sinclaire, a law student and activist with SWAC, and Jelena Vermillion, sex worker and activist with SWAP Hamilton about the formulation and impacts of Bill S-210, as well as the news industry's poor coverage of sex work in general.
Further Reading
Australia passes youth social media ban. Now, it has to figure out how it will actually work - CBC News
Racial bias in facial recognition algorithms - Amnesty International Canada
Policing women’s sexuality in the name of protection - Policy Options
Bill S-203: An Act to restrict young persons’ online access to sexually explicit material
Bill S-10: An Act to restrict young persons’ online access to sexually explicit material
Final debate approaches on troubling age verification bill - CBA National
Ticketmaster says customers’ credit card information affected by data breach - Radio Canada
Hackers stole information of more than 7,000 people through Sask. health clinic breach - CBC News
Google to delete search data of millions who used 'incognito' mode - NPR
Facebook aware of Instagram’s harmful effect on teenage girls, leak reveals - The Guardian
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