1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

I urge you to oppose any legislation mandating online age verification. Proponents often compare these requirements to showing ID at a bar, but this comparison ignores fundamental differences that create serious harms to privacy, security, and constitutional rights. Unlike a quick visual check at a store, online age verification requires uploading sensitive personal information to websites or third-party services. This data passes through multiple intermediaries, trackers, and data brokers, creating permanent records over which users have no control. Age verification companies have already been hacked, exposing users to fraud and identity theft. Many proposed laws provide no private right of action for users to sue when their data is breached or misused. The scope of these mandates is also vastly different. Physical ID checks apply to specific age-restricted products like alcohol or tobacco. Online age verification laws age-gate entire websites and platforms, requiring ID verification every time someone accesses a site. This is equivalent to demanding ID every time someone enters a convenience store, regardless of what they purchase. These systems create discriminatory barriers that disproportionately harm marginalized communities. Facial recognition tools used for age estimation are less accurate for people with Black, Asian, Indigenous, and Southeast Asian backgrounds, users with disabilities, and transgender individuals. Adults without current government-issued IDs face significant difficulties, disproportionately affecting Black Americans, Hispanic Americans, immigrants, and individuals with disabilities. Most critically, online age verification blocks access to constitutionally protected speech, not just products. Access to online services is necessary for participating in modern economic and social life. Requiring ID to access basic communication technology violates First Amendment protections for anonymous speech, which is essential for accessing sensitive or stigmatized content. These mandates will not protect children. Instead, they compromise everyone's rights and safety while locking millions out of online spaces. I ask you to reject age verification legislation and pursue evidence-based approaches that genuinely support young people without sacrificing fundamental rights.