Canada is considering a law to keep minors off social media platforms. The proposal requires age verification using government documents or facial recognition. However, this creates major practical problems for transgender and gay people.

The core issue: many trans people have documents with their old name and gender. Facial recognition algorithms can make mistakes, causing account blocks. Using government documents can expose gay and trans people to discrimination. Identity verification without deadnaming proves difficult in practice.

LGBTQ+ organisations warn the law has unintended consequences. Trans adults may face similar difficulties as young people. This happens because verification systems struggle with inconsistencies in personal data. Privacy is also a concern: facial data gets stored centrally.

The government emphasises the law must protect young people. However, experts suggest handling gender and age verification separately. This would prevent trans people facing extra barriers. The debate shows how technical solutions have unexpected effects on minority groups.