‘Age Verification’ could force trans people to out themselves to use the internet

In 2026, a photo ID is not just paperwork – it essentially grants you permission to exist in society. Last month, Kansas legislature passed a law categorically invalidating trans people’s driver’s licenses and IDs overnight, requiring them to obtain new IDs with incorrect gender markers. Now, with a slew of online “Age Verification” laws requiring online platforms to perform digital identity checks, tech policy experts warn that the inherent dangers are being expanded onto the internet, where biased automated systems threaten to expose and lock trans people out of websites, public services, and apps.

As of March 2026, over half of US states …

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