Age verification for porn? Expert warns of security risks as Pornhub considers blocking Canadians

There are potential security concerns with a proposed Senate bill that would reqiure Canadians to verify their age online to access sexually explicit content, according to a technology and cybersecurity expert.

A Senate bill that would require age verification online to access explicit sites like Pornhub could put personal information at risk, a cybersecurity expert says.

Technology expert Ritesh Kotak said the Senate bill is "noble" in protecting young people from explicit online material and ensuring individuals of age get access to it. 

But, he said, "the way you go about implementing the goal, if done incorrectly, creates more issues and problems in the future than solving a problem."

The proposed legislation doesn't specify how sites should verify a user's age, but options include a digital ID system or face recognition software.

"I'm sure that individuals that are visiting these sites want some level of anonymity, so it's kind of this balancing act between access to content and privacy, with respect to age verification," Kotak said in an interview with CTV News Channel on Tuesday.

Kotak said uploading images of government-issued ID like a driver's licence or passport onto a third-party site to verify age can potentially be an issue in the event of a data breach.

Kotak said another option could be the use of an authentication mechanism often seen with government sites such as that of the Canada Revenue Agency, and involves using banking sites to verify a user's identity.