State Dox: UK Bill Would Force Tech Companies to Verify Identities of Users

Engadget reports that the UK government is introducing a new bill requiring tech giants to verify the identities of users on their platform. The move is part of the government’s recently announced Online Safety Bill that is designed to help users avoid anonymous trolls on the internet.

UK Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Nadine Dorries said in a statement: “Tech firms have a responsibility to stop anonymous trolls polluting their platforms. People will now have more control over who can contact them and be able to stop the tidal wave of hate served up to them by rogue algorithms.”

The tech giants would need to develop a system allowing them to verify IDs when a user creates a new account. The UK government suggested facial recognition via profile pictures, a two-factor authentication system, and a government-issued ID verification. Ofcom, the UK’s media regulator, will be overseeing the rules that the tech companies will have to follow. Ending anonymity could have a chilling effect on speech for people that choose to remain anonymous, especially in the era of out of control cancel culture.