Civil liberties and LGBTQ+ advocates protest social media “ID check” laws outside WGBH “Ask the Governor” broadcast
BOSTON, MA–– Civil liberties, LGBTQ, and human rights activists are holding a protest right now outside Boston Public Library during WGBH’s “Ask the Governor” broadcast with Governor Maura Healey.
See photos and video from the ongoing protest here: [LINK]
The demonstrators are asking Governor Healey to listen to concerns raised by experts and impacted communities about her proposed social media legislation, which would require every person in the state (including adults) to upload a government ID or submit to a face scan to create a social media account. The proposal has provoked sharp backlash, and concerns that it would harm LGBTQ+ youth, undocumented folks, and privacy for every MA resident.
Protesters are holding signs reading “Governor Healey: Listen to LGBTQ+ Youth,” “Online ID Checks Help Trump,” and “Online ID Checks Hurt Kids.” Members of Fight for the Future, Protect Trans Futures, and other coalition members are available to speak to press.
Fight for the Future director Evan Greer has offered a line-by-line analysis of the constitutional and practical issues with the Governor’s proposal here: https://www.fightforthefuture.org/news/2026-04-16-a-line-by-line-analysis-of-governor-maura-healeys-proposed-social-media-legislation/
“We appreciate that Governor Healey has said she is open to feedback and that her legislation is still a work in progress,” said Evan Greer (she/her), Director at Fight for the Future. “We appreciate her comments about wanting to ensure LGBTQ+ youth have access to online resources. And we appreciate that the Governor’s staff have agreed to meet with us. The Governor’s comments on WGBH make it clear how urgently she needs to meet with civil liberties, human rights, and LGBTQ+ experts about this legislation. She said several factually incorrect things about her own bill. Governor Healey claims that her legislation requires “age assurance,” and does not require ID checks. But she’s wrong. First, experts have explained repeatedly that there is no safe or practical way to do age assurance. But more importantly, there are numerous requirements in the Governor’s proposal that would be impossible to comply with without an identity check. The parental consent requirements alone make it necessary for social media companies to collect government IDs from parents, and additional sensitive information from kids. We have a line-by-line analysis of the Governor’s legislation that we have shared with her office.”
The protest is organized by a growing coalition of Massachusetts-based human rights organizations. While well-intentioned, the social media legislation passed by the MA House and proposed by the Governor would make kids less safe, violate the First Amendment, and force everyone in the state (including adults) to upload a government ID or submit to a face scan to create a social media account.
- Read our op-ed in the Boston Globe on this topic here: https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/04/22/opinion/social-media-ban-flaws/
- House leadership have sent misleading statements about the bill claiming it does not require ID checks, which we debunk here: https://www.fightforthefuture.org/news/2026-04-24-correcting-misinformation-massachusetts-social-media-bill-would-require-invasive-age-verification-for-most-of-the-internet/
- House leadership have also tried to use the LGBTQ+ Legislative Caucus as cover. We explain how their amendment did not address concerns with the bill here: https://www.fightforthefuture.org/news/2026-04-23-statement-amendments-to-the-massachusetts-house-social-media-bill-did-not-address-lgbtq-concerns/
Please let us know if you are covering this. You are welcome to use our photos and video, credit “Courtesy: Fight for the Future.” Contact us to set up an interview with one of our experts or members of our coalition, including young people and parents who would be directly impacted by the legislation.
Contact: press@fightforthefuture.org