Tech

Age-verification is hurting sex educators and sex workers, studies suggest

Published

4 hours ago

April 5, 2026

Vicky

pixelated image of two men embracing with age gate in front of it

Experts have warned about how age verification laws will impact people's work and bank accounts — and now preliminary research suggests that they're right.

Age verification laws vary by state and country, but usually require submitting proof of age, be it a facial scan or uploading a government ID, to view potentially adult content. Since 2022, these laws have been enacted in different U.S. states. Other countries, such as the UK, have also instituted age verification via the Online Safety Act.

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How to unblock Pornhub for free

Sexual freedom nonprofit, the Woodhull Freedom Foundation, found that around one in five sex educators (18 percent) say these laws have already impacted their work. For sex educators working in states with age verification mandates, one in three (33 percent) report this.

Approximately 60 respondents completed the survey last month, so this isn't a wide sample, but it hints at the trickle-down effects of age verification.

"Age-verification laws are already impacting sex education in the U.S.," says Woodhull president and CEO, Ricci Joy Levy, in a press release.

The majority of sex educators surveyed, 73 percent, are concerned that these laws will impact their work, while 76 percent fear they could be used to restrict access to sex education and related resources. As it is, only 37 percent of U.S. states require school sex education to be medically accurate, according to Boston University.

"Again and again, we were told this was only about keeping minors from accessing porn," Levy's statement continues. "Woodhull warned these vague and overly broad policies would also result in censorship of vital, non-explicit information about sex and gender, and the data bear this out. The current age-verification protocols are ripe for abuse, and educators are right to be scared."

Separate research from adult industry research firm SWR Data hints at a similar story when it comes to adult creators. Nearly half (45.2 percent) of the 500 surveyed last fall reported that their income from adult work decreased in the past year, with two-thirds (63 percent) saying it got harder to earn money in the past year as well.

There are several possible reasons for this trend, including overall socioeconomic uncertainty, but a staggering 98 percent of creators who reported lower income said they've experienced difficulties related to the "War on Porn."

The so-called War on Porn can refer to age verification as well as other attempts to remove adult content from the internet. Project 2025, the blueprint for President Trump's second term, calls for an outright ban on pornography and imprisoning its creators. In 2024, one of the co-writers of Project 2025, Russell Vought (now the director of the Office of Management and Budget), reportedly called age verification the "back door" to a porn ban.

The majority of surveyed adult creators who lost income also reported increased social media censorship and increased restrictions on what they can sell, and even fans are having trouble accessing their content.

The latter point — trouble with access — especially affected adult creators in U.S. and UK markets, according to SWR Data. They're also dealing with piracy, showing that viewers are finding ways to work around age verification.

Two separate studies last year suggested that age verification laws don't work to keep children off of porn sites. Reasons include VPN usage and going to non-compliant websites. But it appears that age-verification is working to hurt sex workers and sex educators.

Tech

The Hisense 55-inch Canvas art TV is down to a new best price ever post-Spring Sale

Published

4 seconds ago

April 6, 2026

Vicky

Hisense Canvas TV with colorful background

SAVE $400: As of April 1, the Hisense 55-inch Canvas QLED 4K TV is down to only $599.99 at Amazon. That's 40% off its list price and a new best price ever.

Credit: Hisense

Hisense 55-inch S7N Canvas QLED 4K TV

$599.99
at Amazon

$999.99
Save $400

The Amazon Big Spring Sale delivered plenty of excellent TV deals, but budget-friendly brand Hisense isn't playing by the rules. While the brand (which is one of our favorites, BTW) did drop prices over the last week, it waited until the sale was officially over to give us its best prices ever on several TV models — including the coveted Canvas art TV.

As of April 1, the Hisense 55-inch Canvas QLED 4K TV is down to just $599.99 at Amazon. That's 40% or $400 off its list price and a new lowest price on record. For those curious, the same TV was $87.98 more during the Spring Sale.

The Canvas TV is an alternative to the popular Samsung The Frame TV for budget-conscious shoppers. Like The Frame, it transforms a basic black box into a stylish piece of artwork that hangs on your wall. Its matte finish allows it to blend seamlessly into a gallery wall with other non-tech wall hangings. Unlike The Frame, it uses Google TV's interface, which Mashable's Miller Kern (a Canvas TV owner) says is "way more intuitive and responsive than Samsung's."

Beyond doubling as artwork, the Hisense Canvas is a QLED TV, so it's noticeably brighter and more saturated than a basic LED TV. It'll look brilliant in any lighting conditions. It also features a variable refresh rate up to 144Hz, which is surprisingly good for gaming, real-time adaptive brightness and color temperature, and an ultra-slim wall mount that lies flush against the wall for the true framed art look.

Tech

NYT Strands hints, answers for March 31, 2026

Published

21 seconds ago

April 6, 2026

Vicky

A game being played on a smartphone.

Today's NYT Strands hints are easy if you believe in magic.

Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game, requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answer. There's always a theme linking every solution, along with the "spangram," a special, word or phrase that sums up that day's theme, and spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically.

By providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list, Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes a little longer to play than its other games, like Wordle and Connections.

If you're feeling stuck or just don't have 10 or more minutes to figure out today's puzzle, we've got all the NYT Strands hints for today's puzzle you need to progress at your preferred pace.

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Wordle today: Answer, hints for March 31, 2026

Table of Contents

NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: While you were sleeping…

The words are related to a mythical creature.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe a children's tradition.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Tooth Fairy.

NYT Strands word list for March 31

Wings
Exchange
Tutu
Wand
Coin
Note
Pillow
Tooth Fairy

Looking for other daily online games? Mashable's Games page has more hints, and if you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now!

Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Strands.

Tech

Wordle today: Answer, hints for March 31, 2026

Published

24 seconds ago

April 6, 2026

Vicky

Wordle game on a smartphone

Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you live in the south.

If you just want to be told today's word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today's Wordle solution revealed. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

Table of Contents

Where did Wordle come from?

Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once.

Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.

What's the best Wordle starting word?

The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.

What happened to the Wordle archive?

The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website's creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.

Is Wordle getting harder?

It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn't any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle's Hard Mode if you're after more of a challenge, though.

SEE ALSO:

NYT Pips hints, answers for March 31, 2026

Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

Muddy waters.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no recurring letters.

Today's Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with…

Today's Wordle starts with the letter S.

The Wordle answer today is…

Get your last guesses in now, because it's your final chance to solve today's Wordle before we reveal the solution.

Drumroll please!

The solution to today's Wordle is…

SWAMP

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints. Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Wordle.