Tech
Age-verification is hurting sex educators and sex workers, studies suggest
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.
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.
Your TV no longer has to look like a void black rectangle when you turn it off. Instead, you can turn it into a framed piece of art with the Hisense CanvasTV. The brand just launched a new size that's perfect for a bedroom, kitchen, or studio apartment.
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Joining its 55, 65, 75, and 85-inch comrades, the new 50-inch Hisense CanvasTV is the smallest option available. It's also the cheapest, coming with a price tag of $1,299.99. When you're not streaming your favorite shows, the TV transforms into a piece of framed artwork. The Hisense CanvasTV comes with a magnetic teak frame, but you're able to easily change the frame's vibe by getting the walnut or white finish option separately.
A 65-inch or larger TV might be awesome for living rooms or family rec rooms, but you might want something smaller in a bedroom, kitchen, or if you live in an apartment. That's where the new 50-inch TV could be the best option. Plus, it's the least expensive size.
Credit: Hisense
Hisense designed the CanvasTV to sit flush with your wall, like a painting or other framed artwork would. You get access to over 1,000 works of art to display on your TV when it's not in use with no need to sign up for an additional subscription. Of course, you can also use your own photos or artwork with either the USB port or by uploading them the Hisense Art Gallery App.
If you're in the market for a TV that doesn't scream "blank TV" when it's not in use, the Hisense CanvasTV is a great option and now it comes in a great 50-inch size.
SAVE 17%: As of April 6, you can get the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 for $289.99, down from $349.99, at Amazon. That's a 17% discount or a $60 price cut.
If you prefer Android over iOS, Mashable's freelance tech reviewer, Adam Doud, says the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 is "worth the upgrade" — and right now, you can grab it on sale.
As of April 6, you can snag the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 for $289.99 at Amazon, down from $349.99. That's a 17% discount or $60 savings.
When it comes to health metrics, the Galaxy Watch 8 can "track just about everything you do." It features a running coach, heart rate tracking, and an Advanced Sleep Coach that assigns you a "sleep animal" based on how you snooze (which is kind of fun, IMO). Plus, it's the very first smartwatch to run Google Gemini AI right on the watch face, and it features a unique "squircle" design (a round face on a rounded-square base) that sits thinner and flatter on your wrist.
"In theory, if you follow the advice of the watch without outright dismissing it, it can help you live a better life," writes Doud. "And you'll look good doing it."
It's moon flyby day, folks.
The Artemis II astronauts are expected to make history today as they reach distances no humans have ever traveled before on their journey around the moon.
The four-person crew — Christina Koch, Victor Glover, Reid Wiseman, and Jeremy Hansen — aboard the Orion spacecraft is scheduled to pass the distance record of 248,655 miles from Earth, set in 1970 by the Apollo 13, and continue on to 252,760 miles. In doing so, they'll be the first humans to see some parts of the far side of the moon in real time.
They won't be landing, but they will be gathering vital insights and data that will help NASA prepare for a future lunar landing in a couple of years' time. It's the most critical part of the 10-day mission, and you can tune into the historical event live.
Where to watch the Artemis II moon flyby livestream
NASA will provide live coverage of the historic lunar flyby on Monday, April 6, beginning at 1:00 p.m. ET. Fortunately, they won't gatekeep the livestream; you have plenty of options to tune in.
NASA+, the space agency's streaming service, will livestream the flyby, as well as the agency's YouTube channel and social media accounts. All of these options are completely free. Several streaming services are also hosting the NASA+ livestream on their platforms, if you prefer to watch there, including Netflix and Peacock.
Credit: NASA
While coverage starts at 1:00 p.m. ET, the flyby itself isn't expected until around 2:45 p.m. ET. NASA has outlined key lunar flyby times and milestones, but they are subject to change based on real-time operations. The crew will surpass the record for humans' farthest distance from Earth around 1:56 p.m. ET, and audio-only remarks from the astronauts will begin shortly after.
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