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.
Tech
See Spotifys most-streamed artists, songs, and albums of the past 20 years

To celebrate 20 years of streaming, Spotify just released lists of the most-streamed artists, albums, songs, podcasts, and audiobooks on the app. Popular artists, rappers, and bands like Taylor Swift, Bad Bunny, and Coldplay appear repeatedly on the "Spotify at 20" lists, with Swift nabbing the title of most-streamed Spotify artist of all time.
In a blog post, Spotify said it was the first time they had ever revealed the all-time top performers on the platform.
While the top artists are mostly what you'd expect, there are a handful of surprises on the lists. Britney Spears appears once, but only in the audiobooks section. And neither Jay-Z nor Beyoncé appears on the lists at all.
You can find the complete "Spotify at 20" lists at the Spotify website, or keep scrolling to see the top results.
Top 20 most-streamed artists on Spotify
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Taylor Swift
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Bad Bunny
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Drake
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The Weeknd
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Ariana Grande
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Ed Sheeran
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Justin Bieber
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Billie Eilish
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Eminem
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Kanye West
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Travis Scott
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BTS
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Post Malone
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Bruno Mars
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J Balvin
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Rihanna
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Coldplay
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Kendrick Lamar
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Future
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Juice WRLD
Most-streamed albums on Spotify
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Un Verano Sin Ti by Bad Bunny
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Starboy by The Weeknd
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÷ (Deluxe) by Ed Sheeran
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SOUR by Olivia Rodrigo
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After Hours by The Weeknd
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SOS by SZA
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Hollywood’s Bleeding by Post Malone
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Lover by Taylor Swift
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AM by Arctic Monkeys
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WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? by Billie Eilish
Most-streamed songs on Spotify
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“Blinding Lights” by The Weeknd
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“Shape of You” by Ed Sheeran
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“Sweater Weather” by The Neighbourhood
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“Starboy” by The Weeknd and Daft Punk
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“As It Was” by Harry Styles
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“Someone You Loved” by Lewis Capaldi
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“Sunflower – Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” by Post Malone and Swae Lee
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“One Dance” by Drake, Wizkid, and Kyla
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“Perfect” by Ed Sheeran
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“STAY (with Justin Bieber)” by The Kid LAROI and Justin Bieber
Most-streamed podcasts on Spotify
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The Joe Rogan Experience
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Gemischtes Hack
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Crime Junkie
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Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard
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Last Podcast On The Left
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The Daily
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Fest & Flauschig
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Morbid
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My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
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Relatos de la Noche
Most-streamed audiobooks in Premium on Spotify
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A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
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The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
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Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
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I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
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A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas
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Lights Out by Ted Koppel
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A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas
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The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene
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The Housemaid by Freida McFadden
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Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros
Tech
Samsung is selling refurbished Galaxy Z Fold 7 phones for more than new ones

The good news is that Samsung is now selling cheaper versions of last year's foldables. The bad news is that "cheaper" is relative.
The Korean tech giant announced on Wednesday that the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy Z Flip 7, two phones we at Mashable really liked a year ago, are now available in refurbished form via the company's "Re-Newed" program. You can check out refurbished Fold and Flip phones on Samsung's websites, with the former starting at $1,699 and the latter at $939. In a vacuum, if you go by the phones' suggested retail prices, those are discounts of $300 and $160, respectively.
The only problem, as 9to5Google pointed out, is that you can currently get a brand-new Galaxy Z Fold 7 on Samsung's website for $1,599, which is less than the refurbished model with the same specs. The same goes for the brand new Flip 7, which Samsung is selling for $899, a slight discount from the refurbished model. Of course, the discounted prices of the new phones could just be temporary, while the refurbished prices might stay the same over time, but it still feels a little bit backward that the new phone costs less than the refurbished one right now.
That said, either way, you're getting a deal compared to the devices' launch prices. And, for what it's worth, both phones are very good foldable devices. If you want one, this might be the time to get one.
Tech
The Anker Solix C2000 Gen 2 portable power station is on sale at Amazon for half off — save $750

SAVE $750: The Anker Solix C2000 Gen 2 portable power station is on sale at Amazon for $749, down from the list price of $1,499. That's a 50% discount.
Summer is on its way, and with it come two scenarios where we tend to go off-grid — while camping and during the much less fun summer storms. In both cases, it's no one's idea of a great time to have a phone run out of batteries or have zero lighting. Instead of dealing with the inconvenience, upgrade to a portable power station. There's a great model from Anker on sale today.
As of April 23, the Anker Solix C2000 Gen 2 is on sale for $749 at Amazon, marked down from the list price of $1,499. That's a massive 50% discount that takes $750 off the normal price.
We have plenty of options when it comes to choosing a portable power station these days, but if you're looking for something in the 2,000-Wh range, the Solix C2000 Gen 2 could be your best bet. It focuses on quick recharging, taking under 60 minutes to reach 100 percent. Since it's a higher-powered unit, you can expect a continuous output of 2,400W with a peak surge of 4,000W.
In real-life terms, Anker says the Solix C2000 Gen 2 can keep a refrigerator running for as long as 32 hours or keep the WiFi router on for 105 hours. Of course, you could also power the TV, espresso machine, a blender, a CPAP machine, or a garage chest freezer.
Despite its powerful performance, the Solix C2000 Gen 2 is surprisingly small. It measures about 18 inches long and 10 inches in both height and depth. The weight clocks in at about 41 pounds, which is made easier to carry around thanks to the stable side handles.
Regularly $2,999, the Jackery HomePower 3000 power station is over $1,000 off if you act fast
In addition to recharging with standard wall AC power, you can use your car's alternator, a car cigarette port, a gas generator, or solar panels. With 800W of solar input, the C2000 Gen 2 will get a full charge in about three hours.
Before the summer storms roll in or you take off on a camping trip, make the upgrade to the Anker Solix C2000 Gen 2. It's on sale at Amazon for 50% off, which saves shoppers a whopping $750.
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