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.
TL;DR: Live stream the 2026 Masters Tournament for free on Masters.com. Access this free live stream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.
The wait for the first major golf championship of the year is over.
The Masters is here to deliver top-quality action from the Augusta National Golf Club. Expect the likes of Scottie Scheffler, Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau, and Rory McIlroy to be battling it out for the green jacket at the end of the weekend. It's always a special occasion with a number of incredible storylines to follow.
If you want to watch the 2026 Masters Tournament for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.
What is the Masters?
The Masters is one of the four men's major championships in professional golf. The tournament takes place in the first full week in April, making the Masters the first major golf tournament of the year.
The Masters is always held at the Augusta National Golf Club, a private course in the city of Augusta, Georgia.
When is the 2026 Masters Tournament?
The 2026 Masters Tournament will take place from April 9-12. Practice rounds began on April 6.
How to watch the 2026 Masters Tournament for free
The 2026 Masters Tournament is available to live stream for free on Masters.com.
This free live stream is geo-restricted to the U.S., but anyone can access for free with a VPN. These handy tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the U.S., meaning you can unblock this free live stream from anywhere in the world.
Access free Masters live streams by following these simple steps:
-
Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)
-
Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)
-
Open up the app and connect to a server in the U.S.
-
Visit Masters.com
-
Live stream the 2026 Masters Tournament for free from anywhere in the world
Opens in a new window
The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but leading VPNs do tend to offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can gain access to free live streams without committing with your cash. This is obviously not a long-term solution, but it does give you time to watch the 2026 Masters before recovering your investment.
If you want to retain permanent access to the best free streaming platforms from around the world, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for live sport is on sale for a limited time.
What is the best VPN for live sport?
ExpressVPN is the best service for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport, for a number of reasons:
-
Servers in 105 countries including the U.S.
-
Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more
-
Strict no-logging policy so your data is always secure
-
Fast connection speeds
-
Up to 10 simultaneous connections
-
30-day money-back guarantee
A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99 (with money-back guarantee).
Watch the 2026 Masters Tournament for free with ExpressVPN.
TL;DR: Live stream Boston Bruins vs. Tampa Bay Lightning in the NHL for free on ITVX. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.
A number of interesting NHL fixtures are taking place this weekend, including Boston Bruins vs. Tampa Bay Lightning. Both sides are well positioned in the Atlantic Division, but both need a win to end a concerning run of losses. We're expecting a evenly-matched contest at TD Garden.
If you want to watch Boston Bruins vs. Tampa Bay Lightning in the NHL from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.
When is Boston Bruins vs. Tampa Bay Lightning?
Boston Bruins vs. Tampa Bay Lightning in the NHL starts at 12:30 p.m. ET on April 11. This fixture takes place at TD Garden.
How to watch Boston Bruins vs. Tampa Bay Lightning for free
Boston Bruins vs. Tampa Bay Lightning in the NHL is available to live stream for free on ITVX.
ITVX is geo-restricted to the UK, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the UK, meaning you can unblock ITVX to live stream the NHL for free from anywhere in the world.
Live stream Boston Bruins vs. Tampa Bay Lightning in the NHL for free by following these simple steps:
-
Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)
-
Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)
-
Open up the app and connect to a server in the UK
-
Visit ITVX
-
Watch Boston Bruins vs. Tampa Bay Lightning for free from anywhere in the world
Opens in a new window
The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can access free live streams of the NHL without actually spending anything. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream Boston Bruins vs. Tampa Bay Lightning in the NHL (plus more NHL fixtures) before recovering your investment.
What is the best VPN for ITVX?
ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on ITVX, for a number of reasons:
-
Servers in 105 countries including the UK
-
Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more
-
Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure
-
Fast connection speeds free from throttling
-
Up to 10 simultaneous connections
-
30-day money-back guarantee
A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $78.18 and includes an extra four months for free — 78% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99 (with money-back guarantee).
Watch Boston Bruins vs. Tampa Bay Lightning in the NHL for free with ExpressVPN.
TL;DR: Score a free iPhone 17e when signing up for a T-Mobile plan with no trade-in required. Alternatively, you can get the iPhone 17 for free from T-Mobile when signing up for an Experience More plan and trading in an eligible device.
Opens in a new window
In the mobile world, the word "free" is usually followed by a list of caveats that make you wish you never started looking for a deal. You usually need to sign up for the most expensive plan or trade-in a premium phone to get your hands on what you really want. But that's not the case with the latest T-Mobile offer.
T-Mobile is offering a rare deal on the newly-released Apple iPhone 17e. For a limited time, you can pick up this A19-powered device for free by simply opening a new line.
You’ll need to activate a new line on T-Mobile’s Experience Beyond or Experience More plans to get the iPhone 17e. The phone’s full retail price is covered via 24 monthly bill credits, and since you aren't trading in your old phone, you can keep it as a backup, give it to a kid, or sell it on a third-party site to actually make money on this deal. We did say this was a rare opportunity to save.
Mashable's Stan Shroeder got his hands on the iPhone 17e and said "The combination of having Apple's latest chip and a decent amount of storage means this phone will be relevant for at least four to five years." That's an impressive lifespan for a budget-friendly phone, particularly when it's free.
If you need something a little more powerful, you can also pick up the iPhone 17 for free from T-Mobile when signing on for 24 months of an Experience More plan and trading in an eligible phone. That gets you unthrottled 5G data, 4K streaming, and enough international roaming for even the most adventurous of travellers.
It's important to note that T-Mobile will charge taxes on these free deals and a $35 device connection fee. Is this really "free" when you need to sign up to something or pay an upfront fee? It's a gray area, OK? We're doing our best.
Score an iPhone 17 for free this weekend with T-Mobile.
Tyga to Make Feature Film Debut in Coming-of-Age Drama Alongside ‘Outer Banks’ Star Madison Bailey
Here Are the Songs the Artemis II Crew Is Waking Up to in Space
Watch ‘Champion of All Athletes’ Flavor Flav Throw the First Pitch at Fenway Park on Easter
SEND IN THE TROOPS! At Least 5 Dead, 10 Wounded So Far in Chicago Weekend Shootings
How I Paid Off My Mortgage 10 Years Early On A Teacher’s Salary
Black Lives Matter Activist in Boston Pleads Guilty to Federal Fraud Charges – Scammed Donors to Fund Her Lifestyle
-
Politics7 months agoSEND IN THE TROOPS! At Least 5 Dead, 10 Wounded So Far in Chicago Weekend Shootings
-
Business7 months ago
How I Paid Off My Mortgage 10 Years Early On A Teacher’s Salary
-
Politics7 months agoBlack Lives Matter Activist in Boston Pleads Guilty to Federal Fraud Charges – Scammed Donors to Fund Her Lifestyle
-
Tech7 months agoGet a lifetime subscription to the “ChatGPT for investors” for under $60
-
Tech7 months agoReview: The Dreame H15 Pro CarpetFlex is the first wet/dry vacuum I liked
-
Business7 months ago
25 Low-Effort Side Hustles You Can Start This Weekend
-
Tech7 months agoHow much does the Roborock Saros Z70 cost? And does it ever go on sale?
-
Business7 months ago
9 Ways to Command a Six-Figure Salary Without a Bachelor’s