How payment networks control the definition of acceptable sex in videogames
We speak to adult industry researchers and Stripe alumni about Steam and Itch.io's NSFW content cull
Circus of Books
Circus of Books is a 2019 American documentary film directed by Rachel Mason, written by Rachel Mason and Kathryn Robson and starring Karen Mason, Barry Mason and Rachel Mason. The…
YouTube backlash begins: “Why is AI combing through every single video I watch?”
Tens of thousands of YouTubers are raging against YouTube's plan to use AI to detect underage users in the US. On Tuesday, a Change.org petition rapidly neared its 50,000-signature goal,…
Blocking Access to Harmful Content Will Not Protect Children Online, No Matter How Many Times UK Politicians Say So
Age Verification Systems Lead to Less Privacy Mandatory age verification tools are surveillance systems that threaten everyone’s rights to speech and privacy. To keep children out of a website or…
Wikipedia loses UK Safety Act challenge, worries it will have to verify user IDs
Wikipedia's parent organization lost a challenge to the UK Online Safety Act but can bring another case if the government tries to force it to verify the identity of Wikipedia…
The Anti-Porn Crusade That Censored Steam and Itch.io Started 30 Years Ago
Ted Litchfield, a journalist at PC Gamer, noted that the “nearly 500 other rape and incest games” figure Collective Shout cites in its own timeline of the campaign doesn’t make…
Age Verification Laws Send VPN Use Soaring—and Threaten the Open Internet
A law requiring UK internet users to verify their age to access adult content has led to a huge surge in VPN downloads—and has experts worried about the future of…
Microsoft plans to bring Xbox age verification to countries outside of the UK
Microsoft is implementing an age verification system on Xbox accounts to comply with the UK's Online Safety Act, and in a new blog post announcing the move, the company suggests…
Spotify Is Forcing Users to Undergo Face Scanning to Access Explicit Content
Spotify is requiring users in the UK to verify they’re over 18 to view "certain age restricted content," and users are reporting seeing a popup on Spotify to verify their…
ADL-Backed Bipartisan Bill Threatens to Censor Israel Criticism on Social Media
The bill’s lead sponsors described it as part of an effort to prevent antisemitic hate. But their comments during a press conference on the measure suggest it will also target…