Blaming Buildings for Sex Trafficking
And paving the way for increased surveillance of all women
A Viral Story Claims an ICE Worker Was Caught in a Child Sex Trafficking Sting. The Truth Is Much Stranger.
The way people are misconstruing this prostitution sting mirrors the way ICE tries to mislead us about deportation stings.
A 'Goldilocks' Effect for Online Teens? Moderate Social Media Users Fare Better Than Abstainers or Heavy Users
“Both abstinence and excessive use can be problematic,” researchers suggest.
Arizona Bill Would Make It a Felony for Parents To Bring Their Kids to Drag Shows
Yes, that includes drag queen story hour.
No, AI Isn't Plotting Humanity's Downfall on Moltbook
Viral posts about devious chatbots on a robot Reddit haven't held up under scrutiny.
TikTok Users Say They're Being Censored After New Owners Were Announced. The Company Says It's a Tech Issue.
Here's why I believe TikTok.
Landmark Social Media Addiction Trial Starts Today in California
In the first social media addiction case to reach a jury, K.G.M. claims TikTok, YouTube, and other platforms are responsible for her depression, anxiety, and poor self esteem.
Rand Paul Turns Against Section 230, Citing YouTube Video Accusing Him of Taking Money From Maduro
After Google refused to take down a video of him, the Kentucky senator suggested upending the legal framework undergirding the internet for three decades.
Florida Governor Candidate Proposes 50 Percent Tax on OnlyFans Creator Revenue
"I will not allow a generation of smart and capable young women to sell their bodies online," said Republican gubernatorial hopeful James Fishback.
'Pregnant? Don't Want To Be?' Ads at South Dakota Gas Stations Spark First Amendment Battle
Mayday.Health ads that direct people to an informational website about abortion access are deceptive advertising and must be banned, the state argues. That’s unconstitutional, counters Mayday.
Study: Short-Form Video Isn't Rotting Your Brain
A recent meta-analysis concerning short-form video, mental health, and attention spawned a lot of tech panic. Did critics even read the study?
The TRUMP AMERICA AI Act Is Every Bit As Bad As You Would Expect. Maybe Worse.
Sen. Marsha Blackburn’s latest is an anti-tech omnibus, combining years' worth of dangerous policy ideas into one big, bad bill.
Shein Can't Sell Sex Toys Unless It Checks IDs, French Court Says
Laws requiring porn platforms to age-check visitors are becoming "a Swiss army knife for the government."
Porn Sites Must Block VPNs To Comply With Indiana's Age-Verification Law, State Suggests in New Lawsuit
It's an insane—and frighteningly dystopian—interpretation of the law.
Young People's Mental Health Is Improving. Tech Alarmists Take Note.
Depression and anxiety are declining, adding yet more complications to the anti-smartphone and anti–social media narratives.
French Far-Right Politicians Want To Reopen Brothels as Sex-Worker Cooperatives
The current system, in which paying for sex is illegal, doesn't work, said Jean-Philippe Tanguy, a National Assembly member.
The Government Wants To Punish Orgasmic Meditation Defendants for Crimes They Weren't Charged With
The prosecutors argue that sentencing based on unconvicted—or even uncharged—conduct doesn't violate due process.
The IRS Moves To Keep Its Cut of Porn Tips
The agency has proposed excluding tips received from "pornographic activity" from a new tipped wage deduction.
Lawmakers To Consider 19 Bills for Childproofing the Internet
KOSA is back, along with more than a dozen other bills that will erode free speech and privacy in the name of protecting kids.
'Catch Kits' for Fetal Remains Are Republicans' Latest Dystopian Plan To Punish Abortions
GOP lawmakers in Wisconsin and elsewhere are pushing the idea that abortions are a water quality issue.
People Like Having Too Much Content, Says Swiss Study on Information Abundance
Plus: FTC loses Facebook case, building a fertility abundance agenda, ICE staffer arrested in underage sex sting, and more...
Ambivalence About Marriage Grows—Among Girls
Twelfth grade boys are now more likely than their female counterparts to say they are likely to get married.
Moral Panic About Rough Sex Gives Way to Censorship in the UK
British regulators and lawmakers are hot on a measure that would make possessing or publishing strangulation porn a crime.
'Genes Matter,' Says Scientist Studying Social Media and Mental Health
The study found only small links between social media use and users' well-being.
What Mamdani's Win Means for Sex
While it wasn't a part of his campaign, Mamdani has been a vocal supporter of sex work decriminalization.
Oklahoma's Obscenity Bait and Switch Could Ban Pride Parades and Public Drag Shows
These lawmakers expect local authorities to ban "obscenity" before it happens—a recipe for chilling a wide variety of legal speech.
Man Accused of Soliciting Teen Girl Walks Because of Federal Overreach
The DOJ tried to claim jurisdiction because he drove on a road.
Congress Investigates TeaOnHer App for Letting Men Post About Women Without Their Consent
It sounds like something niche feminist bloggers might have taken up 10 years ago. But this is being led by Republican lawmakers in the House of Representatives.
Pennsylvania Lawmakers Propose Titty Tax
Plus: It's not illegal to protest while dressed as a giant penis. DHS seeks OpenAI data. And more...
Fate of Flight Attendant Who Accused Army Vet of Trafficking His Daughter Is Now With Virginia's Supreme Court
The teen began to cry when the plane hit turbulence. He comforted his daughter—and aroused the suspicions of flight attendant Cheryl Thomas.
California Wants To Punish Social Platforms for Aiding and Abetting the First Amendment
Another entry into the "algorithms are magic" school of imposing liability on tech companies.
Whoops—Ohio Accidentally Excludes Most Major Porn Platforms From Anti-Porn Law
Ohio lawmakers set out to block minors from viewing online porn. They messed up.
Can We Please Stop Romanticizing Pre-Smartphone Life?
A lot of anti-tech—or anti-Gen Z—screeds only work by romanticizing the past while pathologizing the present and projecting damage on strangers.
First the U.K., Next the U.S.? Britain's Digital ID Plan Should Scare Americans.
Once created, a digital ID system will prove catnip to politicians who want to track where we go, online and off.
Google Says Biden Admin Pressured Company To Remove Content
Plus: ICE helps arrest sex workers, the SIM farm "security threat," Waymo car crashes caused by human error, and more...
Michigan Anti-Porn Bill Would Criminalize ASMR, Written Erotica, and Even Nonsexual Depictions of Trans People
Under the law, transgender people writing about their gender identity online could face 20 years in prison and a $100,000 fine.
TikTok Isolationism
Plus: New Yorkers favor decriminalizing prostitution. An academic inquiry into "body counts." AI chatbots everywhere. And more...
Social Media Didn't Kill Charlie Kirk
Plus: Trump says he "may let [TikTok] die," the SoHo Forum debates paying for sex, the administration calls birth control "abortifacients," and more...
Pirate Porn Study Finds No Difference in Sexual Attitudes After Seeing X-Rated Video
Plus: Indiana's abortion speech ban in court, AI as normal technology, getting carried away by Epstein conspiracies, and more.
The Federal Trade Commission Goes After Pornhub
Plus: Nepal bans social media platforms and kills protesters, MAGA's war on the tech industry intensifies, and more...
Sex Ed Classes Can't Teach 'Gender Ideology' If States Want Federal Funds
Plus: Court refuses to break up Google, Epstein victims speak at the Khanna/Massie press conference, a shift in young men's views on porn
Smartphone Study Authors Say Phones Should Be Regulated Like Alcohol and Tobacco
Parental responsibility? What parental responsibility?
Bluesky Blocks Mississippi Users
Age verification laws are already coming for Americans’ access to free speech.
Is Conscientiousness Cratering? It Depends on How You Twist the Data.
Despite those viral charts you may have seen, conscientiousness among young people doesn't actually seem to be in "freefall."
The Anti-Porn Crusade Comes for Online Games
Activists pressure payment processors, who in turn pressure game marketplaces. The result? A whole lot of video games and visual novels are disappearing.
Hotel Sex Trafficking Suit Can Proceed, Inviting Hotels to Profile and Harass Guests
Can a hotel be guilty of sex trafficking just because it didn't surveil its customers enough?
