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In some parts of the world, Japan being a popular example, the idea that a toilet should be a smart and sophisticated appliance is normal. In the rest of the world, “smart home” usually means cameras, lighting, and network-connected appliances, such as smart fridges or TVs.

If I had a penny for every person who simply set up their router and never thought about opening the settings again, I'd have a whole bunch of pennies. And that's just the people I know.

Smartwatches used to be all the rage. They were—and still are—devices that let you perform many of the same tasks you would typically do on your phone, but from your wrist.

Pixel devices aren’t generally known for having tons of options for people to play around with. That doesn’t mean there aren’t some goodies tucked away in the settings. Here are a few Pixel Watch features you should enable right now.

The Ford F-150 has been the best-selling vehicle in the United States for more than four decades. The 2021 model year brought the most significant redesign in a generation, with new exterior styling, a reworked interior, and a powertrain lineup that expanded to six options.

TL;DR: Amazon has Magic: The Gathering's Avatar The Last Airbender Jumpstart Booster Box on sale for $85.43, with $9.03 taken off its $94.46 list price. As a  24-pack display box, this means you’ll be paying around $3.56 per Jumpstart Booster before tax.

Opens in a new window Credit: Magic: The Gathering Magic: The Gathering Avatar The Last Airbender Jumpstart Booster Box $85.43 at Amazon
$94.96 Save $9.53 Get Deal

Avatar: The Last Airbender expansion is still one of the most fun crossovers with the Magic: The Gathering trading card game in recent memory, and you can now grab two dozen packs for the equivalent of just over $3.50 each. 

As of June 8, Magic: The Gathering's Avatar The Last Airbender Jumpstart Booster Box is on sale at Amazon for $85.43. That's 10% off its usual $94.46 price, saving you $9.03 on a sealed display shipped and sold by Amazon. 

This even undercuts other sellers on the site with the next-lowest pricing listed for $94.33. At $85.43, this 24-pack box equates to you paying only $3.56 per pack. 

If you want to save as much money as possible, however, TCGplayer goes even lower — with listings as low as $82.65. That’s actually $1.01 below its market price of $83.66. 

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In each of the box’s 24 packs are 20 Avatar-themed Magic cards. For those newer to Magic: The Gathering, the whole point of Jumpstart is speed: take two boosters, shuffle them together, and you have a playable deck with all the Lands already included. 

The Avatar expansion even has 46 themes altogether, letting you mix scenes, characters, and elemental ideas from the show into different quick-play combos. The boosters are compatible with other Jumpstart packs as well, so you can keep the mash-ups going once you have worked through the Avatar box.

For more boxes of MTG packs, you can preorder the 30-pack Marvel Super Heroes Play Booster Box for under $140. What’s more, the anticipated Magic: The Gathering's Reality Fracture Play Booster Box is available to preorder for $154.99 — still on sale at Amazon, too. 

If you’re also a Pokémon TCG fan, although currently not available on Amazon, the newly announced Pitch Black expansion — Booster Packs, ETBs, Display Boxes, and Booster Bundles — is available to preorder at TCGplayer.

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Cloud-based coding assistants are definitely helpful, but they come with recurring subscriptions or pay-as-you-go costs, and you're putting potentially proprietary information onto the internet.

There's nothing quite like a good movie night. A projector and screen combined with a surround sound system give me a taste of the real movie experience, and a bowl of popcorn adds to the impression. What's missing is a movie poster for whatever I'm watching, so I decided to see if I could find a way to make that happen, too.

TL;DR: Amazon has the Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution — Ascended Heroes Mega Feraligatr ex Box on sale for $69.79, with a 15% slice off its base $81.89 price. With that $12.10 saving included, you’ll be getting a sealed box with four valuable Ascended Heroes Booster Packs, one foil Mega Feraligatr ex promo card, and one oversize lenticular card.

Opens in a new window Credit: The Pokémon Company Pokémon TCG Ascended Heroes Mega Feraligatr ex Box $69.79 at Amazon
$81.89 Save $12.10   Get Deal

Ascended Heroes is still one of the most pricey expansions in the Pokémon TCG right now, but you can get a lower cost per pack by taking advantage of grabbing one of the coveted ex Boxes on sale right now. 

As of June 8, Amazon has cut the Pokémon TCG’s Ascended Heroes Mega Feraligatr ex Box to $69.79 — $12.10 down from its current $81.89 price. This 15% discount, with the listing shipped and sold by Collectors Expedition, also comes with free delivery estimated for June 12-15 at the time of writing, while the fastest delivery option is currently shown for June 9. 

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At $69.79, the box works out to about $17.45 per Ascended Heroes Booster Pack before you even factor in the playable foil promo card or oversize lenticular card. 

Compared to buying single Ascended Heroes Booster Packs, currently as low as $18.94 on Amazon, you’re saving at least $1.49 per pack — saving you $5.96 in total for all four, with the Feraligatr promo trading cards as essentially a free bonus. 

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TCGplayer is still cheaper overall if you’re comfortable buying from marketplace sellers. Its lowest unopened listing is $20.01 plus $29.99 shipping, while higher-feedback sellers are closer to $54 with shipping included — all fitting well within the range of the box’s $53.74 market price. 

Scarce since launch, Ascended Heroes still packs some amazingly valuable chase cards you can pull (or buy individually on TCGplayer) — including SIR Mega Gengar ex, SIR Pikachu ex, and SIR Mega Dragonite ex. 

If you’re also hunting cards from the newest expansion, you can buy the Pokémon TCG’s Chaos Rising Elite Trainer Box for $91 in its newest sale.  For an even lower cost per pack, you can grab the 36-pack Chaos Rising Booster Display Box for under $265 — equal to around $7.35 per pack.

Although currently not available on Amazon, the Pokémon TCG’s newly announced Pitch Black expansion — Booster Packs, ETBs, Display Boxes, and Booster Bundles — is available to preorder at TCGplayer.

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The 2026 World Cup is drawing closer, and scams are on the rise.

With people scrambling to buy tickets, the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center has issued a public service announcement about the number of fake websites out there. The short version? There are a lot. And they're after your data and money.

"Threat actors create a deceptive version of a legitimate website (www.fifa.com) with the goal of tricking users into believing they're interacting with an official brand," the FBI release states. "The FBI has identified actors engaging in this activity to collect personal information, sell fake World Cup tickets and hospitality products, and to possibly facilitate other malicious activity. If a threat actor gains access to a victim's PII, they can create new accounts in a victim's name and ultimately defraud the victim."

SEE ALSO: How to watch the 2026 FIFA World Cup online for free

Here's a list of scam websites the FBI has identified so far:

• www.fifa[.]cab

• www.fifa[.]pink

• www.fifa[.]blue

• www.fifa[.]pub

• FIFA[.]city

• Fifa[.]bio

• fifa[.]beer

• fifa[.]click

• fifa[.]cam

• fifa[.]ceo

• fifa[.]help

• filfa[.]org

• fifa-online[.]com

• https://fifa-2026[.]xyz

• jobs-fifa[.]com

• fifa-hr[.]com

• fifa-careerhub[.]com

• fifaworldcup-careers[.]com

• fifa-hiring[.]com

• fifahiring[.]com

• fifa-ticket[.]live

• fifastore.us[.]com

• fifaworldcup26[.]sale

• fifaworldcup26.xcover-staging[.]com

• worldcup2026-tickets.com[.]mx

• worldcup26ticket[.]com

• 2026fifaworldcuptickets[.]online

• fwc2026[.]net

• fwc2026.web[.]app

• www.fifa2026p[.]com

• fifa2026fworldcup[.]com

• wvvw-fifa[.]com

• ww-fifa[.]com

• fifa-com[.]com

• www.fifa-com[.]services

• quiniela-fifa-2026.pages[.]dev

How to safely buy World Cup tickets

There's only one way to do it: through FIFA's official website. The URL is www.fifa.com, and you need to watch out for typos — often scam sites will target speedy typers who've swapped out a character by mistake.

The FIFA site has a hub for ticket sales, which currently has three options: last-minute sales, marketplace (this allows ticket resales), and hospitality packages. Users must sign in to book.

If you'd rather watch the World Cup games at home for free, though, then we've got you covered.

SAVE $101: As of June 8, the Garmin vívoactive 5 is on sale for $198.99 at Amazon. That's a 34% discount on the list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Garmin Garmin vívoactive 5 $198.99 at Amazon
$299.99 Save $101   Get Deal

Looking for a new fitness tracker to assist your workout and lifestyle goals? Look no further than the Garmin vívoactive 5. This is an ideal offering from Garmin that gives you both advanced fitness tracking stats and health, wellness, and lifestyle features. And it looks good, too.

As of June 8, this smartwatch is currently on sale for $101 off the list price, bringing it down to $198.99. This deal is for the ivory colored watch, but you can browse other colors, too (although currently this is the only option on sale).

This Garmin has a bright and colorful AMOLED display that offers up to 11 days of battery life in smartwatch mode (or up to 5 days with the display always on). It is controlled both by a touchscreen and buttons, which makes use during workouts nice and easy.

With this watch, you'll get access to advanced Garmin features like Body Battery (a stat that monitors your energy levels), sleep tracking with a sleep score, personalized sleep coaching, and other metrics, including HRV (heart rate variability) status.

It also includes more than 30 indoor and GPS sports apps, ranging from walking and running to cycling and HIIT. It also includes a wheelchair mode, which tracks pushes instead of steps and provides tailored workouts and activities for wheelchair users, including strength and cardio.

Health monitoring is another big plus, with features like wrist-based heart rate, stress tracking, morning reports, fitness age, and menstrual cycle all included.

Find this Garmin deal at Amazon now.

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The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult if you love being by the water.

Connections is the one of the most popular New York Times word games that's captured the public's attention. The game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for today's Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable What is Connections?

The NYT's latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications' Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

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Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.

If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.

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Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.

SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for June 8, 2026 Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:

• Yellow: By the sea

• Green: Noggin

• Blue: Pointed

• Purple: Popular films

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Here are today's Connections categories

Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:

• Yellow: Landforms by water

• Green: Slang for head

• Blue: Things that can be spiked

• Purple: "The ___ Man" movies

Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.

Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections #1093 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Landforms by water: DELTA, ISLAND, ISTHMUS, PENINSULA

• Slang for head: COCONUT, DOME, MELON, PATE

• Things that can be spiked: MOHAWK, PUNCH, SEA URCHIN, VOLLEYBALL

• "The ___ Man" movies: COCONUT, DOME, MELON, PATE

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for June 8, 2026

Are you also playing NYT Strands? Get all the Strands hints you need for today's puzzle.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Connections.

Today's NYT Strands hints are easy if you're a gamer.

Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game, requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answer. There's always a theme linking every solution, along with the "spangram," a special, word or phrase that sums up that day's theme, and spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable

By providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list, Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes a little longer to play than its other games, like Wordle and Connections.

If you're feeling stuck or just don't have 10 or more minutes to figure out today's puzzle, we've got all the NYT Strands hints for today's puzzle you need to progress at your preferred pace.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for June 8, 2026 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Play time

The words are related to gaming.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe popular games.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is vertical.

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Game Night.

NYT Strands word list for June 8

• Spinners

• Tokens

• Dice

• Game Night

• Cards

• Tiles

• Boards

• Chips

Looking for other daily online games? Mashable's Games page has more hints, and if you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now!

Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Strands.

Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you're part of a clan.

If you just want to be told today's word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today's Wordle solution revealed. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for June 8, 2026 Where did Wordle come from?

Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once. 

Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.

What's the best Wordle starting word?

The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.

What happened to the Wordle archive?

The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website's creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.

Is Wordle getting harder?

It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn't any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle's Hard Mode if you're after more of a challenge, though.

SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for June 8, 2026 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

A gang.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

The letter A appears twice.

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

Today's Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with...

Today's Wordle starts with the letter M.

SEE ALSO: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. The Wordle answer today is...

Get your last guesses in now, because it's your final chance to solve today's Wordle before we reveal the solution.

Drumroll please!

The solution to today's Wordle is...

MAFIA

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints. Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Wordle.

As much as I love tinkering in the garage and mowing, trimming, or edging the lawn, not everyone enjoys the process or has the time. And as a new dad with a toddler running around the house, my time is limited. After using the latest Segway Navimow X430 robot lawn mower, I'm convinced this is the future.

SAVE $10.99: As of June 8, the Roku Streaming Stick 4K Plus is on sale for $29 at Amazon. That's a 27% discount on the list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Roku Roku Streaming Stick Plus $29 at Amazon
$39.99 Save $10.99   Get Deal

Streaming devices are a simple and affordable way to make your entertainment setup easier. Whether you have an older TV that doesn't have built-in streaming options, or you travel a lot and don't want to sign in and out of unfamiliar devices, a streaming device can be the way to go.

And as of June 8, one of the most popular models, the Roku Streaming Stick 4K Plus, is on sale at Amazon. Right now, you can save $10.99 on the list price, which is currently down to $29.

The Roku Streaming Stick Plus gives you 4K streaming with HDR support in a compact device that plugs directly into the TV’s HDMI port. Unlike many streaming devices, this one doesn't need a wall outlet to run. It's powered directly through the TV, so there is far less cable clutter to endure.

It comes with a remote that lets you control both the TV and streaming device so you don't need lots of remotes hanging around, either.

And, of course, with this TV stick you'll get access to a huge range of streaming apps (including Netflix, Prime Video and more), and you'll find them all together in one place, on a home screen that is designed for easy navigation.

Get this streaming deal online at Amazon now.

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TL;DR: Amazon has the Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution — Chaos Rising Elite Trainer Box starting at $91 through a third-party seller, down from its $119.99 list price. This saves you $28.99 on the ETB’s lowest Amazon listing yet, while the Elite Trainer Box sold and shipped directly by Amazon is only slightly higher at $92.55 with faster delivery. 

Opens in a new window Credit: The Pokémon Company Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Chaos Rising Elite Trainer Box $91 at Amazon
$119.99 Save $28.99   Get Deal

Chaos Rising prices have been steadily falling in the Pokémon TCG market since launch, and Amazon’s latest listings have now taken the expansion’s Elite Trainer Box to its lowest price with the retailer yet.

As of June 8, the Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution — Chaos Rising Elite Trainer Box is available at Amazon from $91 via Prime Picks, with free delivery currently listed for June 13-15. With this 24% discount from its $119.99 list price, you'll save $28.99 on the sealed collector box. 

As confirmed with price tracker camelcamelcamel, this is indeed the lowest price we've seen for the ETB on Amazon so far.

If you’re willing to put up a slightly higher amount for faster shipping, the Chaos Rising ETB is sold and shipped directly by Amazon itself and is priced at $92.55 — with free delivery scheduled for June 14, with its fastest option currently listed for June 12, at the time of writing.

However, you can save more by buying your trading cards outside of Amazon, if you’re willing. TCGplayer has unopened Chaos Rising ETB listings starting from $83.99, which is only 44 cents higher than its market price of $83.51.

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Inside the Pokémon TCG’s Chaos Rising Elite Trainer Box, you’ll get nine titular booster packs, one full-art foil promo card featuring Fennekin, 65 card sleeves, 40 Energy cards, a player’s guide, six damage-counter dice, one competition-legal coin-flip die, one plastic coin, a collector’s box with six dividers, and a Pokémon TCG Live code card.

Among this expansion, themed around Mega Floette descending Lumiose City into chaos, you’ll have the chance to pull valuable chase cards (also available to buy separately) like Mega Greninja ex, Mega Pyroar ex, and Mega Dragalge ex, and Mega Floette ex itself. 

For even more packs from the expansion, you can also grab the Pokémon TCG’s six-pack Chaos Rising Booster Bundle for under $60. 

To get the lowest cost per pack, though, you can score the 36-pack Chaos Rising Booster Display Box for under $265 — equalling $7.35 per pack. 

Although currently not available on Amazon, the Pokémon TCG’s newly announced Pitch Black expansion — Booster Packs, ETBs, Display Boxes, and Booster Bundles — is available to preorder at TCGplayer.

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As governments and tech companies shape the future of online privacy, sex workers around the world are organizing to push back against threats to our freedom of speech and data ownership.

"We know from experience that sex workers are the beta testers for taking away people's digital rights," says Ana Ornelas, digital policy officer at the European Sex Workers' Rights Alliance (ESWA). ESWA represents more than 100 member organizations in 30 countries in Western, Eastern, and Central Europe and Central Asia.

SEE ALSO: Adult creators are still getting debanked — but it doesn't just impact them

Take FOSTA/SESTA, twin laws in the U.S. passed in 2018 to ostensibly stop online sex trafficking, but in actuality, made it harder for sex workers and others who work in adult industries to exist online. Big Tech platforms cracked down on sexual content, resulting in bans and shadowbans that persist today. Multiple studies have found that this makes adult workers less safe.

Today, age-verification laws (that require users to give their identity over to tech companies before accessing adult content) have led to sex workers losing income, all while initial studies suggest that they don't actually work to keep minors off porn sites.

Sex workers, unionized and not, continue to fight against bad tech policy. Ornelas, for instance, recently met with an official working on new EU regulations about artificial intelligence that are "simpler" and "innovation-friendly." Ornelas brought up how the proposal leaves room for tech-facilitated gender-based violence. 

"I'm very worried about the exceptions," says Ornelas, referencing the allowances the package makes for generating non-consensual deepfake sexual content for artistic reasons or when subjects are unidentifiable. "Images can be scraped from someone's Instagram bikini pictures. I think that we should be focusing a lot more on transparency around the big tech companies and what's in their databases. You don't need to be completely nude for this technology to be dangerous."

Five thousand miles away from ESWA's campaign, workers at Sheri's Ranch, a legal brothel in Nevada, are fighting a battle on another digital frontier. In Dec., the brothel workers received a contract from management, which included turning over ownership of their likeness and intellectual property to their workplace. In response, the workers reached out to the Communication Workers of America for support and began the process to form a union.

I worked at Sheri's so that I can chase my dreams, but that shouldn't mean they own those dreams too. - Adalind Gray

"The language was big enough that the Ranch could argue that they own anything that we've ever created," says Adalind Gray, one of the seven workers at Sheri's Ranch who were fired since they began their union campaign. The newly founded United Brothel Workers (UBW) has filed unfair labor practices with the National Labor Relations Board on behalf of Gray and the other workers. 

"I have big dreams with my band. I worked at the Ranch in order to fund the studio costs," says Gray. "That is the reason why I do what I do. I think there would also be potential for them to argue they own my online sex work as well, the content I make for OnlyFans."

The use of workers' digital likeness for profit or AI training sets a dangerous precedent for workers in any industry. "Anybody that has cultivated an online following, or has a podcast, substack, any independent work that they care about at all, should be worried that their employer wants to own a piece of all of anything that they do in perpetuity," says Scott Goodstein, a spokesperson for the UBW. "These types of contracts need to be stopped immediately."

"I worked at Sheri's so that I can chase my dreams, but that shouldn't mean they own those dreams too," says Gray.
"No employer is entitled to a slice of my entire community that I spent years building solely because I work there."

The fight against age verification

In the UK, Australia, and the United States, sex workers are leading the fight against age-verification legislation, too. According to the Age Verification Providers Association, nearly 30 countries have introduced age-verification legislation, with at least four more countries on track to introduce legislation in the next one to two years.

"Regulations in one country impact the web for everyone," says Mish Pony, the CEO of Scarlet Alliance, the national peak body representing sex workers across Australia. "When tech companies are creating their terms and conditions, they are developing those based on the regulatory environment that they are based in. So legislation in the U.S. and EU have disproportionate power globally." 

"Our government once issued a fine to X, which doesn't have a physical presence in Australia. How can we actually force them to pay that fine?" Pony asks.

Tech companies are incentivized to play it safe relating to powerful countries' regulations, fueling censorship of not only adult content, but health and education content related to sexuality as well. 

"We've developed a community response every time somebody has a profile taken down," says Kitt Turner, the external communications officer for the UK Sex Workers' Union (SWU). "Everybody rallies around to try and like file reports and try and push to have them reinstated. Sometimes that's effective, sometimes it's not. But we kind of share any knowledge that we can pick up in terms of what makes it more likely for someone to have their profile."

"We've spoken with [Australia's] eSafety commissioner, and we've done a postcard campaign with health professionals who are concerned about the impact of these regulations on people's access to information online," says Pony. "We're just trying to make sure that people are aware of these harmful consequences."

In the United States, Sasha Bee, an organizer for the Sex Worker Action Alliance and Erotic Professionals & Allies United, currently leads campaigns in multiple states to educate and push back against age-verification legislation. Age verification laws are now in effect in over half the states in the United States. "We're fighting against what is fundamentally a free speech violation," says Bee.

Why we must listen to sex workers

Dating back to the earliest days of the internet, sex workers are credited with driving technological adoption and innovation, with contributions including the first online credit card verification systems.

"Adult content creators created the internet," Bee confirms, and research supports this claim. "If you like the fact that you have fast bandwidth, can stream Netflix and Hulu on the same WiFi, thank a sex worker. The demand for their work created the internet that we see today," says Bee.

In the age of Big Tech like X and Meta, however, it's difficult to contest what they do, Turner says.

But that hasn't stopped sex workers from campaigning and collaborating to change the tech landscape. SWU works closely with Decrim Now UK, a coalition fighting for the decriminalization of sex work in the UK. For around the last two years, Decrim Now has been trying to organize a sex worker strike against AdultWork, a platform where they can advertise their work, due to increased costs and reduced profit, says organizer Audrey Caradonna. Decrim Now has also participated in sex work strikes during International Women's Day since 2018.

Adult content creators created the internet. - Sasha Bee

In Dec., Scarlett Alliance published a study on the Impacts of Online Regulation. One of their findings was the negative impact that Australia's Online Safety Act had on youth and marginalized people by restricting access to critical sexual and reproductive health education and drug harm reduction information. Decrim Now UK, ESWA, and industry research firm SWR Data are also currently engaged in collecting similar data to observe the impacts of new tech policies on sex workers. Using their data on sex workers' lived experiences, these organizations are able to inform policymakers how their legislative decisions could impact everybody else on the internet.

"So much of what we're seeing happen to activists and marginalized people in countries like the United States and Germany are taken straight out of the playbook of how sex workers have been treated for the past years," says Ornelas. "We've seen that come true with digital rights activists here in Germany who were put on a no-fly list to the U.S. It's exactly how sex workers have been treated — they've been denied entry in the U.S. based on the fact that they are sex workers or performers. Border control has the data, and suddenly they find themselves taken into a private room to explain themselves."

With their digital privacy on the line, sex workers have strategies on how to mitigate these risks and leverage the community to protect each other, Ornelas says. Amongst other resources, ESWA offers recommendations for social media platform accountability and will soon publish the results of a survey on sex work and deepfake technologies. Mashable also has a breakdown of top digital security tips from sex workers.

Civilians, or non-sex workers, should learn from the community how to protect themselves online, Ornelas says. "Because the way things are headed, it's gonna come in handy."

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