Participating in interactive adult live-streams or ordering custom porn clips are about to be punishable by a year in prison in Sweden, where a new law expands an already-problematic model of sex work criminalization to the internet.

Sex work in Sweden operates under the Nordic Model, also known as the “Equality,” “Entrapment,” or “End Demand Model,” which criminalizes buying sex but not selling sex. The text of the newly-passed bill (in the original Swedish here, and auto-translated to English here) states that criminal liability for the purchase of sexual services shouldn’t have to require physical contact between the buyer and seller anymore, and should expand to online sex work, too. 

Buying pre-recorded content, paying to follow an account where pornographic material is continuously posted, or otherwise consuming porn without influencing its content is outside of the scope of the law, the bill says. But live-streaming content where viewers interact with performers, as well as ordering custom clips, are illegal.

Criminalizing any part of the transaction of sex work has been shown to make the work more dangerous for all involved; data shows sex workers in Nordic Model countries like Sweden, Iceland, and France are put in more danger by this model, not made safer. But the objective of this model isn’t actually the increased safety of sex workers. It’s the total abolition of sex work. 

This law expands the model to cover online content, too—even if the performer and viewer have never met in person. “This is a new form of sex purchase, and it’s high time we modernise the legislation to include digital platforms,” Social Democrat MP Teresa Carvalho said, according to Euractiv. 

Sweden’s law isn’t isolated to European countries. In the U.S., Maine adopted the Nordic Model in 2023. The expansion of the law in Sweden goes into effect on July 1.  

Kids say they are using pictures of Trump, YouTuber Markiplier, and the G-Man from Half-Life to bypass newly integrated age restriction software in the VR game Gorilla Tag.

Gorilla Tag is a popular game with a global reach and a young audience, which means it has to comply with complicated and contradictory laws aimed at protecting kids online. In Gorilla Tag, players control a legless ape avatar and use their arms to navigate the world and play games like, well, tag. Developer Another Axiom has had to contend with new and developing laws aimed at keeping kids safe online. The laws vary from state to state and country to country.

Gorilla Tag’s new age verification system sometimes requires a user scanning their face so the system can estimate their age. To get around the face scan, some enterprising youths say they are using what the community has dubbed the “Markiplier method.” The UK is one of the country’s that requires a selfie but not a credit card, so some players are using a VPN to set their location to Britain and then pulling up a specific video of the YouTuber Markiplier to trick the system, according to a screenshot of the guide sent to 404 Media.

In the Gorilla Tag Discord server, 404 Media found several users discussing bypassing the facial scan. “If you need to make a parent account just point your camera at a video of markiplier speaking and it will verify you lol,” one user said.

“I hope they don’t patch the markiplier method,” said another. 

The age verification system is from k-ID, an Andreseen Horowitz backed tech company that bills itself as a one-stop shop for helping game’s studios comply with all this child safety legislation. A game with k-ID uses the IP address of the device that’s accessing the game to determine where the user is located and tailors the age verification experience accordingly.

“Our top priorities are keeping the game fun and following regulatory requirements around the world. We've also heard feedback from players and their parents or guardians who share similar concerns, so we're taking steps to improve the experience for everyone,” Another Axiom said in an FAQ about the launch of k-ID on its website.

Gorilla Tag started rolling out k-ID a few days ago and it’s caused chaos and controversy in the game’s community. Users hit by k-ID are prompted to enter their birthday and then jump through various hoops depending on their age and the country they’re in. 

Another screenshot sent to 404 Media appears to show a user passing the facial scan with 3D Blender models of the G-Man from Half Life (now of Skibidi toilet fame) and President Donald Trump.

Another Axiom did not respond to 404 Media’s request for comment.

k-ID told 404 Media that it was currently assessing some of these claims. “As a company that exists to keep children safer online, we regularly encounter attempts at bypassing these systems,” it said in an email. “When such activity is detected or reported, we are able to quickly test and learn from these behaviors. We continually update and improve our technologies and tools which helps us battle spoofing attempts and keep children safer.”

“This company has existed for barely over a year, and can be bypassed via facial scan using donald trump, markiplier, you name it,” a user in the Gorilla Tag Discord said on Tuesday.

Joseph Cox contributed reporting.

Researchers published a massive database of more than 2 billion Discord messages that they say they scraped using Discord’s public API. The data was pulled from 3,167 servers and covers posts made between 2015 and 2024, the entire time Discord has been active. 

Though the researchers claim they’ve anonymized the data, it’s hard to imagine anyone is comfortable with almost a decade of their Discord messages sitting in a public JSON file online. Separately, a different programmer released a Discord tool called "Searchcord" based on a different data set that shows non-anonymized chat histories.

Neuer Mix von Franksen, der mir heute ganz wunderbar in den Tag und in die Stimmung passt. Good old days.

In Blurring Boundaries’ newest project, a woodland area in Wada, Maharashtra, India, and a serene architectural oasis converge in a remarkable farmhouse. The Mumbai-based firm (previously) conceived of a sanctuary called “Maativan,” cradled by trees in a feat of biophilic design, which is constructed from natural materials to create a synergy between interior and exterior experiences.

Undulating beamed ceilings, open-air spaces, an organic layout, and plenty of ventilation allow for ample natural light, airflow, and heat control. With sustainability at the forefront of its mission, Blurring Boundaries incorporated mud, lime, bamboo, stone, wood, recycled bottles, wheels, glass, and other repurposed substances into the home’s framework.

“Maativan’s commitment to sustainability, cultural authenticity, and ecological responsibility is evident in every aspect of its construction and operation, making it a true sanctuary for those seeking a deeper connection with the natural world,” the studio says. Find more on its website.

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $7 per month. The article Blurring Boundaries’ ‘Maativan’ Farmhouse Embraces Biophilic Design in an Indian Forest appeared first on Colossal.

Michael Kalus posted a photo: