I know this is not the type of content you come here to find. I wish more than anything that the world was different, and that I didn’t have to keep posting this type of content. But it’s not. And I’d rather speak up while I can than preemptively shut up and take it lying down. Already, I’m seeing dangerous developments across the platforms where I have accounts. The signs are there that we have entered an era where our access to information and each other will start to shrink and warp, and I need everyone to take note, prepare themselves, and get ready to act, because the time for sitting on our hands and pretending it’ll all eventually get better is over. Things will get a lot worse before they get better, if they ever do. And our chances of slowing it down are shrinking by the day.
There are a few things happening that we need to spotlight. I know, there is a whole mess of crap happening every single day, and this seems like a small issue in comparison, but believe me, it’s not. Any one of these taken on its own is a Very Bad Thing. All of them together spell out a catastrophe in the making.
1: Age Verification Restrictions
The powers that be want to censor the Internet. The UK already started to require more stringent and invasive age verification measures for users to access NSFW content (article here), and now it has been proposed in the US. This is all being pushed as a means of “protecting children,” but it’s really not, because protections for children are already in place via regular age verification, restricting adult content for younger users, and parental controls on devices.
In the US, they are starting with YouTube (article here), but it won’t stop there, and the definition of “NSFW” will change and expand based on what those in power decide it should be. 18+ content is only the beginning. If the current regime is allowed to get their foot in that door, it will very quickly also include any political or religious views they don’t agree with.
As an FYI, BlueSky has already updated their Terms of Service to comply with the new UK and EU regulations (see here). In Mississippi, the US Supreme court allowed an age verification law to go into effect, despite stating that it’s probably unconstitutional (article here).
It’s not theoretical, it’s already happening.
If the planned regulations are approved in the US, you may be required to verify your identity in order to access restricted content. That means not just checking the “I’m over 18” box but taking a photo for facial recognition or scanning your government-issued ID. Which means your name and personal information will be linked with the type of content you access. Supposedly, identity data should not be saved anywhere for any length of time, but I think we all know that’s bullshit. Nothing ever dies on the internet. Whatever information you provide, assume it will get sold to and accessed by 3rd parties, including the government. And when they later decide to make other types of content illegal, they will know exactly whom to prosecute for accessing it.
VPNs are the obvious work-around for this, except that my friends in the UK are telling me those already do not work—the desired site does not load at all when using them. And, since people learn from their own mistakes on second and third tries, you can safely assume that VPNs will not get you around those restrictions in the US.
1.5: Fascism and the Art of Subtly Losing Privacy
Have you heard about passkeys (article here)? They’re a new brand of security measure that goes farther and deeper than your usual password and 2-factor authentication. It’s been popping up on my Amazon account for a while now. A few days ago, I got an email from my password keeper that they are now supporting them, too. And the day after that, the news had a story about them.
From what I understand, passkeys match an identifier in your online account (like on Amazon) to an identifier in your device (phone or computer). In theory, this should be a good thing and prevent unauthorized people from accessing your accounts.
What it also means is that your online accounts are now linked to devices that are linked to your identity and physical location. I don’t think the timing of this rollout is accidental, either. Considering everything mentioned above. In my mind, it’s handing over the last bit of privacy you still have online.
I’m not saying don’t use them, because I don’t know enough of the technical details to make that call for anyone else. But I personally will not be implementing any passkeys anywhere until or unless I am forced to do so.
How to Fight Against Internet Censorship
GET LOUD. Talk about it. Tell everyone you know. Look for organizations like NetChoice and ACLU that are fighting against this and support them as much as you can. If we lose the Internet, we lose our way of life. And I’m not even exaggerating. It will be George Orwell’s 1984, and the only information you will have access to will be the propaganda approved by the current regime.
Download a copy of Wikipedia onto an external device, if you can. Yes, this is possible and you can do it here. Thanks to humanity’s penchant for always correcting one another, Wikipedia may be the most reliable source of information on a broad range of subjects (for the moment). It is currently about 19GB in size and expands to several terabytes, so make sure you have that much storage. Even if you don’t expand it, just grabbing the compressed download before the website is redacted or taken offline may be a good failsafe to preserve our cumulative knowledge.
Make friends with people across the US and in other countries. If/when our access to information gets restricted, other people will have more accurate and reliable intel than is made available to us. You should do this anyway, because information is already being restricted. Don’t believe me? Look up #losangelesmusicfestival2025 on social media (it’s not about a music festival). Look up how many executives have died this year, or the ICE facility that was attacked in Texas. I know social media is not always the most reliable source of information, but there are legitimate whistleblower accounts like the Alt National Parks Service page, and I am finding a lot of stories in my reels queue that I never saw on any official news channel. You can verify something further once you know what to look for, but you’ll never know about things that you aren’t allowed to see. For now, we have word of mouth. We need to hold onto it for as long as we can, because big media will be propagandized more and more as time goes on.
Call out bullshit when you see it. When you notice information being changed, redacted, or taken down from official sources, call them on it, and don’t be shy. For now at least, we can still hold them accountable, and we have to. If we don’t, there may come a time not long from now when that won’t be an option anymore.
2: Sexual Content is About to be Made Illegal
A bill has been introduced to categorize “porn” within the definition of “obscenity” under the Communications Act of 1934, regardless of intent (article here). Here is the text of the bill, and the Communications Act of 1934 which it will affect. It’s not quite a ban on pornographic or sexual content, but the definition is so vague that it might as well be. In conjunction with the above, it’s the first step toward making this content illegal to distribute and consume. Meaning, adult content creators, the platforms where they publish their content, internet/mobile providers, payment platforms, as well as consumers will be affected.
In related news, an Australian conservative group is currently putting pressure on Visa and Mastercard in an effort to censor NSFW games. As in, the payment processors have been forced to de-index those games (article here). Why? Because the group went to the game developers first, and they refused to bend, so they went after the next best target.
This will happen again, and it won’t stop with content we would all deem inappropriate (such as rape and incest). We are living in a world where restrictive religious conservatism is getting ever louder and more powerful. LGBTQ+ content will quickly follow (if it hasn’t already) and tamer heteronormative, even romantic content will be next.
And because the definition is so vague, even though the proposed bill doesn’t mention literary content specifically, it can and very likely will be expanded to that if the bill passes.
You have to understand it’s never about “protecting children” or whatever other propaganda they use to spin it. It’s about getting the population to willingly give up their freedom of expression one small step at a time. You don’t need to agree with, enjoy, or even consume NSFW content. But you don’t have the right to stop other people from consuming it. We already have reasonable restrictions on dangerous content; if we allow the benchmark to be moved, eventually it will be moved to where the only content you can access is scrubbed of everything that makes us so colorfully, chaotically human.
If/when that happens, a lot of people will not just lose their livelihoods, but possibly face massive fines and/or jail time. If/when that happens, a lot of the authors you love and support (myself included) will likely be forced to unpublish any content that falls under those definitions. We’re talking about rewriting books or pulling them off the shelves. Your digital copies with adult content will one day be redacted, or removed from your device completely. Authors and audiobook narrators who make a living on romance book royalties will be forced to either make a sharp pivot into different genres, hoping their audience won’t give up on them, or quit all together.
In my case, I would need to pull down all except 2-3 of my books. It would effectively end my career as a published author.
For readers, it means losing the stories they love. Stories that help them cope through hardships, to take steps toward healing traumas, to explore their own sexuality and learn about themselves and their desires. For many, many, many people, this type of content is the only sexual education they will ever have access to—and how messed up is that? It may also be the only place for people in difficult and restrictive circumstances to be exposed to concepts like gender equality, devoted love, female pleasure, and lifestyles other than the traditional hetero-normative gender roles that are currently being forcefully shoved down everyone’s throats.
None of this is a random development. Knowledge is power. The best way to control people is to keep them ignorant. If they don’t know what’s possible, they won’t know to demand and fight for it. Romance books are absolutely essential in showing women and marginalized people that they aren’t “less” or “weaker” just because of who and what they are. That women can do so much more than just birth babies and take care of the house and husband. That no one has to settle for a single partner of the opposite sex. That marriage and procreation are not the ultimate or only goals to pursue in life. That we can and should be cherished, supported, empowered, and taken care off by our chosen partners. That we can and should feel pleasure from sex—and that we always have the right to refuse sex for any reason.
Stories in romance and erotic books are all about romantic and sexual empowerment—that’s why they’re so dangerous. They undermine the patriarchy status quo. We have come so far from the dark times of oppression and abuse, we cannot go back. We cannot allow our freedoms to be taken away and forgotten.
Now, you may say, “Romance is the biggest selling genre. Bookstores and publishers will never allow it to be restricted.” I want to believe that, but if Visa and Mastercard, and even a global monopoly like Amazon can cave to political pressures, what hope do smaller companies and organizations have. Do not count on them to save us.
Protect Your Access to What You Love
The same rules from above apply here, too. Stay aware and in the know, spread the word, get loud, and support organizations fighting against this. DON’T LET UP, either. We have already seen them keep trying and testing smaller and smaller versions of unfavorable bills until they can get one to pass. It’s a lot easier to build on an existing restriction than it is to introduce a new one. We can’t let them introduce or pass any fraction of this.
As far as protecting what already exists, it will all come back to community connections and physical media. Printed books will survive longer and better. Join or start a book club in your local community. It is essential that you meet in person, get to know your neighbors. Build trust, and inclusive safe spaces to share and talk about these kinds of books. Build community libraries.
I know times are really hard right now. I am feeling the pinch as much as everyone else. Moreso now than a couple of months ago. So I’m not going to sit here and tell you to replace your whole digital library with physical copies. But I will say this: If you can afford it, and if you have the space for it, and if they’re available in a physical format, try to get copies of your favorite books, movies, and music as physical media sooner rather than later. Many of the bestsellers and better-known titles you will likely find in thrift stores, library sales, or on eBay. Reach out to your friends and your local community to see if anyone has copies they’d be willing to sell or swap for something else.
Lesser known and Indie stuff (like my books) likely won’t be on shelves in physical stores, but you can still order them online. You may find a few copies floating around on eBay, but your best bet will likely be an online store. My books are not special editions of any kind and I always try to keep the page count low so I can price as affordably as possible. You can find most of them under $20 USD on Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Powell’s, Indigo, and others.
Look out for one another.
This may be difficult in our digital day and age, but we need to get back to making connections in person. We need to keep each other informed and be there for each other so that we can notice when someone is in trouble, and so that they can have someone to turn to. Make friends with and make time for the people in your local community. Even if it’s just for a cup of afternoon tea and a quick chat. There is incredible strength in numbers, and there is power in sharing our individual experiences and comparing notes. That’s why tyrannical regimes always start with pitting people against each other and causing strife and division. The best way to fight back is to band together.
Protect the most vulnerable among us. Protect access to our most precious resources, starting with information and knowledge.
Be safe out there.