Beyond the Filter: Age Verification, Payments, Porn, and Censorship

About this episode

Brandy and Jeremy discuss the threats of financial censorship and age verification laws to online sexual expression with journalist Michael McGrady Jr.

Brandy and Jeremy speak with journalist Michael McGrady Jr about two growing threats to online sexual expression: financial censorship and age verification laws. They discuss recent crackdowns, including the financial censorship of adult games on Steam and itch.io , and the effects of the UK’s Online Safety Act requiring ID checks for many sites. Michael explains how these measures harm both privacy and the livelihoods of sex workers, game developers, and queer creators. Learn how long-running moral campaigns combined with corporate risk aversion are creating a perfect storm for the suppression of lawful expression worldwide, and discover real ways to protect children without censorship. The post Beyond the Filter: Age Verification, Payments, Porn, and Censorship appeared first on Center for Online Safety and Liberty .

People in this episode

Hosts: Brandy, Jeremy

Guest: Michael McGrady Jr

Topics covered

• age verification
• financial censorship
• online sexual expression
• privacy
• livelihoods of sex workers
• UK Online Safety Act

Keywords

• censorship
• adult games
• Steam
• itch.io
• moral campaigns
• corporate risk aversion

Mentioned in this episode

Products: Steam, itch.io

Books & works: Beyond the Filter, Beyond the Filter: Age Verification, Payments, Porn, and Censorship

Places: UK

More episodes of Beyond the Filter

• Beyond the Filter: Sexual Content Online: Who Gets Protected and Who Gets Policed? · March 3, 2026
• Beyond the Filter: Tech-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence · February 1, 2026
• Beyond the Filter: Australia’s Under 16 Social Media Ban · January 1, 2026
• Beyond the Filter: Drawing the Line Watchlist · December 10, 2025
• Beyond the Filter: Fantasy Sexual Materials and Offending · November 1, 2025 · 43 min
• Beyond the Filter: The Assassination of Charlie Kirk and the Censorship of Jimmy Kimmel · October 1, 2025 · 33 min