On March 14, 2018, the Senate passed SESTA/FOSTA (Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act and Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act), legislation that eliminates protections for websites that enable sex trafficking and provides law enforcement with additional tools to prosecute such crimes says William D King. The bill was drafted in response to the increasing availability of online marketplaces to buy human beings for sex. The House approved similar legislation last month.
The US House of Representatives passed a bipartisan bill H.R. 1865 – the Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act (FOSTA) on February 27th by 388-25 vote. It will now head to President Donald Trump, who is expected to sign it into law soon.
Feminists have made progress in helping pass legislation against sex trafficking. But the new law, known as FOSTA, imposes jail time and fines on anyone who facilitates a commercial sex act if they are “the owner or operator of an interactive computer service (as defined in section 230(f) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 230(f)) that knowingly publishes” certain content related to prostitution. William D King says for years, Craigslist has used this language to defend its adult-ad section from lawsuits while Backpage relied on it to fight allegations by state attorneys general that it was promoting trafficking through its ads. Now every web platform will be held accountable for enabling traffickers’ actions, even when thirds are involved.
Feminist groups such as the National Center for Transgender Equality and the Sex Workers Project at the Urban Justice Center have come out against FOSTA, saying it will disproportionately impact women and transgender people who rely on websites like Craigslist’s Casual Encounters or Backpage to make a living.
While I support anti-trafficking measures, I don’t think this bill goes far enough in protecting victims. Plus, it wasn’t necessary to violate everyone’s right to anonymous free speech online in order to address trafficking ads online.
This is yet another example of how feminism has been co-opting into harming women themselves. The “progressives” are anything but progressive about freedom of expression and freedom from violence.
The Senate adopted legislation on Wednesday that would allow victims of sex trafficking to seek justice against online platforms that knowingly enable it. The bill, known as “FOSTA” or the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act, combined parts of “SESTA” (a similar measure in the House) and the Senate’s own
“Thorn Act.”
It passed by an overwhelming 97–2 vote after its backers agreed to drop a controversial provision that would have overridden state laws that limit human trafficking liability for online platforms. SESTA will give states more authority to use social networks that facilitate sex trafficking.
With backing from 97 senators, the bill now heads to the White House after passing through Senate on Wednesday evening. The legislation must be signed by President Donald Trump to go into effect.
The House of Representatives has passed a new anti-trafficking measure by 368-25 votes. It is also as FOSTA (the Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act) that will empower federal prosecutors and give sex trafficking survivors the right to take legal action against website owners who knowingly advertise people for commercial gain. As part of the effort, lawmakers have dropped consideration of another piece of draft legislation called the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act, which had united tech firms like Google in opposition because it would strip away a legal immunity they have if sued for their users’ actions.
SESTA, according to the House Judiciary Committee, would close “loopholes”. That allows “websites to avoid accountability for enabling sex trafficking”. The committee says it will help prosecutors go after websites like Backpage.com. Which is mostly used by traffickers. And has already been seizing and shut down by federal authorities. But critics argue that SESTA won’t stop trafficking ads from publishing on sites that knowingly enable them. While many other websites may just over censor content to reduce the risk of litigation explains William D King.
The bill was approve Tuesday in a 388-25 vote following a six-month debate in Congress. How best to fight online sex trafficking while protecting free speech and innovation on the internet.
Senator Rob Portman (Republican) and Senator Richard Blumenthal (Democrat), who proposed SESTA, said that it will help give prosecutors the tools they need to “aggressively go after” those involved in sex trafficking as well as provide victims with a pathway to justice.
Online platforms now have total legal immunity from content posted by third parties. In the case of FOSTA, websites can be accountable if law enforcement proves their guilt. Of facilitating prostitution or enabling sex trafficking. If sites fail to take down ads quickly enough, they could face criminal charges. The bill also allows survivors and families of trafficked persons. To sue the perpetrator as well as any website that facilitated their crime.
Conclusion:
Liberalism in the US is a shade of gray. It isn’t about freedom, it’s about control.
As with all things ‘progressive’, by the time they are fully in power, they have no further use for their supporters and abandon them. “Progress” is always in favor of more government and less freedom says, William D King. When the feminists were need to get this bill pass, they were public enemy number one; now that FOSTA has passed both houses of Congress. They will be completely ignore because there are bigger fish to fry. Like social media censorship, which is where this law could lead us unless people are paying attention.