Fighting Sex Traffickers – FOSTA Laws and Freedoms

IWB ^ | Mark Angelides

[davikkm]

President Trump has signed into law two bills that are hugely contentious not just for the Left/Right divide, but also for Conservatives and Libertarians. The FOSTA and SESTA bills seek to eliminate the options for child sex traffickers having a “safe space” to connect with other deviants, but the bills also have wider ramifications on internet freedoms.

The Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act (FOSTA), and Stop Enabling Sex-Trafficking Act (SESTA) are being as widely criticized as they are applauded. Some of the argument for and against are spurious at best, but from each side, there is also something that has been lacking in politics for a long time…Real questions delivered without obfuscation and reasonable requests for answers.

[mythenjoseph]

The point this article tries to convey only uses “craigslist” shutting down there personal ads down as an example of stomping on liberty. There are plenty of sites that you can meet someone , but anything that hinders sex trafficking and the damage it does to the person trafficked is cool in my thoughts. Take a minute and realize the psychological damage to those abused without there consent....it is a REAL problem. MAGA GO President Donald John Trump! He is a true force to deal with and his aim is true....amongst all the f ‘in heathens he has to deal with in the cesspool of D.C.

[trebb]

Now, under the new laws, they are regarded as publishers and as such have the obligation to ensure that the user-generated content on their site is neither illegal nor dangerous.

Makes sense - else one might deem a crack house owner to be untouchable for knowingly allowing it to be used as such because he doesn't supply the crack...Or parents allowing underage parties because the partiers bring their own booze and drugs...

[proxy_user]

“Makes sense - else one might deem a crack house owner to be untouchable for knowingly allowing it to be used as such because he doesn’t supply the crack...Or parents allowing underage parties because the partiers bring their own booze and drugs...”

Or allowing a conservative web site to tolerate ‘hate speech’ against liberals.

[JimRed]

There is no way to distinguish between the voluntary sex worker (the traditional whore, bar girl, call girl, “escort”, etc.) and a victim of sex slavery, from an online ad.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

My fear is that traditional dating sites may be targeted. Also the Left will use these laws to hurt conservatives.

[Secret Agent Man]

May??

In the most litigious country in the world?

Why do you think craigslist shut down the personals. They know whats coming.

[NobleFree]

The point this article tries to convey only uses “craigslist” shutting down there personal ads down as an example of stomping on liberty.

No, their point is a LOT bigger than Craigslist:

"These bills cut a hole directly in the middle of Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act (1996), which essentially meant that hosts of websites were not liable for content that unconnected users posted. [...] Now, under the new laws, they are regarded as publishers and as such have the obligation to ensure that the user-generated content on their site is neither illegal nor dangerous. [...] it is the “non-publisher” aspect of section 230 that has allowed platforms for expression to flourish. [...] prosecution is very political, and it often works on a triage system. If, for political reasons, people want this law to become more pervasive, they will instruct state prosecutors to push for charges in even the most spurious of cases… Not with the intent of winning, but to intimidate others into voluntarily shutting down the user-production element of their websites."

This is a powerful weapon the Left can use against FR and other conservative forums.

[NobleFree]

Libertarians might argue that what someone chooses to do with their own body is their own choice, but among these “consenting transactions” we also find a seedier underbelly that seeks to traffic underage children who cannot give their consent.

The nonconsenting element is made harder to combat by criminalizing even the genuinely consensual transactions; one weapon in the traffickers' arsenal is telling their victims, adult or minor, "You can't go to the police or you'll be arrested for prostitution."

Punishing A for the acts of B is not only immoral but counterproductive.

[mythenjoseph]

That seems like a stretch ...but ! Moonbat leftists will court shop and try splitting hairs with any law where they can control....but I still like any effort to hinder deviates in the world from harming those who have no voice.