Sex Trafficking Bill could cause chaos on internet
mark94
Arizona
The bill would make a number of changes to Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which provides limited liability protections for websites that serve as platforms for user-generated content.
That means that tech companies, big and small, are not civilly liable for the content posted by their users and that accusations of criminal liability are to be prosecuted at the federal, not state, level. SESTA would upend that safe harbor provision, ensuring Section 230 no longer applies that liability exemption to websites that benefit “from participation in a venture” that could be linked to sex trafficking.
The legislation appears to be aimed at Backpage.com, which has been under investigation for acting as a channel for human trafficking. The company has repeatedly used Section 230 as a shield from liability for the actions of its users, but recent evidence has come to light suggesting its actions don’t qualify it for those protections because it actively engaged in facilitating the criminal activity in question. Thus, current law can effectively address the sex trafficking issue, but SESTA would have far-reaching and potentially catastrophic results for the rest of the Internet.
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17 comments
The rest of the support is the bureaucratic desire to control the internet.
Disclaimer: I did vote for McCaskill but wouldn't call myself an ardent supporter. I am absolutely opposed to human trafficking but don't believe this bill will have any effect whatsoever.
I have very little faith in the American people. Mencken had it right more than a century ago and little has changed since then.
"As democracy is perfected, the office of president represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart's desire at last and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron."
and
"Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard."
I just couldn't agree more.
I think this board alone is proof positive that the right/left do-gooders can't legislate prostitution out of business. Which let's be honest, that what this bill really does, while raise the barrier, and stifle new businesses.
Slavery is already illegal. We don't need a special law against "Human Trafficking." Just my opinion.
It doesn't mean that there aren't women who are being forced to be sex workers, it just shows that some of them are NOT.
There are plenty of women, of sound mind and body, who choose to pursue sex work of their own free will, and government really should just leave these wonderful women the fuck alone!