Can FOSTA be used to shut down nearly any discussion based web site?
Electronman
Too much of a good thing is never enough
Tuesday, April 10, 2018 12:18 AM
It appears that a number of web sites have shut down in response to the recent passage of FOSTA, including Twosheds, TJAmigos, parts of Backpage, etc.
Hypothetically speaking, what would happen if people started posting sexually themed commentary (e.g., escort reviews, strip club reviews, anything that could remotely imply sex trafficking even if it was a fictional report, etc.) on the discussion board of web sites that were presumably devoted to religion, politics, etc. Could a string of those postings be used to shut down the web site of politicians (or religious or feminist organizations) that championed and voted for FOSTA?
I post this hypothetical question because some poorly conceived legislation can have side effects that are unintended-- and exposing those unintended side effects may be a good mechanism to point out the adverse impact of FOSTA on free speech.
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