John,

Remember SESTA/FOSTA? Even if not, you’ve probably lived its consequences. It’s the bill that pushed social media platforms to wage war on all “adult content.”¹ It reshaped the whole Internet to be less friendly to artists, educators, and activists, and it’s the shining example of what goes wrong when we roll back Section 230 protections. Now, we have a unique opportunity to show Congress that their misguided Internet bills do more harm than good.

The SAFE SEX Workers Study Act is a crucial opportunity to fully understand the impact of Section 230 changes on the lives of marginalized people, especially those who trade sex. Will you ask your legislators to get this important bill passed?

After SESTA/FOSTA passed in 2018, platform crackdowns directly harmed sex workers most of all. Almost overnight, SESTA/FOSTA tore down the infrastructure that sex workers had built to keep themselves safe. We know from advocacy groups like Hacking//Hustling that SESTA/FOSTA had life-endangering effects for many who trade sex—especially transgender people and people of color.²

SESTA/FOSTA is the direct predecessor to the dangerous EARN IT Act, which we’re fighting tooth and nail. Although the SAFE SEX Workers Study Act only promises a study, it’s the first real attempt to gauge the effect of these disastrous bills—and it’s a key step towards flunking EARN IT.

Tell your lawmakers to study the impact of SESTA/FOSTA

Congress must understand the impact of their Section 230 meddling before they make a worse mistake with EARN IT. Take action HERE to tell your representatives to think and listen before they act.

Yours in solidarity,

Evan at Fight for the Future

Footnotes:

Vox: https://www.vox.com/culture/2018/4/13/17172762/fosta-sesta-backpage-230-internet-freedom
Hacking//Hustling: https://hackinghustling.org/erased-the-impact-of-fosta-sesta-2020/

Fight for the Future works to protect your rights in the digital age.