Porn's Wildfire Season
Summer is traditionally slow in both the adult industry and the political world. Consumers are away from their screens, legislatures empty out for August recess, journalists go on vacation. But that slow down in staffing makes late summer perennial time for trouble.
With few pressing bills or big news stories, August has become prime time for disinformation. With newsrooms half-empty, splashy stories get less of a critical eye than they might normally. Deep dives give way to a wildfire of overheated claims and sensational headlines. And there’s always someone to take advantage of it.
Just last August, Rep. Ann Wagner called on the DOJ to investigate OnlyFans in a breathless, potboiler of a letter drafted by religious orgs — and saw the claims repeated as near fact across major news outlets. A week later, nervous bankers, citing those headlines, nearly pulled the plug.
History is repeating itself this summer. Evangelical activist Laila Micklewait and billionaire investment warrior Bill Ackman have used the lull to
launch a weeks-long misinformation campaign against Mindgeek, erroneously claiming the company still does not verify age or consent of creators. In another season, journalists might have had the bandwidth to research and document the extensive moderation and verification. (Maybe.)
But since it’s August, the smoke-no-fire story spread quickly, eventually prompting
Visa to cut ties with TrafficJunky, and Ackman has now turned his attention to Discover.
I wish I could say that there’s a clear end in sight when the weather cools. But we’re no longer in a rational age when it comes to sex. As an industry, we need to get back to work, rebuild our defenses and firebreaks, and work to bring the cultural temperature down. If we don’t, we’ll continue to run businesses in a burn zone.
I realize that, in such an environment, few companies want to speak up and potentially become the next target. That’s understandable, and and truthfully, you shouldn’t have to. That’s what FSC is for — we speak up when you can’t.
But we still need your help. We are a remarkable industry, full of clever, innovative minds. We need you. More than just money, we need your energy, your resources, and your brilliance — and the brilliance of your teams — involved in this fight.
FSC will be all over XBIZ Berlin, including a panel with FSC Europe to talk about global threats. We’ll be gathering data and talking to potential partners in the fight. We’ll then be in Prague at TES Affiliate Show to find more recruits. Regardless of where you are this summer, if this is a fight that you care about, reach out. The more of us there are, the more unified we are, the more effectively we can stop the next spark from catching.
Going to be in Europe? Set up a time to meet
here.
Mike Stabile
FSC Director of Public Affairs
