Senator Blackburn Highlights Anti-Porn Lobby NCOSE as EARN IT Backer

Senator Blackburn Highlights Anti-Porn Lobby NCOSE as EARN IT Backer

WASHINGTON — Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee) issued a statement this week listing NCOSE — formerly Morality in Media — among supporters of the controversial EARN IT Act, which has been overwhelmingly condemned by leading digital rights and free speech organizations, including Free Speech Coalition.

Blackburn, one of the sponsors of EARN IT, also claimed that the act targets online platforms because they supposedly “have made it easier for pedophiles to groom and exploit children.”

The Tennessee Republican released her statement to celebrate the rushed, debate-free process that resulted in EARN IT’s passage by the Senate Judiciary Committee last week.

According to the FSC, the EARN IT Act, reintroduced into the Senate on Jan. 31 by Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Connecticut) and Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina), “looks to be one of the most dangerous censorship bills in recent history.”

Though unanimous, the hasty Judiciary Committee vote to move EARN IT towards a Senate vote was preceded by several senators from both parties voicing serious concerns about its implications.

Senators Jon Ossoff (D-Georgia), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Cory Booker (D-New Jersey), Alex Padilla (D-California) and Chris Coons (D-Delaware) all expressed personal reservations about EARN IT and shared comments they had received from a vast number of organizations and constituents.

Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Oregon), the senator with the most expertise on technology and the internet, and one of the drafters of Section 230 in 1996, tweeted last week that “the #EARNITAct is SESTA-FOSTA on steroids.”

Wyden added that “SESTA-FOSTA didn't help victims” and included a link to a 2019 article showing that the much-criticized law had actually resulted in an increase in sex trafficking.

Companion legislation to EARN IT is being introduced in the House of Representatives by religiously motivated anti-porn crusader and SESTA-FOSTA mastermind Rep. Ann Wagner (R-Missouri), together with co-sponsor Rep. Sylvia Garcia (D-Texas).

Sen. Blackburn Says the Quiet Part Loud

In this week’s official statement, Blackburn’s office boasted that EARN IT is being propelled through the legislative process with the support of “groups, survivors and stakeholders, including the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), Rights4Girls, the National Center on Sexual Exploitation [NCOSE], National District Attorneys Association, National Association of Police Organizations, Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, International Justice Mission and Major Cities Chiefs Association.”

The statement includes Blackburn's sensational claim that “online platforms have made it easier for pedophiles to groom and exploit children. There is no excuse for the tech industry not to secure the platforms that enable abusers. The EARN IT Act will push Big Tech to take the necessary steps to make it safer for kids to get online.”

Blackburn’s statement also hails the establishment of a politically appointed “National Commission on Online Child Sexual Exploitation Prevention” to regulate internet speech, which will include appointees from the worlds of “law enforcement, survivors and victims’ services organizations, constitutional law experts, technical experts and industry.”

Anti-Porn Lobby NCOSE Rebrands, Partners Up with Law Enforcement

NCOSE, an organization whose core mission is to “eradicate pornography” and which was known as Morality in Media until 2015, has been busy fundraising by rebranding itself as an anti-“human trafficking” organization.

This week, it was announced that NCOSE, whose previous actions include attempting to ban “obscene books” and preventing grocery stores from displaying Sports Illustrated, which NCOSE deemed “hardcore pornography,” had participated in an operation by the Los Angeles County Sheriff Department that targeted sex workers during the week leading up to the Super Bowl.

As Reason magazine reported, “more than 200 sex workers were arrested as part of an operation that police have billed as an attempt to save people from human trafficking. The arrests [...] represent an-all-too-common theme in U.S. law enforcement, where people claim to be helping sex workers while actually subjecting them to harm. The [LASD] took the lead on this round of sex worker arrests, which they have christened with the creepy name ‘Operation Reclaim and Rebuild.’”

On Tuesday, Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva held a press conference, Reason reported, “to brag about Operation Reclaim and Rebuild, an annual operation that's now in its seventh year. Villanueva was joined by representatives of the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations and the National Center on Sexual Exploitation, a conservative values group formerly known as Morality in Media which aims to eradicate all sex work.”

Villanueva, who is currently embroiled in a feud with his civilian overseers over police funding and an accusation of tolerating active gangs of sheriff deputies, whom he routinely refers to as “my personnel,” offered no explanation during his press conference as to why his department decided to involve a religiously motivated anti-porn lobby in this heavily armed operation.

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

UPDATED: Supreme Court Rules Against Adult Industry in Pivotal Texas AV Case

The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday issued its decision in Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton, striking a blow against the online adult industry by ruling in support of Texas’ controversial age verification law, HB 1181.

North Carolina Passes Extreme Bill Targeting Adult Sites

The North Carolina state legislature this week ratified a bill that would impose new regulations that industry observers have warned could push adult websites and platforms to ban most adult creators and content.

Supreme Court Ruling Due Friday in FSC v. Paxton AV Case

The U.S. Supreme Court will rule on Friday in Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton, the adult industry trade association's challenge to Texas’ controversial age verification law, HB 1181.

Ofcom: More Porn Providers Commit to Age Assurance Measures

A number of adult content providers operating in the U.K. have confirmed that they plan to introduce age checks in compliance with the Online Safety Act by the July 25 deadline, according to U.K. media regulator Ofcom.

Aylo Says It Will Comply With UK Age Assurance Requirements

Tech and media company Aylo, which owns various adult properties including Pornhub, YouPorn and Redtube, plans to introduce age assurance methods in the United Kingdom that satisfy government rules under the Online Safety Act, the company has announced.

Kyrgyzstan Parliament Approves Measure Outlawing Internet Porn

The Supreme Council of Kyrgyzstan on Wednesday passed legislation outlawing online adult content in the country.

Trial Set for Lawsuit by U Wisconsin Professor Fired Over Adult Content

A trial date of June 22, 2026, has been set for the civil lawsuit filed by veteran communications professor Joe Gow against the University of Wisconsin board of regents, which fired him for creating and appearing in adult content.

New UK Task Force Meets to Target Adult Content

The architect of an influential report that recommended banning adult content deemed “degrading, violent and misogynistic” has convened an “Independent Pornography Review task force” aimed at translating that report’s findings into action in the U.K.

11:11 Creations Launches Affiliate Program

11:11 Creations principal Alicia Silver has launched 11:11 Cash for creators and affiliates.

Pineapple Support, Pornhub to Host 'Self Love' Support Group

Pineapple Support and Pornhub are hosting a free online support group for performers to develop self-love.

Show More