Censorship
German Regulator Who Shut Down xHamster Unveils New AI Surveillance Tool
The local official crusading for Germany to hide all sexual content behind an age verification wall unveiled this week an AI tool called KIVI, which automatically scans all online content to determine which images are not compliant with the law.
Prism Highlights Role of Sex Workers, Educators in Censorship Fight
Independent news outlet Prism published a report today highlighting how sex workers and sex educators are leading the call for clearer rules for online engagement, to prevent censorship and erasure.
Cherie DeVille Pens Op-Ed on Germany's 'War on Porn'
The Daily Beast published an opinion piece by Cherie DeVille on Friday about the dangers of European legislation that could become “the first step toward kicking sex workers off the internet and banning porn entirely.”
DC Court Upholds FOSTA-SESTA, Rejects Free-Speech Challenge
The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia rejected a legal challenge to FOSTA-SESTA presented by First Amendment and free speech advocates, ruling that the U.S. government can continue enforcing the controversial legislation.
Sen. Rick Scott's GOP Platform Proposes Return to 'Obscenity' Prosecutions
Florida Senator Rick Scott’s proposal for the first new Republican Party platform since 2014 includes a section claiming there is an “explosion of pornography” and that a GOP administration “must defend the American family from societal elements that erode it” by reviving federal obscenity prosecutions.
Idaho Republicans Repeat Claims of 'Pornography' in Libraries
Republican state legislators in Idaho announced over the weekend that they will be forming a “working group” to study allegations that the state’s libraries are making “explicit” or “pornographic” materials available to minors.
German Regulator Who Shut Down xHamster Describes Own Mission as 'Kafkaesque'
Tobias Schmid, the obscure local bureaucrat who spearheads Germany’s War on Porn and recently led a successful movement to force ISPs to ban xHamster in the country, gave an interview last week in which he admitted he has “no clear answer” on how to make age verification effective and acknowledged his anti-porn crusade is “a bit Kafkaesque.”
Flickr Starts Charging Users for 'Artistic' Nude Uploads
Photo sharing platform Flickr unveiled new terms of service last week, revealing that it will allow nudes and a few other types of sexual expression to be posted only by users who have paid for a Flickr Pro account.
Brooklyn Adult Boutique Challenged by Local Moralists
Local moralists have targeted the recently opened branch of Romantic Depot adult boutique in Brooklyn, using outdated zoning regulations to argue that it should be treated as an “adult entertainment establishment” and not as a retail store.
UK Government Unveils Controversial 'Digital Safety Bill'
Boris Johnson’s Conservative government in the U.K. has finally unveiled its controversial “Online Safety Bill,” and introduced it in Parliament today.
afterglow Slams Louisiana's Censorship Bill, Offers Free Trial To Locals
Women-led erotica brand afterglow is offering a free 30-day trial membership to those in danger of a forced state ban on sexual content from the campuses of Louisiana’s public universities.
Democrats Introduce 'SAFE SEX Workers Study Act' to Review FOSTA-SESTA Effects
Last week, several Democratic members of Congress sponsored legislation, both in the Senate and the House, aimed at investigating the effectiveness of FOSTA-SESTA in its purported mission of fighting human trafficking.
xHamster Effectively Blocked in Germany After Government Order
xHamster has been blocked in Germany following a government order to the country’s top internet service providers.
UK's Online Safety Bill Criticized Over Expanding Scope
The U.K. government continues expanding the scope of a proposed Online Safety Bill, despite criticism by opponents and digital rights advocates that it is increasingly becoming an out-of-control, repressive “kitchen sink” bill.
Anti-Porn Lobby NCOSE Urges Action Against Netflix for 'Normalizing' Sex Work
Religiously inspired anti-porn lobby NCOSE released yesterday its annual “Dirty Dozen” list of companies it alleges are “major contributors to sexual exploitation" and encourages its followers to target.
French Government Asks Courts for Order to Block Pornhub, 4 Other Tube Sites
France’s media regulator ARCOM has gone to court to demand that the country’s ISPs enforce a total block of five specific adult tube sites — Pornhub, Tukif, xHamster, Xvideos and Xnxx — over their alleged lack of enforcement of a controversial age verification mandate.
Supreme Court Declines to Hear Section 230 Case Against Facebook
The Supreme Court declined today to settle a question presented by a Jane Doe looking to establish Facebook’s liability in a case where she alleges that she was “sex trafficked as a minor” because the social media platform “connected her with a sex trafficker.”
Louisiana State Senator Trying to Ban Viewing Porn in Universities
Louisiana State Senator Beth Mizell (R-Franklinton) has proposed a new state law requiring the censorship of “pornography or sexually explicit content” on the personal phones or computers of students, professors and staff while connected to a public university’s Wi-Fi network or internet service.
German ISPs Exploring Legal Challenge to Government Order to Block xHamster
Hours after the German government ordered the country’s major internet service providers to block xHamster, one of the ISPs, PŸUR, told a digital rights group that it reserves the right “to have the decision legally reviewed by an independent court with a view to the legal regulations of net neutrality.”
Plaintiffs Urge Judge to Strip Reddit of Section 230 Protections Over UGC
A proposed class of plaintiffs currently appealing a dismissed lawsuit against Reddit, alleging that the platform “knowingly benefits from lax enforcement of its content polices, including for child pornography," filed an opening appellate brief this week renewing their claim that Section 230 protections should not shield the social media platform.