Censorship
Daily Beast Publishes Op-Ed by Cybersecurity Expert Questioning Age Verification Laws
The Daily Beast yesterday published an opinion piece by a cybersecurity expert about how the current state-by-state campaign being waged to mandate age verification requirements for social media threatens online privacy and free speech.
Texas Orders All Adult Sites to Post Anti-Porn Propaganda Disclaimers
The Texas legislature has passed a new age verification law that compels adult websites to post pseudoscientific anti-porn propaganda disclaimers declaring that “pornography is potentially biologically addictive, is proven to harm human brain development, desensitizes brain reward circuits, increases conditioned responses and weakens brain function.”
SCOTUS Rejects NCOSE-Promoted Lawsuit Targeting Reddit
The Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to take up an NCOSE-sponsored case that sought to create liability for Reddit over third-party user material, using FOSTA-SESTA to bypass Section 230 protections.
Pope Francis Condemns Adult Content as 'Commercialization of Love'
Pope Francis I condemned all pornography as “the crudest commercialization of love” during a meeting on Thursday with students and with bishops responsible for Catholic schools.
YouTube Censors Holly Randall Podcast Episode Debunking Anti-Sex Work Myths
YouTube removed on Wednesday an episode of the “Holly Randall Unfiltered” industry podcast, featuring an interview with Reason magazine senior editor Elizabeth Nolan Brown debunking myths about sex trafficking spread by anti-sex-work activists, mainstream media and politicians.
Hamburger Mary's Sues Ron DeSantis Over Anti-Drag Law
LGBTQ-friendly restaurant chain Hamburger Mary’s is suing Florida Governor Ron DeSantis over one of his state’s anti-drag laws, alleging that the law’s blanket prohibition against “children attending adult live performances” is affecting its business in Orlando and violating its free speech.
Alabama House Passes Republican Rep's Utah Copycat 'Porn Filter' Bill
The Alabama House of Representatives last week approved a bill copying legislation passed in Utah in 2021, aiming to force phone and computer manufacturers to install default “porn filters” on devices sold in the state.
Cherie DeVille Pens Essay for Rolling Stone on Utah's Anti-Porn Law
Cherie DeVille has written an essay for Rolling Stone expressing concern about a new Utah law requiring adult sites to verify users’ ages.
Indiana Republicans Defund Kinsey Institute
The Republican governor of Indiana signed into law last week a budget amendment defunding Indiana University’s Kinsey Institute, the U.S.’s most historic academic center for sexual research.
Rolling Stone Surveys Ongoing Republican War on Porn
Rolling Stone magazine this week published a report on the ongoing anti-porn crusades in Republican-controlled states.
France Moves to Force Adult Websites to Comply With Unclear Age Verification Law
The center-right French government led by Emmanuel Macron confirmed over the weekend that it will attempt to bypass the courts to force the five largest adult sites accessible in the country to comply with a controversial, vaguely worded 2020 age verification law.
NCOSE Goes All-In on Banning Adult Content Online With 2023 Target List
Religiously inspired anti-porn lobby NCOSE this week released its latest annual “Dirty Dozen” list of companies it is currently targeting, focusing exclusively on online platforms.
FSC Files Legal Challenge to Utah's Anti-Porn Law
Free Speech Coalition filed suit Wednesday in the United States District Court for the District of Utah to overturn the state’s new anti-porn law, SB 287.
Appeals Court Upholds Section 230, Dismisses NCOSE-Sponsored Lawsuit Against Twitter
The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday dismissed a lawsuit sponsored by anti-porn activists against Twitter over user-uploaded content, upholding Section 230.
China Flaunts Online Censorship Successes
The Chinese government released a statement Wednesday touting the results of its campaign during the first quarter of 2023 to censor, threaten and punish platforms and websites for “harmful information,” a category in which China includes pornography.
FSC Issues Open Letter to Anti-Porn Utah Senator Over New AV Law
Free Speech Coalition Executive Director Alison Boden on Tuesday issued an open letter addressed to the Utah Senate’s leading anti-porn activist, requesting clarification on how adult sites might comply with SB 287, the state’s controversial new age verification law.
Pornhub Disables Access From Utah in Response to Anti-Porn Law
Pornhub today disabled access to its platform from all Utah IP addresses, in response to the state’s latest anti-porn law, which goes into effect Wednesday.
FSC Releases Warning About Imminent Utah Age Verification Requirement
Free Speech Coalition issued a warning Monday about Utah’s age verification requirement for sites hosting adult content, which takes effect Wednesday.
NCOSE Launches Campaign to Ban All Adult Content from Reddit
The religiously motivated anti-porn lobby NCOSE, formerly known as Morality in Media, has launched a new campaign to eradicate all adult content on Reddit.
New EU Rules for 'Very Large' Platforms Raise Concerns for Adult Sector
The European Commission yesterday officially identified 19 major platforms and search engines to be targeted for compliance under the controversial Digital Services Act (DSA).