War On Porn
Louisiana's Anti-Porn 'Age Verification' Bill Spawns Free Speech Concerns
Reports of a novel proposed Louisiana bill that would allow any state resident to sue any company for failing to implement age verification to prevent minors from accessing “pornography” have already prompted concerns about the religious conservatives’ use of state-level "lawfare" to undermine the landmark Reno v. ACLU Supreme Court decision.
New Bill Would Let Louisiana Residents Sue Adult Sites Over Age Verification
A religious Louisiana legislator has proposed a new bill to allow state residents to sue any commercial entity for failing to implement age verification to prevent minors from accessing “content online that could be harmful to them, such as pornography."
Senators Blumenthal, Blackburn Introduce Another Controversial Online Regulation Bill: KOSA
Digital rights advocates are sounding the alarm about privacy and censorship concerns regarding the Kids Online Safety Act of 2022, recently introduced by Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Connecticut) and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee).
Texas Judges Claim Jurisdiction Over Facebook Lawsuit Challenging Section 230
Texas' Fourteenth Court of Appeals denied yesterday Facebook’s appeal to dismiss a lawsuit in which lawyers for anonymous plaintiffs argued the platform “facilitated the sex trafficking of minors” and is not protected from liability by Section 230.
Just Say 'Corn': Washington Post Highlights Hypocrisy of 'Algospeak'
The Washington Post published a lengthy report today highlighting the hypocrisy of algorithmic censorship, which has forced sex workers and others to develop “Algospeak,” nonsensical euphemisms to refer to banned words and concepts.
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.
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.”
Indian Police Begin Arresting People for Porn on Their Phones
Police in the western Indian state of Gujarat have launched a “digital combing” initiative, stopping people they consider “suspicious” in order to inspect their phones and ascertain whether they are committing the crime of “sharing and circulating pornographic material.”
UK's 'War on Sex Work' Leaves Edinburgh Strippers Jobless
Amidst a relentless U.K. media campaign demonizing sex work, the Edinburgh Council voted today to impose a “nil cap” on all sexual entertainment venues in the Scottish city, effectively banning all strip clubs.
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.
TikTok Using 'Porn Filters' to Censor Other Types of Controversial Content
German investigative journalists have obtained evidence from TikTok corroborating free speech advocates' claims that some platforms are using “porn filters” to target other controversial content involving issues like politics, human rights and LGBTQ+ expression.
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.
Brooklynites Mock Activists Trying to Shutter Adult Boutique
The battle over a Romantic Depot store that recently opened in the heart of gentrified Brooklyn heated up after a small group of anti-sex-toy activists attempted to invoke an obscure zoning ordinance to shutter the location, while locals mocked them online and in person for their throwback prudishness.
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.
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.
Texas Republicans Fudge Distinction Between 'Obscenity,' 'Pornography'
Several Texas Republican politicians who have been campaigning against supposed “pornography” in classrooms — including Governor Greg Abbott — were asked by the Houston Chronicle to define the term, but most of them either refused to reply or provided erroneous definitions, conflating the term with "obscenity."
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.
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.