Sex Workers Fighting Back Against SESTA/FOSTA With Their Own Social Network... And Plan To Expose Politicians
from the don't-fuck-with-sex-workers dept
One of the most vocal groups in opposition to SESTA/FOSTA were sex workers, who spoke out about how the bills would put their lives at risk and how it would put the lives of trafficking victims at risk, often making it more difficult for victims to find information on how to get help or to protect themselves. Indeed, there are already reports of information sites shutting down entirely. But it's also interesting to see that sex workers are continuing to fight this -- including reports of a Google Doc making the rounds where sex workers can expose members of Congress who have used their services:
hey politicians, watch out... #sesta #fosta #fucksesta #fuckfosta pic.twitter.com/2ULwRfh3ko
— astrid’s bday 4/22🎈 (@astridstoneNYC) March 27, 2018
Of course, who knows how accurate such a list would ever be, but it will be interesting to watch if we suddenly learn of elected officials who voted for SESTA/FOSTA suddenly being outed for making use of sex workers. I mean, it certainly wouldn't be the first time an elected official claiming to crack down on sex work was found to have been making use of the services he was moralizing against.
Perhaps more interesting, though, is that a group of sex workers have apparently attempted to set up their own social network, called Switter. It's a Mastodon Instance (Mastodon being the fairly well known open source decentralized social networking platform that allows anyone to set up an individual "instance" which can then choose -- or choose not -- to federate with other Mastodon instances). The stated reasons for Switter are to prepare for the possibility of Twitter banning accounts of sex workers and to have more control over their social media space. As I write this, the site claims to have about 12,000 signed up users.
Of course, I'm not sure that this actually solves any of the problems of SESTA/FOSTA -- and, indeed, this may put a target on the backs of those who set up Switter. Depending on how one reads the law (and, again, part of the problem is that SESTA/FOSTA's drafting is terrible, with lots of vague terminology and little clarification), it's possible that prosecutors could argue that Switter itself violates SESTA/FOSTA. I mean, here's a key provision in the bill:
Whoever, using a facility or means of interstate or foreign commerce or in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce, owns, manages, or operates an interactive computer service (as such term is defined in defined in section 230(f) the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 230(f))), or conspires or attempts to do so, with the intent to promote or facilitate the prostitution of another person shall be fined under this title, imprisoned for not more than 10 years, or both.
Is Switter "promoting or facilitating the prostitution of another person"? You can see how a prosecutor could make an argument that it is. And while the site is apparently based in Australia, giving it potentially some protection from US laws, the US government isn't exactly known for caring about such jurisdictional issues. Of course, if cases were brought against the people running Switter, you would think they would potentially have pretty strong First Amendment arguments for why SESTA/FOSTA is unconstitutional. If they were just setting up a community around sex work, and suddenly faced liability, there are some clear implications for freedom of expression -- once again, highlighting some of the many constitutional concerns of SESTA/FOSTA that its drafters and supporters still refuse to take seriously.
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Filed Under: fosta, sesta, sex workers, social networks, speech, switter
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Now...
"Depending on how one reads the law (and, again, part of the problem is that SESTA/FOSTA's drafting is terrible, with lots of vague terminology and little clarification), it's possible that prosecutors could argue that Switter itself violates SESTA/FOSTA."
People ask for laws and the lawmakers work them to benefit them and their cronies while ignoring what the people asked for to begin with. The literal cycle on how civilization needs to destroy it's own government and recreate them from time to time.
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Re: Now...
I think in this case, the lawmakers are just ignorant. That happens a lot.
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It's not the govt we want it's what we deserve.
As long as we the sheeple keep re electing the same politicians we'll keep getting the same "ignorance" at all levels of govt.
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Secondly, the problem isn't the fact that voters keep voting in crap politicians, it's that most people don't get off their couches to vote. We're at the point where only a small minority of dedicated crazies are voting, which is why our politicians keep getting crazier and crazier, to appeal to that small minority of citizens who bother to vote.
If everyone voted, we would all be in a much better place. No need for pitchforks or burning down government buildings; the government would function the way it was designed to work. If only a small percentage of citizens vote, the whole thing falls apart.
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The current status quo in voting participation, however, is well short of even "everyone who knows what they're voting for or against actually does vote", much less "everyone, even people who have no idea what the issues are, votes" - so getting more people to actually bother to vote would indeed do a great deal to help the situation.
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Get a clue, blue.
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You worried you’re gonna get outed?
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Have a SESTA vote.
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"from the don't-fuck-with-sex-workers dept"
Well-played.
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Austria, not Australia
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Re: Austria, not Australia
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Re: Austria, not Australia
Only Switter and Cloudflare could tell you where their server is located at. (behind Cloudflare)
But as servers are pretty expensive in AU (AT as well), it will probably be in Europe. (France/Germany maybe)
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I hope some big names fall.
We have poverty, mental illness, homelessness, & a long list of actual problems & they focused on this entirely imaginary problem of at least 30 trillion kids being brought into town everytime there is a major sporting event.
Instead of trying to make it so those who do SW end up dead, how about you decriminalize consenting adults so the tiny few trafficked kids stand out more? Oh thats right you can't stomach thinking about women having sex for money... funny thing that... if we look at how lobbyist buy laws for their clients that screw citizens you'd think there would be some professional courtesy extended.
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Bad Johns who bring violence and danger upon us are what we call exceptions to the rule. By that definition, anyone who voted for SESTA/FOSTA doesn't deserve the protection of our discretion.
This reminds me of when Ted Haggard got outed by one of his hoes. Countdown 'til Dan Savage blows up over this and calls all of us traitors. *eye roll*
Anyway, where's the link to that Google Doc? C'mon, let's put the Dirt in TechDirt already!
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Since the 15 min of #meto seems to be over
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Considering how often people who fight the hardest and more viciously against some stuff are the ones that are more "guilty" of doing it. I'm not sure the exact name but psychologists explain it as the person hating what he/she is and projecting it onto their equals. They are not killing another gay, they are killing themselves. I suspect it's kind of the same for some politicians while others are just plain hypocrites using it to appeal to their conservative voters even if they use such services themselves.
Overall I do hope these politicians are exposed. At the very least they can die by the legislative sword as well.
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Projection?
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But if they can put up hard evidence, reciepts or photos... that's another matter.
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These politicans are arrogant, too, so setting them up would be a breeze. Expect to see corraborating evidence attached to this Google Doc in due time.
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If you catch my drift.
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It's been covered, and it's paper thin at best.
If memory serves the extent of the connection is they provided a room and supplies for an event, they were forced to list TD in a lawsuit after a judge refused to believe that Google hadn't paid anyone to write about one of their cases and so expanded the order to 'anyone who had ever been paid by(indirectly or not) Google and had written about the company'(and you would not believe how nuts some of the site's 'fans' went over that 'reveal'), and they are one of the sponsors for the Copia Institute.
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Also, extremely uncalled for. Sex workers are human beings and deserve to be treated with respect and decency, REGARDLESS of what you think of their profession. Calling Mike and others here at TD vulgar names and equating them to worse than sex workers (whom you also call vulgar names) is, in my opinion, worse than those things you like to denigrate.
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"I'm gonna make my own social media site, with b̶l̶a̶c̶k̶j̶a̶c̶k̶ and hookers!"
/Bender
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Nothing to worry about, right...?
As I'm certain that no-one who professed to care so very much for the plight of the sex worker would ever employ someone in the profession I'm sure that all of those that voted in favor of the bill, one and all, are absolutely and utterly without any worry about potentially being outed as gigantic hypocrites(again).
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Fat Guys need sex workers!!!
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