back to article Silicon Valley giants tap escape on fight against web sex trafficking law

Just before the weekend, the Internet Association quietly dropped its objections to the proposed Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act (SESTA) which is making its way through US Congress – after fighting against the draft legislation for months. SESTA was introduced to the Senate in August, and amends section 230 of the …

  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    "It’s shameful that a small group of lobbyists with an agenda of censorship have presented themselves to lawmakers as the unanimous experts in sex trafficking."

    The Puritans seek to insert another thin end of a censorship wedge without apparently considering its lack of effect on the underlying problems.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      I agree that extraneous censorship is a problem. And, think that prostitution laws are generally a waste of resources. But, stopping “human trafficking” and “child prostitution” are good goals.

      The problem is, how much responsibility lies with the people hosting these sites? My option is as long as they are willing to work with law enforcement on the 2 (I mentioned) that’s good enough. The problem is them going after “consenting adults” will waste everyone’s time and resources...

      Throwing out the puritanical laws currently on the books, and focusing on the important things would make law enforcement efforts more effective. And, I suspect they’d get a lot more cooperation from sites when asking for assistance.

      The way things stand, if I was hosting/the owner/etc. I’d demand a court order for everything. Being helpful otherwise would result in huge financial loses... some “special interest” group would probably demand a posters beheading for not capitalizing the ‘g’ in god.

      GOD! I mean God... I hope I remembered to post anonymously!

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Does anyone understand his?

    How is a “porn star” not a “prostitute”? One is legal, one is not.

    Many relationships are based on money, and not love... I look around and see that “trophy wives” are everywhere. Know any famous politicians that are on their 3rd “wife”?

    Anyways, as long as the people involved are consenting how is this our (the public’s) business? The people involved are only “sinners” if their respective religions say so.

    With regards to human trafficking, I agree crush them. The same, with regards to underage individuals.

    But the age thing is a mess because it seems to vary by state...

    Canada has an age of consent at 16. We should standardize on that... but currently you can marry before 16 with parental consent? Also, if we use 16... is seems 15-20% of people are “criminals”.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      "We should standardize on that... but currently you can marry before 16 with parental consent? "

      The USA has 25 states with legal exceptions that mean there is no lower limit for the age of marriage. This has resulted in both boys and girls being legally married by their families as young as 11.

      The BBC has a recent video report.

  3. Mark 85

    History is about to repeat itself and it's not very well thought out this time either.

    Legislating morality is a sticky wicket or perhaps a mess of epic proportions. Prohibition didn't work in the in the early 1900's here in the States and there was no world wide internet. So how is this going to work now with TOR, the dark web, foreign registrars and hosting sites? The laws vary from country to country so who's law takes precedence? We've seen that banning websites doesn't always work due to the reasons I gave above (TOR, et al).

    This is pure politics and eye-wash of "see... we did something" without solving the problem. I agree something should be done but what? Until all the countries in the world unite to fight this, it's doomed.

    1. a_yank_lurker

      Re: History is about to repeat itself and it's not very well thought out this time either.

      Repeating the complete stupidities of the past is what they are doing. Often, a loudmouth blowhard who makes President Blowhard look like a rank amateur rallies enough assorted dark bulbs to pressure the current crop Congress critters into doing something(TM). Usually the 'doing something' is much worse the problem they are trying to 'solve'. I doubt SESTA will do much in any form to truly stop sex trafficking except to occasionally grab some low hanging fruit.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: History is about to repeat itself and it's not very well thought out this time either.

        I think Ambrose Bierce or Mark Twain, perhaps both, have you on the TM. Be that as it may, with Backpage and others making this information available the police have at least a peek in the door so they can take effective action. The operative word being effective. Also piecemeal, it's true. When this legislation goes into effect, watch the complaints about "going dark" rear again.

    2. Dr Stephen Jones

      Re: History is about to repeat itself and it's not very well thought out this time either.

      " So how is this going to work now with TOR, the dark web, foreign registrars and hosting sites?"

      Are you suggesting we shouldn't try and do anything about it, just because it is On The Internet? Or that until there's international agreement, nobody should do anything at all?

      You seem to have conflated "difficult" with "impossible", which is very convenient if you're a sex trafficker.

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    “Prohibition” was a good one. But it can’t be any less effective than the USA’s “War On Drugs”. Seems like the drug problem is more a problem today than any time in the past...

    I figure everything is about either morality or money... usually it’s “do as I say, not as I do”.

    We turned our public prisons private, then to ‘maximize’ profits they legislated the War On Drugs to fill the prisons. Now we have a bunch of unemployable people a criminal history because they tried smoking pot.

    I also read somewhere that pot is effective in treating schizophrenia, and mushrooms for PTSD. So probably a large number of people that turned to “illegal” drugs had mental health issues. (Or were just casual users.)

    The way I figure it, a non-violent drug user does belong in prison. Either does someone selling sex. That’s not helping... then again I think pushing arm sales to the Middle East is also a bad idea. So what do I know?

    We really are a capitalist society... always trying to sell morality or anything for a profit.

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    If we're amending or making laws

    Why not decriminalize prostitution, if they're registered and have official places of work and regular medical support then that should dramatically cut back on the ability to traffic people in. The prohibition aids the traffikers and does not stop the practice and puts those, on both sides of the supply and demand, at greater risk.

    Just a thought, could even generate a bit of tax, you know, like the few quid legalizing marijuana has raised..

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