402 - Roundtable: Reflections on the First Year of FOSTA/SESTA

On The Dresser

Hi Podcast Listeners On this episode, the On The Dresser team sits down for a discussion on what we've seen since the implementation of a new federal law known as FOSTA/SESTA. This was a joining of two congressional bills, the "Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act" and the "(Allow States to) Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act". Reality TV star turned federal worker Donald Trump signed it into law in April 2018. FOSTA/SESTA removed provisions under section 230 of the Communications Decency Act which shielded websites from liability for content that users post on their platforms. Since its passage, some websites have self-censored content or shut down entirely if the content posted could be construed as "promoting prostitution" or "facilitating sex trafficking." This has not only affected advertising platforms for sex workers, but also information on sexual education, sexuality, legal adult content and information that sex workers have used to stay safe online and in real life. SESTA/FOSTA is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to attacks on free speech and personal freedoms. Many more bills are being introduced that target sex workers, but can be expanded to include more citizens under the guise of "fighting human trafficking." After you listen to our roundtable, we'd like to hear your thoughts. What do you see since the passage of SESTA/FOSTA? Send us your notes or voice memos - [e-mail]. We'll share some of your responses in the coming weeks. Want to get in touch with the On The Dresser team? Send us your questions, comments, suggestions or signal boosts to [e-mail] (or securely @protonmail.com). You can also find us on Twitter @Onthedresser! Visit our website at www.onthedresserpodcast.com. While you're there, please consider donating to this venture in queer sex worker media. To those who have made a financial contribution to this project, we'd like to say "Thank you for your support. Your generosity has helped us pay other sex workers for content contributions and transcription services which will help us reach wider audiences. We believe strongly in the mission of this independent media project and we're grateful to know that you feel the same. Co-Hosts/Production team: Dr. Vanessa Carlisle (twitter.com/vcarlisle) Lauren Kiley (twitter.com/xoxolaurenkiley) Danny Cruz (twitter.com/adannyboy) Sex. Queers. Politics. What's On Your Dresser?