Again - Laws with "the best intentions" only screw things up.
A new bill intended to combat sex trafficking also outlaws online speech and information designed to protect the health and safety of sex workers. On Feb. 27, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 1865, titled the Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act (FOSTA), a bill that paints with such a broad brush that anybody who provides online information promoting the well-being of sex workers could be subject to criminal prosecution.
According to the Sex Workers Outreach Project (SWOP), an organization dedicated to protecting the human rights of sex workers, FOSTA was written to include “all prostitution, not simply trafficking situations.” The bill outlaws the promotion or facilitation of prostitution, as well as reckless disregard of actions contributing to sex trafficking. According to SWOP, the bill’s prohibitions extend to informational campaigns that are designed to protect the safety and well-being of sex workers.
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