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2022-2023 EARN IT Act

Daily Dots Jacob Seitz Posted on Apr 18, 2023 The EARN IT Act, a controversial bill that could upend Section 230, is set to be reintroduced in Congress despite twice being hit with massive public opposition, according to a spokesperson for Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) The Eliminating Abusive and Rampant Neglect of Interactive Technologies Act, (EARN IT) Act, was originally introduced in 2020 and faced strong opposition from digital rights groups from the start. It failed to reach the President’s desk twice, but Graham (R-S.C.) and Sen Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) are determined to try again. The bill seeks to amend Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. This much-bemoaned telecommunications rule essentially shields tech and social media companies from blame for hateful or harmful content published on their platforms. The rule has been used repeatedly by major tech companies to absolve themselves of liability in court. The Supreme Court is set to rule on a case that could change the rules of 230 as we know it this fall, but the EARN IT Act could make things much worse for internet users by stripping protections from social media companies for using to cave to government demands and increasing surveillance on citizens. Graham’s spokesperson said they intended to introduce the bill sometime next week. The legislation would remove Section 230 protections from platforms if they violated child sexual abuse material (CSAM) laws at the state and federal level, creating a huge problem for platforms that are hesitant to moderate or police their platforms heavily. The bill was criticized in the past for being too broad and creating sweeping measures that could infringe on the digital privacy of Americans, and this latest attempt is likely to be more of the same.

mgd777 Sex Work v Sex Trafficking

2022 SAFE SEX Workers Study Act

“If we are going to combat trafficking we cannot pass policies that leave vulnerable populations in the shadows. The potential impacts of these policies must be examined before legislation is created, so we can prevent repeating the mistakes of SESTA- FOSTA. If the goal is to help sex workers and trafficked people, then we must focus on approaches that have been proven to work, and proven to protect.” Phoenix Calida, Communications Director, Sex Workers Outreach Project-USA

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2022 (I/We Support) SAFE SEX Workers Study Act

On September 14, 2022—Sex Worker Pride Day—75 organizations representing sex worker rights, public health, technology, reproductive justice, anti-trafficking, racial justice, and civil and human rights, sent a letter to Congress urging passage of the “SESTA and FOSTA Examination of Secondary Effects for Sex Workers Study Act” or the SAFE SEX Workers Study Act. This bill, reintroduced on March 3, 2022—International Sex Workers Rights Day—in the House by Representative Ro Khanna, and in the Senateby Senator Elizabeth Warren, would study the impact of SESTA/FOSTA on the wellbeing and rights of people who trade sex, including sex workers and human trafficking survivors. 

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2022 FEATURE: Article by Rachel West for the San Francisco Bay View

FEATURE ARTICLE by Rachel West: The Safer Streets for All Act (SB 357), repealing loitering for the intent to engage in prostitution (California Penal code § 653.22), was signed into law by Gov. Newsom on July 1. This code has led to the criminalization of otherwise legal activities like walking or standing in public, resulting in the harassment of Black and Brown, LGTBQ+ communities, mostly women, for simply looking like a “sex worker.” The bill also allows a person convicted of loitering to petition a court for the dismissal and sealing of records.

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2022 VT Decrim Discussion DSW Release

A recent statewide survey shows Vermonters support the decriminalization of sex work by more than 13% compared to those that think sex work should remain a crime (46–33). 21% of those surveyed remain undecided. The poll found that Democrats are far more supportive (50–24) of decriminalization than Republicans (30–57). Individuals over the age of 65 are least in favor of reform, while those between the ages of 18 and 45 are most supportive of decriminalization followed by those between the ages of 46 and 65. These results closely reflect national trends.

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2022 Inquirer’s Vinny Vella on Philly PAD Exit Programs

Since 2019, police have piloted a special program in which women taken into custody for prostitution are immediately offered social services in lieu of criminal charges. The program,known as Police Assisted Diversion, or PAD, connects willing participants with the Salvation Army’s New Day to Stop Trafficking program. Through New Day, women receive help from finding housing to guidance on how to get protection-from-abuse orders from partners who exploit them.