2024 (2016 Revisited) Interview with The ESPLER Project

The 14th Amendment forbids states from denying any person "life, liberty or property, without due process of law" or to "deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.” By directly mentioning the role of the states, the 14th Amendment greatly expanded the protection of civil rights to all Americans and is cited in more litigation than any other amendment. ~ Library of Congress.

2023 Trans Day of Remembrance

Contributed by Chris Victoria for SWOP Behind Bars (www.swopbehindbars.org) Trans Day of Remembrance  Trans Day of Remembrance (TDoR) is a day dedicated to memorializing the lives of trans individuals who have lost their lives to transphobic violence. It serves as a poignant reminder of the institutional challenges faced by the trans community and the pressing … Continue reading 2023 Trans Day of Remembrance

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.

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.