We all rely on online communities to work, socialize, and learn. From the largest social media sites to the smallest message board, online platforms are central to our right to assemble and speak out. FOSTA would put us at risk of being shut out of those spaces.
This dangerous bill has already passed the U.S. House of Representatives, and the Senate is expected to vote on it any day. We urge you take a moment to call your Senators and tell them not to censor the Internet.
From its name, the Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act might sound noble, but it would do nothing to stop sex traffickers. What it would do is force online platforms to police their users’ speech more forcefully than ever before, silencing legitimate voices in the process.
How would one bill do so much damage to communities online? Simple: it would scare online platforms into censoring their users. With the risk of increased liability, platforms would have little choice but to err on the side of censorship.
EFF has been opposed to a similar bill called the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act (SESTA). Lawmakers have now combined the worst elements of SESTA and FOSTA into a monster of a bill that would be a disaster for Internet intermediaries, marginalized communities, and even trafficking victims themselves.
This is our last chance. If you don’t want Congress to ruin the online communities we all rely on, please take a moment to call your senators and urge them to oppose FOSTA.
Thank you,
Elliot Harmon
Activism Team
Electronic Frontier Foundation
