FOSTA backlash: How the anti-sex trafficking bill could harm sex workers (FastCompany)

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While ending trafficking is clearly a good thing, trafficking and sex work are not the same, and advocates argue that the bill’s language is overly broad and could harm victims. The bill could hinder the ability of sex workers to post useful information online, simply because it is tangentially related to prostitution. Sex workers worry, for instance, that they could be prohibited from sharing critical safety tips, like posting “bad date lists.” The end result would be even more victimization among sex workers–already a vulnerable community.

Free speech groups are opposed to the bill as well: According to the Electronic Frontier Foundation, FOSTA would force online platforms to “police” their users’ activity. In the process, it would silence innocent voices and undermine legitimate organizations working to reduce the harm in sex work.