Passage of Anti-Sex Trafficking Measure Gets Mixed Reaction
Critics of the anti-sex trafficking legislation that passed the Senate Wednesday (see 1803210064) maintain it will result in broad censorship by websites seeking to avoid content-hosting liability, but proponents say the bill will have far-ranging, positive impacts for victims and…
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families. Shortly after passage, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders released a statement of support from President Donald Trump: “The legislation empowers Federal, State, and local prosecutors to hold websites accountable for supporting the sale of sex trafficking victims.” Center for Democracy & Technology Director of Free Expression Emma Llansó said the new measure would drive sex trafficking activity offline or to foreign websites, while obstructing an open internet. Internet Association CEO Michael Beckerman called Communications Decency Act Section 230 a “key tool” for allowing Good Samaritan efforts to fight against trafficking: “IA will continue our work to preserve Section 230 and prevent attempts to weaken this crucial protection.” Consumer Watchdog praised passage. Privacy and Technology Project Director John Simpson called it “a chink in the Teflon of Google and Facebook’s shield of immunity.” The legislation “will have long range consequences not only for protection of individuals and families online, but also for a re-evaluation of these companies’ duties to police their platforms,” he said.