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posted by takyon on Monday November 13 2017, @12:33PM   Printer-friendly
from the tech-industry-siesta dept.

Internet Giants Support SESTA

Tech companies are cheering on a bill that guts internet protections

In a unanimous vote, the Senate Commerce Committee approved the Stop Enabling Sex Trafficking Act (or SESTA), clearing the way for a full vote by the House and Senate. As Congress wrestles over tax reform and the debt ceiling, it's still unclear when SESTA will reach a larger vote, and it still faces stern opposition from tech policy organizations and even some anti-trafficking groups. But with more than 30 senators already signed on, the bill seems primed to pass whenever it reaches the floor.

The biggest twist has come from the industry itself. After weeks of debate, a string of tech companies and industry groups have come around to supporting SESTA, leaving critics with few allies and narrowing options. It's an unusual stance for the tech industry to take on a bill that some say would strike at some of the internet's most fundamental protections. But as Google and Facebook face mounting pressure for regulation, SESTA increasingly seems like a workable compromise, giving prosecutors a new tool while fending off more onerous regulation. For anyone dealing with user-generated content, the result could be a dangerous new source of legal risk, one that only the largest companies are fully equipped to handle.

Also at EFF and Marketplace. Wikipedia.

SESTA Could Destroy Wikipedia

Wikipedia Warns That SESTA Could Destroy Wikipedia

For many people supporting SESTA, the discussion seems to start and end with "sex trafficking is bad, this bill says it targets sex trafficking and therefore it's good" (and maybe with a touch of "if it hurts big internet companies, that's fine, they deserve it.") But, the impact of SESTA goes way beyond that (not to mention it doesn't actually do anything to stop sex trafficking and could make the problem worse). It's good to see Wikimedia speak up -- and hopefully someone in Congress will finally start to understand why SESTA is such a bad bill.

[Update: With thanks to lgsoynews, Here is the link to the text of the bill: https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/1693/text and, another link, from the EFF, with some IMPORTANT context in the beginning (missing from the official link) :
https://www.eff.org/files/2017/08/02/sesta2017.pdf (pdf)

--martyb]


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  • (Score: 3, Insightful) by meustrus on Monday November 13 2017, @09:29PM (6 children)

    by meustrus (4961) on Monday November 13 2017, @09:29PM (#596473)

    When do we admit that feminism is just an idea that many people come to support without any overarching organization to set any kind of standards? How many more feminist-bashers will pop up until there are no more rational discussions, only various angry internet trolls?

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    If there isn't at least one reference or primary source, it's not +1 Informative. Maybe the underused +1 Interesting?
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  • (Score: 1) by kurenai.tsubasa on Monday November 13 2017, @10:01PM (1 child)

    by kurenai.tsubasa (5227) on Monday November 13 2017, @10:01PM (#596500) Journal

    What is feminism? It seems to be a concept that's become so dilute that it's become a concept controlled entirely by people who see it as a cudgel.

    What feminism is to me is a cudgel, because that's how it was used against me time and time again. The people who use that cudgel always know better than one. They know better than I do whether my genitals should have been mutilated at birth. They know better than I do whether or not testosterone causes me debilitating headaches. They know better than I do who I should be having sex with. They know better than I do which section of the store clothes that fit the shape of my body come from. They know better than I do the reason I wasted so much time mentoring women in programming.

    Others on this board see feminism as an empowering ideal of equality. Their feminism stands against those things and tells the individual that the the individual knows best.

    When the cudgels are raining down and the wielder carries the banner of feminism, well, here we are.

    Now for the next trick, what moniker could we possibly come up with to represent individualist values that would not be turned around by those who believe themselves our masters?

    • (Score: 2) by arcz on Tuesday November 14 2017, @04:40PM

      by arcz (4501) on Tuesday November 14 2017, @04:40PM (#596852) Journal

      Individualism?

  • (Score: 2, Informative) by Azuma Hazuki on Monday November 13 2017, @10:09PM (3 children)

    by Azuma Hazuki (5086) on Monday November 13 2017, @10:09PM (#596507) Journal

    Well, our local MtF up there has such a massive bee in her bonnet over a small group of TERF assholes in Michigan that she's willing to throw every feminist on the planet under the bus because of it. I've tried pointing out to her how fucked up and counterproductive this is and she doesn't care. So ignore her, is my advice.

    --
    I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
    • (Score: -1, Flamebait) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday November 15 2017, @03:03PM (2 children)

      by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday November 15 2017, @03:03PM (#597297)

      No, not every "feminist" - just you.

      • (Score: 2, Informative) by Azuma Hazuki on Wednesday November 15 2017, @10:14PM (1 child)

        by Azuma Hazuki (5086) on Wednesday November 15 2017, @10:14PM (#597488) Journal

        You don't read very well, do you? I've made the point to her over and over again that most feminists, including me, are trans-*inclusive.* That the Michigan Womyns' Music Festival is to feminism something like what the Westboro Baptist Church is to American Protestantism at large. That I personally have almost as many trans friends as cisgender ones. And she does. Not. Care. And I'm getting tired of it.

        --
        I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday November 16 2017, @03:14AM

          by Anonymous Coward on Thursday November 16 2017, @03:14AM (#597567)

          Her? Or it?