Arabelle Raphael on SESTA/FOSTA: How Anti-Trafficking Laws Harm Sex Workers

The SESTA/FOSTA Legislation

• 💡 SESTA/FOSTA was a 2018 law that made websites liable for content related to sex trafficking.
• 🎯 While intended to combat sex trafficking, the law's broad scope led to the censorship and removal of sex workers from online platforms.
• ⚠️ The legislation disproportionately impacted lower-income, in-person sex workers by shutting down essential advertising platforms.

Backpage: A Vital Platform for Sex Workers

• 📌 Backpage served as a crucial advertising platform for sex workers, particularly those with lower incomes, offering a safer alternative to street work.
• 🤝 The site also facilitated harm reduction by allowing sex workers to share information, flag problematic clients, and report dangerous individuals.
• 📉 The removal of Backpage forced many sex workers into riskier situations, increasing their vulnerability to rape, death, theft, and arrest.

Unintended Consequences and Censorship

• 🚫 The broad interpretation of SESTA/FOSTA led to the censorship of sex educators and discussions about sex due to fear of legal repercussions.
• 💸 More expensive advertising platforms and personal websites remained accessible to higher-end sex workers, highlighting a class-based impact of the law.
• 🗣️ The law was criticized for being used as a