There's an abundance of evidence that a 2018 law aimed at sex advertising has been bad for sex workers, bad for victims of exploitation, and bad for free speech online. To top that off, it's also been unnecessary for fighting crime; the Government Accountability Office even admitted as much last year. Nonetheless, some lawmakers and activists keep blithely insisting—without a shred of evidence—that the Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act (FOSTA) did good. Others like to pretend FOSTA doesn't exist as they continue to use the same excuse (protecting children) to push the same solution (amending the internet liability law known as Section 230).
But a few members of Congress are bucking this trend. They're at least willing to consider the possibility that they messed up in passing FOSTA.
