We are asking a court to declare the Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act of 2017 (“FOSTA”) unconstitutional and prevent it from being enforced. The law was written so poorly that it actually criminalizes a substantial amount of protected speech and, according to experts, actually hinders efforts to prosecute sex traffickers and aid victims.
In our lawsuit, two human rights organizations, an individual advocate for sex workers, a certified non-sexual massage therapist, and the Internet Archive are challenging the law as an unconstitutional violation of the First and Fifth Amendments. Although the law was passed by Congress for the worthy purpose of fighting sex trafficking, its broad language makes criminals of those who advocate for and provide resources to adult, consensual sex workers and actually hinders efforts to prosecute sex traffickers and aid victims.
Against all the odds, but with the support of nearly a million Europeans, MEPs voted earlier this month to reject the EU's proposed copyright reform—including controversial proposals to create a new "snippet" right for news publishers, and mandatory copyright filters for sites that published user-uploaded content.
The change was a testimony to how powerful and fast-moving net activists can be. Four weeks ago, few knew that these crazy provisions were even being considered. By the June 20th vote, Internet experts were weighing in, and wider conversations were starting on sites like Reddit.
The result was a vote on July 5th of all MEPS that culminated in a 318 against 278 vote in favour of withdrawing the Parliament's support for the languages.
It’s easy to feel adrift these days. The rising tide of social unrest and political extremism can be overwhelming, but on EFF’s 28th birthday our purpose has never been more clear. With the strength of our numbers, we can fight against the scourge of pervasive surveillance, government and corporate overreach, and laws that stifle creativity and speech. That's why we've launched the Shipshape Security membership drive with a goal of 1,500 new and renewing members. For two weeks only, you can join EFF for as little $20 and get special member swag that will remind you to keep your digital cabin shipshape.