US Senate green-lights controversial anti-sex-trafficking law amid warnings of power grab
The bill revokes legal protections under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act for sites that knowingly allow content that is considered to be 'promotion or facilitation of prostitution'.
"Today’s vote is a victory for trafficking survivors and a victory for our efforts to help stop the selling of women and children online,” said Senator Rob Portman (R-OH), one of the authors of the bill.
"No one thought that we could get this done, but with the commitment of an overwhelming group of bipartisan colleagues and a broad-based coalition of support, we were able to pass legislation that will ensure justice for trafficking victims and help us combat this evil crime."
Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR), who authored Section 230 and, along with Kentucky Republican Senator Rand Paul, voted against the bill, says he fears the legislation is already doomed to be a failure as a law and will make the work of the police harder.
"I fear it will do more to take down ads than take down traffickers," Wyden said before the vote Wednesday.
"I fear it will send the bad guys beyond the grasp of law enforcement to the shadowy corners of the dark web, where everyday search engines don’t go, but where criminals find safe haven for their monstrous acts."
Cynical
He also slammed technology companies for supporting the legislation, saying they were doing so in a cynical attempt to stifle competition. Startups could be hit by massive legal bills, he said, while the tech titans could simply hire lawyers en masse.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2018/03/22/us_senate_passes_controversial_sesta_legislation/
