Internet sex trafficking law FOSTA-SESTA is almost never used, says government report
It's been over three years since former President Donald Trump signed FOSTA-SESTA, a major carveout to internet speech law Section 230. Proponents called the law - which adds penalties for hosting illegal sex work-related content - necessary to prevent online trafficking. But a new government report suggests it remains rarely used, even as legislators push for other, similar platform liability laws.
Earlier this week, the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a legally mandated report on the first three years of FOSTA-SESTA. The oversight agency compiled data from court records and corroborated it with other organizations, including the nonprofit Human Trafficking Legal Center. It found that over three years, the Department...