Censorship
Russia Authorizes State Censors to Block All Gay, Lesbian and Trans Porn
The Russian government published Monday a decree granting censorship powers to the state media regulator to block any websites containing “LGBT propaganda,” a definition that includes all gay, lesbian and trans adult content.
Utah Republican Senator Mike Lee Introduces Bill to Outlaw All Porn Nationwide
Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) this week introduced the Interstate Obscenity Definition Act, a bill that nominally aims to “establish a national definition of obscenity” but which would, in effect, outlaw all online sexual content nationwide.
Wired Publishes Opinion Piece Stigmatizing Adult Content, Sex Work
Wired Magazine published an online opinion piece today by Virgina Heffernan, who deploys a number of stigmatizing and stereotypical tropes about sex work and depictions of sex in the course of speculating about the future of Twitter.
Cherie DeVille Warns Against J.D. Vance's Anti-Porn Crusade
Cherie DeVille has penned an editorial for the Daily Beast, warning about ongoing anti-porn crusading by Ohio’s Senator-elect J. D. Vance.
Canada: Senator Forces Age Verification Measure Targeting 'Sexual Activity' Depictions
A Canadian senator and anti-porn crusader who has collaborated with religiously motivated U.S. conservative groups has inserted a controversial amendment into a pending bill, requiring platforms to enact age verification systems if they allow any depictions of sexual content.
Instagram Launches New Tool Notifying Users Who Have Been Shadow-Banned
In a move away from Meta’s longtime policy of denying the existence of "shadow bans," Instagram has launched a new tool to let users know if their posts are “barred from being recommended to other users.”
Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft Steps Up Crusade Against 'Salacious Pornography'
Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft has clashed with the St. Louis County Public Library as he pursues his current campaign against what he calls “materials that appeal to the prurient interest of any minor.”
Russia Outlaws All Gay, Lesbian and Trans Porn
Russian President Vladimir Putin yesterday signed explicitly homophobic legislation banning public expression of LGBTQ identity — termed “propaganda about nontraditional sexual relations” — including all adult content featuring gay, lesbian and trans sexualities.
TikTok Sex Censorship Results in Rise of Euphemistic 'Algospeak'
Online trend watchers have been flagging a noticeable rise in the use of “algospeak,” euphemistic terms used to avoid sex-related censorship on popular platforms like TikTok and Instagram.
Florida Seeking to Redefine Sex Censorship Language
The Republican-run state government of Florida is stepping up efforts to redefine legal and policy terminology in a campaign to censor free speech concerning sexuality.
UK's Online Safety Bill Remains Mired in Conceptual Chaos
The Tory government led by Rishi Sunak has reintroduced the Online Safety Bill, which has now been amended to remove some of the language that would have forced platforms to censor content the government termed “legal but harmful.”
Woodhull Files New Reply Brief Challenging FOSTA
Woodhull Freedom Foundation has filed a reply brief with the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, the latest action in the organization's four-year legal battle to have FOSTA-SESTA declared unconstitutional.
Criminal Conviction Under FOSTA Triggers Adult Industry Worries
Wilhan Martono, a San Francisco-area man who owned the adult classified ads website CityXGuide, pleaded guilty and was sentenced by a Texas court on Monday to more than eight years in prison for violating FOSTA-SESTA, with a 60-month concurrent sentence for conspiracy to violate the Travel Act.
Viral 'Kebaya Merah' Sex Video Prompts Obscenity Arrests in Indonesia
Two consenting adults whose sex video went viral in Indonesia last week have been arrested for obscenity, following a relentless investigative campaign by police and amateur detectives.
Iraqi Communications Minister Blocks All Adult Websites
Last Friday, Iraq's Minister for Communications, Hiyam al-Yasiri, ordered all pornographic websites in the country blocked.
UK: New Tory Government Backpedals From Plan to Censor 'Legal But Harmful' Content
New U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has indicated that his Tory government will backpedal from controversial language in the proposed Online Safety Bill, which would have required online services to remove content that some MPs consider “legal but harmful,” including most pornography.
Tumblr Welcomes Back Nudity, But Not 'Sexually Explicit Acts'
Tumblr unveiled its new community guidelines today, announcing that the platform now welcomes “a broader range of expression, creativity and art” including “the naked human form.”
OnlyFans CEO Hits Back Against Sensationalist Allegations by BBC Reporter
OnlyFans CEO Amrapali “Ami” Gan has rebutted allegations of child exploitation in a sensationalist advocacy piece by an anti-porn BBC reporter, defending the site as “truly the safest and most inclusive social-media platform.”
Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft Seeks to Redefine 'Smut'
Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft this week attempted to clarify his proposed ban on funding for what he called “prurient” library books, by explaining that he meant “smut.”
Pope Instructs Clergy to Delete Pornography From Their Cell Phones
Pope Francis I cautioned Catholic clergy on Monday against the “temptation of digital pornography” and ordered them to delete such material from their cell phones.