opinion of "Human Trafficking and Child Exploitation Prevention Act"

[dead0man]

link

The Rhode Island measure (that was recently pulled by it's sponsor) would have required people to pay a $20-per-device fee for the opportunity to access porn sites and any other content that might "affront current standards of decency" from phones, laptops, or other digitally enabled devices. Tech companies themselves were supposed to figure out how to make these filters ironclad or face serious liability.

[Goldwater]

I see them talk a lot about how this will let people choose whether or not to be exposed to obscenity. Like, do they think tech companies force people to go to porn sites or something?

[Dr. MB]

A small step to totalitarianism. Massive HA.

[America's Sweetheart ❤/𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝕭𝖔𝖔𝖙𝖞 𝖂𝖆𝖗𝖗𝖎𝖔𝖗]

Any anti-porn bill is a horrible bill.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

That would probably spell the end for internet service in Rhode Island.    I'm torn on whether or not that would be a good thing.

[Mr. Smith]

Excellent in principle, but how is it supposed to be enforced?

[America Needs R'hllor]

A small step to totalitarianism. Massive HA.

This, but I think that the most repugnant part of this bill is the name. It's extremely cynical to use such an important cause as preventing human trafficking and child exploitation just to advance an authoritarian measure.

[Cory]

This, but I think that the most repugnant part of this bill is the name. It's extremely cynical to use such an important cause as preventing human trafficking and child exploitation just to advance an authoritarian measure.

Using child abuse and child porn as an excuse to censor the internet has been a thing since like ever.

[mvd10]

Orwellian

[dead0man]

A small step to totalitarianism. Massive HA.

This, but I think that the most repugnant part of this bill is the name. It's extremely cynical to use such an important cause as preventing human trafficking and child exploitation just to advance an authoritarian measure.

the fact that people think there is a lot of child exploitation and trafficking in this country is the bigger problem.  CHILDREN ARE NEVER GRABBED OFF THE STREET AND FORCED INTO RAPE DUNGEONS!  It just doesn't happen.  Yes, there are thousands of tragedies, but they didn't start out by getting stolen at Target or the local park.  And what do we do when do find these tragic children walking the street, selling sex?  We throw 'em in jail and give them a prostitution record instead of, ya know, helping them.

[Antonio the Sixth]

HA. Porn should be banned, not taxed.

[Goldwater]

HA. Porn should be banned, not taxed.

Serious question, where exactly do you draw the line of "porn"? Is a film that has nudity and sexual porn? What about nude pictures? Should animated depictions of sexual acts be banned?

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

HA. Porn should be banned, not taxed.

So you're basically to the right of Rick Santorum on this... 'issue.'

Out of curiosity, is there anything you don't want banned?

[Sirius_]

Extremely HA that promotes authoritarianism and Orwellian policy without doing what its title says.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Serious question, where exactly do you draw the line of "porn"? Is a film that has nudity and sexual porn? What about nude pictures? Should animated depictions of sexual acts be banned?

I know it when I see it.

Seriously, intent and context matter a big deal. It's obviously not a good idea to have a blanket ban on sexual content in and of itself. This is a very silly American tendency, and Europeans typically know how to avoid falling into this trap (also see how, for example, the register of language is typically higher-brow on European TV, and yet they don't feel the need to bleep the occasional curse word like Americans do). Instead, if a display is deliberately made to provoke sexual arousal and has no countervailing informational and artistic merit, then it obviously is porn. These two parameters are pretty obvious in 95% of contexts.

So you're basically to the right of Rick Santorum on this... 'issue.'

No, I'm to the left of Rick Santorum, since opposing porn is a progressive and feminist stance.

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Unlike Goldwater's, this is not a good-faith question.

[America Needs R'hllor]

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Unlike Goldwater's, this is not a good-faith question.

But still a valid one. With authoritarian leftism, you don't know where to draw the line- banning cigarettes? Alcohol? Meat production? Pesticides? How about Kosher/Halal slaughter? Circumcision? What else shall the government ban in this frenzy of banning everything?

[Goldwater]

Eh, I don't like the idea of government being the arbriter of artistic merit, but I know the two of us have radically different views on free speech and won't change each other's minds, so I will leave it at that.

[Goldwater]

Actually, nevermind, I do have one more question for you.

Since your opposition to porn comes from feminism, how do you feel about porn that is focused on sexually objectifying men, such as gay porn?

[Sprouts Farmers Market ✘]

Clearly you know nothing of feminism if you think it means men do not benefit too.

[DavidB.]

But still a valid one. With authoritarian leftism, you don't know where to draw the line- banning cigarettes? Alcohol? Meat production? Pesticides? How about Kosher/Halal slaughter? Circumcision? What else shall the government ban in this frenzy of banning everything?

Please do discuss this subject with Antonio. It would be a fundamental source of happiness to me.

[Lachi]

So you're basically to the right of Rick Santorum on this... 'issue.'

No, I'm to the left of Rick Santorum, since opposing porn is a progressive and feminist stance.

It really isn't...

[Sirius_]

So you're basically to the right of Rick Santorum on this... 'issue.'

No, I'm to the left of Rick Santorum, since opposing porn is a progressive and feminist stance.

Banning any form of media or speech is regressive and conservative. I also don't understand your insistence that banning porn is "feminist".

[Antonio the Sixth]

Actually, nevermind, I do have one more question for you.

Since your opposition to porn comes from feminism, how do you feel about porn that is focused on sexually objectifying men, such as gay porn?

Feminism condemns sexual objectification regardless of its victims. Of course, the objectification of men is far less of a problem because it's much rarer in society, but that doesn't mean feminists shouldn't still be concerned when it happens. We need to tear down double standards, not create new ones.

[Cory]

No, I'm to the left of Rick Santorum, since opposing porn is a progressive and feminist stance.

I usually think "Horseshoe Theory" is crap, but you have me reconsidering.

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

Actually, nevermind, I do have one more question for you.

Since your opposition to porn comes from feminism, how do you feel about porn that is focused on sexually objectifying men, such as gay porn?

Feminism condemns sexual objectification regardless of its victims. Of course, the objectification of men is far less of a problem because it's much rarer in society, but that doesn't mean feminists shouldn't still be concerned when it happens. We need to tear down double standards, not create new ones.

Feminists aren't exactly a monolithic group.  If anything, I've seen more feminists be in favor of sex work than against it.*

*which isn't to say that porn is good, but that outlawing it would be considered by most feminists as constrictive to women's liberation