Sex workers leave Twitter for Switter after controversial US lawSex workers have been a mainstay on social networks for more than a decade. Twitter in particular handed escorts a number of tools that allowed them to protect themselves ― a way to screen clients, anonymity, the ability to find customers without taking to the streets or working for a pimp.
But since April, sex workers have almost completely vanished from Twitter, instead flocking to the Austrian domain Switter.at.
Why? Because that was the month the U.S. Congress passed a bill known as FOSTA/SESTA (short for Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act and Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act, respectively) which is aimed at curbing underage sex trafficking and holds internet service providers liable for what users might create on their platforms.
However, the controversial law has had a series of negative consequences for adult escorts who are plying their trade willingly.
"This bill means any site sex workers use, even in their personal life, can be held liable. In reaction to this, we have already seen sites like Reddit, Craigslist and Skype begin to change their terms and silence or ban us from their platforms. Particularly in the U.S., these sites are absolutely vital to sex workers. This will only force many more workers into the hands of exploitation and street work…there is a much higher chance of ending up in a potentially life threatening situation," explained a spokesperson for Assembly Four, the Melbourne, Australia-based firm that runs Switter and its associated site, Tryst, through an Austrian domain.
This setup is because while any .com domain could in theory be targeted by the new U.S. law, in Austria, where prostitution is legal, escorts can maintain their privacy and safety without breaking any laws.
https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/06/29/fosta-sex-workers-leave-twitter-switter-after-us-law/744989002/
