How Congress Censored the Internet

There are 5 replies in this Thread which has previously been viewed 3,243 times. The latest Post (November 25, 2025 at 6:43 PM) was by Splinter.

1st Official Post
    • Official Post

    This article explains how the US Congress wants to censor the internet and prosecute those who don't toe the line.

    How Congress Censored the Internet

    In a nutshell:

    The new US SESTA/FOSTA acts remove protection of website owners for the content that users add to the website, when it comes to specific content. It also seems to make webmasters liable for the ads that ad networks display on their sites. These bills silence online speech by forcing Internet platforms to censor their users.Microsoft and Google already amended their policies and hosting providers are stopping service to some websites.

    SESTA/FOSTA take aim at website with sexual content which may relate to promotion OR facilitating of prostitution, sex trafficking, fraud, coercion. The bills are obviously written without careful consideration and have been rushed through congress. It seems to me that they may have severe unintended consequences.

    The penalties for breaching the law are up to 10 or 25 years in jail, so this is pretty serious and needs to be considered.

    While the general jest of the bills sound reasonable, it does make me wonder how far the reach of these bills could be. Some considerations:

    • If the ad network you use puts erotic ads on your site, would you be liable to prosecution?
    • The law is retroactive. How do you know if none of the posts on your site has flown under the radar and breaches such law?
    • If you allow erotic avatars, then is this a risk factor?
    • Are jokes about prostitution 'promotion of prostitution?
    • What other potential issues could there be?

    Source: https://theadminzone.com/threads/new-us…masters.147121/

    Microsoft have already implemented similar measure on XBox and Skype, which you can read about here:

    https://professional-troublemaker.com/2018/03/25/mic…age-from-skype/


    • Official Post

    In this era where your internet presence is scrutinized whenever you apply for a VISA to enter in the States, I am really worried by any bit of information I have published on the Internet in my life.

    I routinely google my name to see what comes up, and unfortunately there are posts and quotes of my posts that I am unable to remove myself, not to mention those websites that simply mirror other websites and that you cannot have control on.

    I have found a ten year quote of my post that could be interpreted as US-unfriendly because of my poor use of the English language and I have been trying to get rid of it for months. I was able to remove my original post, but the quote of my post on someone else's post is not editable by me. I have been trying to get assistance from the site admin but they couldn't care less. They probably follow EJLarson philosophy that it was me int he first place who was so stupid to post that with my real name in full display. Right, but still a problem that could be solved with a click.

    Quote from serafina

    In this era where your internet presence is scrutinized whenever you apply for a VISA to enter in the States, I am really worried by any bit of information I have published on the Internet in my life.

    I routinely google my name to see what comes up, and unfortunately there are posts and quotes of my posts that I am unable to remove myself, not to mention those websites that simply mirror other websites and that you cannot have control on.

    I have found a ten year quote of my post that could be interpreted as US-unfriendly because of my poor use of the English language and I have been trying to get rid of it for months. I was able to remove my original post, but the quote of my post on someone else's post is not editable by me. I have been trying to get assistance from the site admin but they couldn't care less. They probably follow EJLarson philosophy that it was me int he first place who was so stupid to post that with my real name in full display. Right, but still a problem that could be solved with a click.

    I wouldn’t say “stupid,” because, in innocence, we all post things that are ill-conceived or liable to sound horrible if taken out of context.

    So I decidedly include myself, but the fact remains, we voluntarily put stuff out that can be used to harm us. In the end, if that happens, we have to admit that we did it to ourselves.

    Sometimes it is funny, though: “How dare they make public the sex tape I made with the sewer workers and the Rottweiler! That was private, and I only shared it with my closest friends. I’ll sue!”

    Quote from serafina

    In this era where your internet presence is scrutinized whenever you apply for a VISA to enter in the States, I am really worried by any bit of information I have published on the Internet in my life.

    In about 8 months, I'll be able to let you know if my openly-expressed horror over the USA's having elected its own Dear Leader prevents my entrance into the country.

    Quote from Rice

    In about 8 months, I'll be able to let you know if my openly-expressed horror over the USA's having elected its own Dear Leader prevents my entrance into the country.

    I’ve alerted Homeland Security already. Told them you didn’t really mean those things.