According to an article by the National Center on Sexual Exploitaiton (NCSE), Google lobbyists are blitzing members of the U.S. Congress to stop their efforts to combat online sex trafficking by amending section 230 of the Communications Decency Act (CDA) in the respective bills S. 1693 and H.R. 1865.
As currently interpreted by U.S. federal courts, Section 230 of the CDA grants broad immunity to Internet platforms for third-party posts, even to websites that intentionally facilitate sex trafficking online such as Backpage.com.
Technology lobbyists continue to claim that free speech is under attack despite research by Consumer Watchdog revealing that Google has provided millions of dollars to support Backpage's legal defense and a Harvard professors discovery that Google has earned over a billion dollars in revenue from unlawful advertising that includes child sex trafficking.
Google has countless lobbyists and seemingly unlimited financial resources. If you wish to help defend individuals effected by human trafficking, sexual violence or prostitution, your voice is needed!
Here are three ways you can take action today:
- Email your elected officials and ask them to support efforts to amend section 230 of the Communications Decency Act.
- Sign a petition asking Google to stop defending websites that facilitate sex trafficking.
- Spread the word! Talk to your friends about this problem, ask any journalists you know to cover this story.