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make no mistake: the Mastercard ban isn't about sexual abuse. if it were, Kristof would be going after the bigger source of child pornography: Facebook.
On average, Facebook reported 77,000 instances of child pornography *every day*.
Pornhub had less than once incident per week.
Pornhub had less than once incident per week.
this is a continuation of #SESTA/ #FOSTA.
At no point are people actually LISTENING to either sex workers or victims of trafficking. Instead, they're just jumping on board with ultra-conservative politics, just because they don't care to think about the issues at hand.
At no point are people actually LISTENING to either sex workers or victims of trafficking. Instead, they're just jumping on board with ultra-conservative politics, just because they don't care to think about the issues at hand.
Why is Kristof going after Pornhub and not Facebook?
Because he doesn't actually care about victims of sexual abuse. He just wants to use victims as a political tool in his war against sex work.
Because he doesn't actually care about victims of sexual abuse. He just wants to use victims as a political tool in his war against sex work.
These are the groups who initiated the current campaign against Mastercard/Visa to ban Pornhub.
An explicitly anti-porn group and a bunch of religious advocacy groups.
An explicitly anti-porn group and a bunch of religious advocacy groups.
Their goal is a total porn ban on the Internet. Their next step will be to pressure Visa/Mastercard into banning any pornographic websites altogether - which is already a lot closer to happening than you realize.
live shot of OnlyFans HQ right now
As someone who's been speaking out about #SESTA/ #FOSTA for years, and how they're part of a concerted effort by those in power (e.g. Facebook) to consolidate power and silence marginalized people, I don't have words to convey how hopeless and futile everything feels right now.
2-3 years ago, I said that #SESTA/ #FOSTA was just the beginning, and that they'd come for the rest of Section 230 next.
Now, Trump is explicitly gunning to dismantle Section 230. It's a far-right goal that's become mainstream.
Now, Trump is explicitly gunning to dismantle Section 230. It's a far-right goal that's become mainstream.
Yet, even as Section 230 is being dismantled right before our eyes, people like Nicholas Kristof are still pushing the envelope even further, and people are *still* falling for the same bait-and-switch.
It's happening right in front of us!
It's happening right in front of us!
I've been talking until I'm hoarse and blue in the face about #SESTA/ #FOSTA for three years, and... what good does it really do?
I've hardly seen anyone else take up the mantle. Those of us talking about it now are largely the same ones who were back in 2017-2018.
I've hardly seen anyone else take up the mantle. Those of us talking about it now are largely the same ones who were back in 2017-2018.
No matter how much we scream and shout and beg and plead, it still seems like most people land somewhere between ignorance and apathy - and while I'm happy to talk to them about it, I'd be lying if I said it didn't give me a knot in my stomach every single time.
It's mind-boggling because even people who are very clearly *next on the chopping block* are still apathetic about it!
In 2018, even when SESTA took Craigslist offline, it was still hard to convince affluent white gays that SESTA was, in fact, a threat to them.
In 2018, even when SESTA took Craigslist offline, it was still hard to convince affluent white gays that SESTA was, in fact, a threat to them.
I talked to a sex worker who didn't care about #SESTA when it passed, even when I tried to show how it threatened them. After the Visa/Mastercard Pornhub ban, he's now worried about his income.
I'm happy he's engaged now, but this pattern also makes me want to tear my hair out.
I'm happy he's engaged now, but this pattern also makes me want to tear my hair out.
There's a lot of subtle race/class/gender hierarchy at play here: white cis gay men who do sex work did not, by and large, care about SESTA as much as sex workers who were trans, nonwhite, and/or not-men.
(If you're queer, this is not at all surprising.)
(If you're queer, this is not at all surprising.)
I'm genuinely happy to see people take an interest, whatever the impetus, but at the same time it is so disheartening and exhausting to be constantly saying, "please help; they're coming for you next" and getting brushed off
Imagine time traveling to February 2020 and trying to warn people, "this coronavirus thing could be a big deal. you might want to prepare to be at home for a few weeks", and people just roll their eyes.
That's how it feels to be talking about #SESTA, Section 230, etc.
That's how it feels to be talking about #SESTA, Section 230, etc.
Yesterday, I talked to a friend - who's a journalist, and gay - about this. He said that using Section 230 to pressure Pornhub and Facebook to stop revenge porn and fake news sounded like a good idea.
Hearing a friend say that was the most disheartened I've felt in months.
Hearing a friend say that was the most disheartened I've felt in months.
Yes, I get it: SESTA and Section 230 require more context to fully understand than many other issues.
But in terms of how it *feels*? He might as well have told me he thought racial profiling at airport security was a good idea, for how much it felt like a punch to the gut.
But in terms of how it *feels*? He might as well have told me he thought racial profiling at airport security was a good idea, for how much it felt like a punch to the gut.
