Online Censorship: Beyond Adult

Online Censorship: Beyond Adult

LOS ANGELES — From moves by the U.K. and other governments to mandate online age verification, to fears over potential restrictions on adult entertainment by the incoming U.S. administration, a range of content consumers and creators are eyeing the future of digital media freedom.

While these issues historically focused on fringe and unlawful materials, such as images of child sexual abuse and “extreme” hardcore pornography, an increasing effort is underway to tailor all content to the whims of consumer’s locality — suppressing cultural, political, and social discourse seen as unfavorable to (or un-favored by) the local regime.

One easy example comes from Facebook’s reported development of an automated censorship tool that will cleanse its feeds of objectionable content on behalf of the Chinese government and other entities emanating from what it calls “specific geographic areas.”

Banned from China in 2009, with that audience exploding in volume in the ensuing seven plus years, Facebook has ample motivation to do whatever it takes to gain a foothold in this vital market in hopes of finding the social network’s next billion users, while protecting access to its existing worldwide user base.

In the U.S., the company portrays its content censorship initiatives as battling “fake news,” and an effort to suppress individual views on current events in favor of acceptable, official versions of the truth — an effort of concern to freedom of speech and journalistic rights advocates.

For its part, Facebook offers an interactive “government requests” map that reveals global censorship actions it has taken on behalf of lawmakers.

The report reveals Facebook squelched “97 items in compliance with legal requests from the [U.K.’s] Gambling Commission,” along with 56 items “allegedly violating the integrity of the Russian Federation and local law which forbids activities such as mass public riots and the promotion and sale of drugs.”

While it presented no U.S. data from 2016, Facebook reveals it received more than 19,000 requests from U.S. law enforcement agencies covering more than 30,000 users in 2015, with the company providing data for more than 84 percent of these requests.

One thing is certain, as we prepare for a New Year, a new set of restrictions are on the way, both from the governments that rule us, as well as from the companies that purport to serve us — with adult’s freedom of information hanging in the balance.

Related:  

Copyright © 2024 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

Justices Alito, Thomas Invoke Victorian-Era Morality Law, Raising Censorship Concerns

Several national publications reported this week on widespread concern among Free Speech advocates after U.S. Supreme Court Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas repeatedly invoked during a hearing the infamous segregation-era law the Comstock Act, which was the cornerstone of U.S. censorship of sexual material from the 1870s until the 1970s.

Skinfluential Management's FansFuel Acquires Fanwire

FansFuel has acquired creator account management tool Fanwire.

Nebraska AV Bill Moves Forward Despite Privacy, Free Speech Concerns

Nebraska’s unicameral Legislature has given first-round approval to LB 1092, the state’s version of the age verification bills being sponsored around the country by anti-porn religious conservative activists.

AEBN Celebrates 25th Anniversary

The Adult Entertainment Broadcast Network (AEBN) is celebrating its 25th year in business this week.

Performers in Meta Blacklisting Lawsuit Seek to Preserve Antitrust Claims

Adult Performance Artists Guild board officers Alana Evans, Kelly Pierce and Ruby have informed a California court that, although they want to drop their lawsuit claiming that Meta conspired with OnlyFans to blacklist rival premium fan platforms’ talent, they may still pursue antitrust claims in the future.

FSC, Co-Plaintiffs to Ask US Supreme Court to Review Constitutionality of Texas Age Verification Law

Free Speech Coalition (FSC) and its co-plaintiffs in the challenge to Texas’ controversial age verification law have petitioned the United States Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit to stay its recent decision upholding the law, because they intend to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court to review the law’s constitutionality.

FSC Vows to Fight Florida Age Verification Law

Free Speech Coalition (FSC) has issued a statement vowing to continue fighting Florida’s new age verification law, which was signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday as part of a comprehensive bill targeting minors’ use of social media.

Kansas Republican Aims to Create New Bureaucracy to 'Investigate' Porn Websites

Republican state legislators succeeded Monday in moving forward Kansas’ version of the age verification bills being sponsored around the country by anti-porn religious conservative activists, despite serious concerns raised by House Democrats about the cost of establishing a new bureaucracy tasked with investigating websites for pornographic content.

SK Intertainment Launches 'Skinfluential Management' Agency, FansFuel Joint Venture

Mr. Skin/Mr. Man parent company SK Intertainment has launched new creator agency Skinfluential Management, as well as a new joint venture with Showbizz Media's creator stats and affiliate marketing platform, FansFuel.

Industry Attorney, Free Speech Champion Clyde DeWitt Passes Away at 75

Noted industry attorney Clyde DeWitt passed away on Friday in Las Vegas at 75, according to friends and colleagues.

Show More