LOS ANGELES — The Adult Performance Artists Guild (APAG) held a meeting last night to discuss the possible impact of the proposed "Stop Internet Sexual Exploitation Act" (SISEA) on adult performers' work and livelihoods.
More than 40 performers were in attendance and the virtual meeting lasted over two hours.
The unusually worded SISEA, introduced by Senators Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) in the aftermath of public reaction to Nicholas Kristof's sensationalistic editorial in the New York Times targeting Pornhub, would apply to "all online platforms that host pornography," according to Sasse's office.
The bill would thus give the government new power to decide what consitutes "pornography" and what does not.
According to an APAG rep, these were the union's conclusions after yesterday's discussion:
- SISEA expects every platform to supply models with an information consent list. Performers and individuals must indicate on the list which platforms have their consent to host the content in which they appear.
- SISEA expects all performers appearing in the content to submit a consented list of acts depicted in the material.
- Part of the bill states users cannot upload adult material unless they are of the "age of consent" in the state in which the user resides. The most common age of consent in the U.S. is 16 years old, with some states having an even younger age of consent for the purposes of marriage. SISEA does not specify which "age of consent" they are applying. With the current language in the bill, it would supersede current laws that state individuals must be at least 18 years of age to upload content or to provide consent. "So if the goal is to protect children, this does the direct opposite," the rep said.
- SISEA appears to be retroactive to past content, so platform owners would still need to supply the information consent list. Without that consent list, a $1,000 fine per day would be imposed if platform owners fail to comply within the two-week timeframe.
APAG also announced a Discord channel has been established for sex workers to receive assistance and information.
