Reason Magazine Exposes the Powerful Crusade for a 'Sex-Free Internet'

Reason Magazine Exposes the Powerful Crusade for a 'Sex-Free Internet'

LOS ANGELES — Reason magazine has published in its May issue a lengthy, in-depth report on the current social and political attempts to censor sexual expression online.

The report, titled “The New Campaign for a Sex-Free Internet,” was penned by Reason senior editor Elizabeth Nolan Brown, a widely respected longtime reporter on sex worker rights and online freedom of speech.

Under the subtitle “Sex, money, and the future of online free speech,” the leading Libertarian publication explored how “a constellation of activist groups, rooted in deeply conservative opposition to virtually any depiction of sexuality in the public sphere, have put considerable pressure on the middlemen who keep online porn in business.”

According to Brown, the chilling effect of this War on Porn — which XBIZ has extensively covered — has disrupted the early 21st century's seeming online free speech utopia where “people with a truly diverse array of body types, looks, races, ethnicities, sexualities, gender identities and kinks had direct access to the tools of porn production and distribution.”

While in the past, she wrote, porn “catered to a much more narrow range of tastes, with predictable results,” things had changed so that, at least before the current onslaughts in the War on Porn, “audiences could access all sorts of content that defied conventional notions of who and what was deserving of lust.”

Brown provided a thorough recap of recent skirmishes in the ongoing War on Porn being waged by religiously inspired groups like NCOSE and Exodus Cry, and offered relevant context for the new tactics of these would-be censors of sexual expression.

“Though they speak the language of feminism,” Brown noted, “these groups are steeped in the spirit of conservative purity culture — an evangelical ethos popularized in the 1980s and '90s. Purity culture hinges on abstinence rituals like virginity pledges, chastity rings and father-daughter ‘purity balls.’ It's predicated on the notion that sexual activity should be relegated to monogamous and heterosexual married couples, and it preaches strict gender roles, female modesty and total abstinence from premarital sex.”

Crucially, Brown’s article spelled out the reality of how a shared goal of these faith-based groups is “to remake the internet as a sex-free zone by casting a vast swath of nontraditional sexual activity as ‘sexual exploitation’ or ‘human trafficking,’ especially if it involves the transfer of money, even indirectly.”

To read Elizabeth Nolan Brown’s “The New Campaign for a Sex-Free Internet,” visit Reason.com.

Copyright © 2025 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

Strike 3 Holdings Sues Meta for Pirating Vixen Media Group Content to Train AI

Vixen Media Group owner Strike 3 Holdings filed suit in federal court this week, accusing Facebook parent company Meta of copyright infringement and alleging that Meta has extensively pirated VMG content to train its artificial intelligence models.

Pineapple Support, Streamate to Host 'Navigating Grief and Loss' Support Group

Pineapple Support and Streamate are hosting a free online support group to help performers cope with grief and loss.

Friday is Final AV Compliance Deadline in UK

Friday, July 25 marks U.K. media regulator Ofcom’s deadline for user-to-user services such as tube, cam and fan sites to implement its requisite “highly effective age assurance” measures for preventing minors from viewing adult content.

AEBN Publishes Popular Searches for May, June

AEBN has released the top search terms for the months of May and June from its straight and gay theaters in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Two Texas Bills Restricting Sex Toy Sales Fail to Pass

Two bills aimed at restricting sales of sex toys have failed to pass the Texas state legislature during its 2025 session.

NYC Adult Stores Petition for Rehearing in Zoning Law Case

A group of adult businesses on Tuesday petitioned the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit to rehear a case involving a zoning law that could severely limit adult stores’ operations in New York City.

Ofcom Releases Transparency Reporting Guidelines

Ofcom, the U.K. media regulator, has made public its official guidance detailing how online service providers — including adult sites — will be required to publish annual transparency reports on their efforts to protect children from online harms.

New AV Rules Take Effect for Ireland-Based Sites

Ireland’s Online Safety Code came into force Monday, including a provision requiring adult sites headquartered in Ireland to implement age assurance measures beyond self-declaration.

XBIZ Amsterdam Calls on New Startups for 'Spotlight' Program

XBIZ is pleased to announce that its new “Startup Spotlight” programming will make its European premiere at XBIZ Amsterdam 2025, set to take place Sept. 2-5 at the Jakarta Hotel Amsterdam.

Texas Resumes AV Lawsuit Against Aylo Following SCOTUS Decision

A district court judge in Texas has unfrozen the state’s $1.6 million lawsuit against Aylo for allegedly failing to comply with age verification requirements, Bloomberg Law is reporting.

Show More