War On Porn
Australian Customs Authorities Block Hentai Imports Amidst Calls for Censorship
Japanese pop culture retailer J-List was informed earlier this month by shipping company DHL Japan that “Australian customs have started rejecting packages containing any adult product,” among vocal calls by local politicians to crack down on hentai anime and manga and to fully enforce Australia’s vaguely worded anti-porn import rules.
Instagram Alters Nudity Policy to Allow Women to Hold Their Breasts
Instagram has announced it will be introducing a new nudity policy this week, which will now allow “pictures of women holding, cupping or wrapping their arms around their breasts.”
Local German Efforts to Enforce AV Laws Concern Privacy, Free Expression Advocates
A state-sponsored effort in Germany hardening of intrusive age verification schemes to target specific leading adult platforms — including Pornhub, YouPorn and MyDirtyHobby — has raised alarm among privacy and freedom of sexual expression advocates.
Instagram, Facebook's 'Oversight Board' Now Reviewing Deletions
Five months after Facebook announced it had established an international entity named the "Oversight Board" to make decisions about free speech and content moderation on its platforms — which include Instagram — the board has finally started accepting cases submitted by users for review.
Latest Censorship Proposal by Utah Politician Fails to Pass Committee Hearing
A proposal that would require smartphones and computers to have pre-installed porn-blocking software, and to have it activated as the default option when sold to Utahns, was quashed yesterday during a committee hearing at the state's Business and Labor Interim Committee.
U.K. Spearmint Rhino Targeted by SWERF Groups Gives Up License
The Spearmint Rhino location in Sheffield, U.K. — which had been in operation for 18 years and was recently the subject of a controversial campaign by local and national SWERF (Sex Worker Exclusionary Radical Feminists) groups — has surrendered its sexual entertainment venue license.
Clarence Thomas Calls for High Court Review of Section 230
Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas today used a concurrent opinion about a case the court decided not to hear to issue a broader challenge on current liability protections for online platforms provided by Section 230, the so-called “First Amendment of the internet.”
Netflix Co-CEO Questions Texas Prosecution for 'Prurient' Content
Netflix Co-CEO Ted Sarandos spoke at the virtual edition of content trade show Mipcom today, and he expressed his surprise at the fact that “we’re having a discussion about censoring storytelling” in 2020 America, after an East Texas grand jury last week voted to indict the streaming network on felony obscenity charges.
This Is the 'Biblical' Investment Fund Backing Exodus Cry's Anti-Porn Crusade
An obscure investment fund which defines its mission as “investing with Biblical principles” is a leading donor and strategic partner of anti-porn organization Exodus Cry, currently receiving international attention for their single-focused campaign against Pornhub.
Texas Grand Jury Reportedly Indicts Netflix Over 'Prurient' Content
A Texas grand jury has reportedly indicted California streaming company Netflix, alleging that one of the films distributed via the service presents material “which appeals to the prurient interest in sex and has no serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value.”
Tina Kay: TV Drama Set in U.K. Porn World Is 'Complete B.S.'
XBIZ asked Tina Kay to review "Adult Material," a drama supposedly based on the local porn world that aired on Channel 4 last night.
Cyber Law Expert: Politicized Anti-Section 230 Proposals Target Adult Content
In a damning new op-ed, one of the nation’s foremost cyber law experts described the onslaught of legislative proposals and recommendations to abolish Section 230 — the so-called “First Amendment of the internet — recently unleashed by the White House, Attorney General William Barr, Senator Lindsey Graham and others, as “Trump-backed rules for online speech: 'no' to porn, 'yes' to election disinformation and hate speech.”
Chaotic Stream of Rival Anti-Section 230 Proposals Muddy Constructive Debate
As an unprecedentedly chaotic and fractious electoral campaign heads into its final month, a flurry of new proposals by members of both major parties targeting Section 230 — the so-called “First Amendment of the internet” — join a crowded debate about the controversial legislation.
AG Barr Joins Attack on Section 230 With Unusual Request to Congress
In an extremely unusual move by the U.S. Justice Department — part of the executive branch — AG William Barr sent to Congress today a legislative proposal to undermine Section 230, the so-called “First Amendment of the internet.”
Lindsey Graham Takes Aim at Section 230 With Yet Another Bill Proposal
Senator Lindsey Graham (R, South Carolina), Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, quietly scheduled yesterday an item on the agenda for Thursday’s committee meeting, aiming to discuss a new bill, S. 4632, which he called the Online Content Policy Modernization Act.
Utah Legislative Panel Stages Peculiar Anti-Porn Hearing
A Utah legislative panel last week — convened by GOP state lawmakers following a campaign of disinformation by conservative activists — culminated with misleading pronouncements about the supposed availability of “obscene material harmful to minors” in educational databases in the state, and with a call to press criminal charges against the makers of those databases.
Top Digital Rights Organization Highlights Woodhull's Anti-FOSTA Litigation
Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), the leading digital rights advocacy nonprofit, released yesterday a comprehensive report praising the Woodhull Foundation’s ongoing lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of FOSTA-SESTA legislation.
Trump, GOP Senators Renew Attacks on Section 230
President Donald Trump and Senate Republican leaders renewed their ongoing attacks on Section 230 yesterday, once again making the so-called “First Amendment of the internet" a campaign issue.
Analysis: Appeals Ruling Guts, Does Not Strike Down 2257
Yesterday’s ruling by the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit represented a clear victory for the Free Speech Coalition (FSC) and co-appellants in their decade-long fight against the unusual, punitive 2257 record-keeping requirements and inspections targeting the adult industry.
XBIZ Miami Virtual Day 3: Self-Care, Social Media and the War on Porn
The first-ever virtual edition of XBIZ Miami opened its third and concluding day with one final round of business and personal connections in the online lounges and lively speed-networking sessions, before the concurrent Industry and Talent Tracks offered an eye-opening look at the current state of the "War on Porn," an insightful "State of the Industry" discussion, and vital information on how content creators can legally protect their work, manage self-care and monetize their social media following.