SESTA/FOSTA, the CLOUD Act, and why they effect ECCIE

There's shocked and enlightening discussion going on throughout ECCIE, but some people are still wondering what the deal is with all this talk about boards shutting down, so I'll attempt a local Reader's Digest Condensed Fancy Edition:

SESTA, aka Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act, and FOSTA, the Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act, are legislative bills recently passed in the Senate and House of Representatives, respectively, that hold adult website operators/hosts liable for content. They will be combined and signed into law by President Trump imminently.

That means no more Web ads soliciting prostitution viewable by Americans, and likely no more reviews OF professional pleasure experiences, which can arguably be seen as promotion. Not sure about discussion forums, but we'll see soon enough. Rights of consenting adults be damned, as well as the fact that the profession is legal in some counties of Nevada and many foreign countries.

As soon as Congress pushed them through and even before they become active, websites starting dropping. Craiglist and CityVibe personals went kaput, as well as the USA ad forums of The Erotic Review. Why? Well, put aside the obvious criminal culpability for the moment; there is HUGE civil liability! Ladies who feel they have been "trafficked" can SUE the sites for "exploiting" them. Civil liberties groups with puritan/moralistic bents can have a litigious free-for-all, too. There's also a retroactive element, so getting the ads down fast was a smart move. Archived data on independent retrieval sites will hurt, not help. Yes, I'm sure all of this will be challenged by attorneys making mints o' money, but it will take time.

Oh, ECCIE servers are in another country, one where providing is legal or at least tolerated, so shouldn't matter. Nope, that hasn't stopped authorities before from blocking sites at the Internet Service Provider level with threats of forfeiture and prosecution, and the actual seizing and freezing of assets in America from foreign holdings in the past if they were involved in enterprises illegal here. Let me now introduce the CLOUD Act, Clarifying Lawful Overseas Use of Data, passed just days ago AND ALREADY signed into law, as it was surreptitiously piggy-backed onto the Omnibus Spending Bill, despite the fact that it had ZERO to do with the budget and how the government handles our tax money. EVERY bit and byte of online and digital data can be accessed by U.S. and foreign LE in the pursuit of stopping unlawful activity, no matter where in the world it's stored, including this site, social media, your PMs, emails, texts, chats, photos, apps, files. Ominously missing? The requirement for a WARRANT!

All of this combines into one very bad stew for the owners and administrators of ECCIE, who can be held PERSONALLY responsible by the legalese language, so this board will have little choice but to make big changes immediately once Trump signs off, or likely go dark.

Why hasn't an official announcement been made by the ECCIE powers-that-be? Well, again, Trump has to scribble his signature before SESTA/FOSTA becomes law, which could happen as early as tonight. I imagine things behind the scenes are madness; lawyers being consulted, messages flying back and forth, assets being moved and hidden, files prepped for deletion, tekkies working on format changes, precautions, lamentations, gasps, blah, blah, blah. Hopefully something will be said before ECCIE leaps into limbo, but we can't count on that. Make your own preparations.

Those of you better informed or more experienced in political gobbledygook interpretation, have I forgotten anything? Explained incorrectly?

Thanks for the cliff notes Fancy!! Been away for the week and came back to all of this.

Thank you Fancy

If you all remember I posted about part 230 of the CDA which states that a webmaster/ owner/operator can be held legally liable for the content their users post on their sites - be it a forum site, a personals site etc..

So take Eccie, a site for information exchange.. there are provider ads on there that promote something less than legal, which if and when part 230 of the CDA gets ratified and into law, means those ads can get the owners/operates of ECCIE arrested for "promoting an illegal activity"

Sure the servers are not in America, but if we have extradition treaties with the country that they are in.. well there goes that safe harbor. Oh and same goes for the owner/operators..

I worked for the largest privately owned web hosting company around a number of years back. I lost count as to how many servers the FBI subpoenaed and *I* had to go retrieve, sign over chain of custody with an agent present etc. And in about 2 months we got the server chassis back but with out the hard drive.

Point is that the laws are going to make it tougher for things to happen just because someone can color it with some form of danger to someone.

^^^ Yeppers! I believe the CLOUD Act might be an extension to or addendum of the CDA, Communications Decency Act, Section 230.

Jeez, next thing you know I'll be sued and/or jailed for putting leprechaun hats on Irish chihuahuas as a form of canine cruelty. The world is getting THAT acrimonious.

Great info Fancy. It definitely looks like things are heading in a 'not so favorable way' per se.

I think it would be wise for ladies and hobbyists' to start saving contact info....just in case everything turns to shit and big brother has his way...

EVERY bit and byte of online and digital data can be accessed by U.S. and foreign LE in the pursuit of stopping unlawful activity, no matter where in the world it's stored, including this site, social media, your PMs, emails, texts, chats, photos, apps, files. Ominously missing? The requirement for a WARRANT!
Originally Posted by Fancyinheels

Great info Fancy. It definitely looks like things are heading in a 'not so favorable way' per se.

I think it would be wise for ladies and hobbyists' to start saving contact info....just in case everything turns to shit and big brother has his way... Originally Posted by BelvedereDirty

CurvyKatie is putting together a contact list. https://eccie.net/showthread.php?t=2348062

Might be advisable for gents to get any pre-screening requests out asap by both PM AND email, if providers list one.

FYI, I'm going to step away from the computer this afternoon, but I'll be back later to answer messages.

I hate to say I told you so....but here are a few rhetorical questions....1.) who controls all branches of government? The House, The Senate, and the Presidency?

And 2.) who did you vote for?

Again the Black President respected your rights. I think all those here that vehemently defended the Orange headed skunk may want their vote back....Trump is shutting down his voters ability to have sex. in light of the fact that all he's ever done is pay for strippers, hookers, pornstars..and even marry them....talk about hypocrisy at the highest office in the land....LOL

You get what you vote for... LOL

That's right...because before Trump - NOT ONE site was EVER shut down before.....it's all his fault.

Thank you Fancy lady...

That's right...because before Trump - NOT ONE site was EVER shut down before.....it's all his fault. Originally Posted by BelvedereDirty

You're playing checkers while I play chess....

Sure you've had onezies and twozies being targeted on occasion. But nothing enmass like what the REPUBLICAN led congress is doing now...

Just admit it you got egg on your face.... You folks trip me out....your boy is fucking you royally and you still try to defend him as the ship is sinking.... Talk about cutting your nose off to spite your face.... Y'all are a special lot indeed. ;-)

^^^ I didn't vote.

Are the rates gonna go up or down? 'Tsall I'm sayin'?

I hate to say I told you so....but here are a few rhetorical questions....1.) who controls all branches of government? The House, The Senate, and the Presidency?

And 2.) who did you vote for?

Again the Black President respected your rights. I think all those here that vehemently defended the Orange headed skunk may want their vote back....Trump is shutting down his voters ability to have sex. in light of the fact that all he's ever done is pay for strippers, hookers, pornstars..and even marry them....talk about hypocrisy at the highest office in the land....LOL

You get what you vote for... LOL Originally Posted by Sistine Chapel

I voted for Thor, my pack leader chihuahua, who ran on a platform of wags and belly rubs for all, and a chicken biscuit in every dog dish! He earned the PUPULAR vote.

Members better get their contacts copied and PMs sent/answered today. I'm thinking Trump may sign the SESTA/FOSTA thing into law tonight as 60 Minutes airs the interview with the ho, er, porn starlet he paid off but is still opening her mouth, Stormy Daniels. He has a wee bit of a sadistic, vindictive sense of humor, seems like, and might think the timing appropriate.

Later, gators.

^^^ Yeppers! I believe the CLOUD Act might be an extension to or addendum of the CDA, Communications Decency Act, Section 230.

Jeez, next thing you know I'll be sued and/or jailed for putting leprechaun hats on Irish chihuahuas as a form of canine cruelty. The world is getting THAT acrimonious.
Originally Posted by Fancyinheels