Washington D.C. – Today, NetChoice congratulated House and Senate members for their work on the Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act (FOSTA). The bill has been made stronger since its introduction, although caution is warranted as the courts now assess the meaning of the congressional handiwork.
“We are pleased with the progress made since the introduction of FOSTA,” said Carl Szabo, Vice President and General Counsel for NetChoice. “In the House Judiciary Committee, several concerns of prosecutors were aired and addressed.”
“FOSTA clarifies the original intent of Congress in enacting Section 230,” continued Szabo. “It was never meant to be used as a shield for criminal activity despite some judicial decisions that misread both the law’s text and congressional intent.”
“FOSTA shores up Section 230, eliminating the need for further carve outs for specific federal crimes.”
“Bill sponsors offered multiple assurances against potential unintended consequences and that the Good Samaritan feature of Section 230 will continue in full force. We’re glad that these assurances will be a part of the legislative history of FOSTA.”
However, the White House, U.S. Department of Justice, tech advocates, and women’s advocacy groups raised concerns that the final version of FOSTA does not address. NetChoice strongly recommends that both the Senate and the House take the opportunity to add report language and other expressions of the sponsors’ intent.