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IPFS News Link • Senate/Senators

Senate passes controversial online sex trafficking bill

• http://thehill.com, BY HARPER NEIDIG

The Senate on Wednesday passed a controversial online sex trafficking bill, sending it to President Trump's desk over concerns from the tech industry, capping off a months-long legislative fight.

The bill was approved overwhelmingly in a 97-2 vote. Sens. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Rand Paul (R-Ky.) were the only votes against the bill.

The legislation, called the Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act (FOSTA), but also referred to as SESTA after the original Senate bill, would cut into the broad protections websites have from legal liability for content posted by their users. 

"We now have the ability to go after these websites who are exploiting women and children online," Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio), one of the original authors of the bill, said at a press conference after the vote.

The House overwhelmingly passed the bill last month, and President Trump is expected to sign it.


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