SAFE SEX Workers Study Act (2022)

In 2018, Congress passed FOSTA (also known as FOSTA-SESTA) and devastated the lives of countless online sex workers. The law, ostensibly designed to fight trafficking, led to widespread censorship of sex workers and sexual speech online. Just minutes after passage, sites like Craigslist and Reddit took down forums about sex work. In the years since, account bans and suspensions for sex workers on social media have soared.

Experiential evidence and an initial study have shown that the law led to increased financial instability and put sex workers at greater risk of violence — and trafficking. But more work is needed. The SAFE Sex Worker Study Act will require Congress to study the true impact of FOSTA, in hopes of stopping bad legislation.