US House of Representatives passes controversial online trafficking bill
The US House of Representatives have passed a bill that would make it easier to pursue legal action against online platforms that are used by sex traffickers. The bill would amend the Communications Decency Act (CDA), which currently protects platforms from liability for content posted by others. The bill was initially opposed by the Internet industry, yet some tech companies eventually looked for a compromise or backed the amendment due to the bill’s strong political support. Nevertheless, there is still strong opposition to the legislation, most notably by the Electronic Frontier Foundation, which claims that it is a ‘win for censorship’, and that it will ‘undoubtedly lead to platforms policing more user speech’. If approved by the Senate, the bill will move to the White House to be signed into law.