"It's Like Losing a Limb, Mate!" - Avery's Story 😓💔
Take a second and imagine this: you've built a brand, a following, and a livelihood on a platform. Then, BAM! 💥 You're shown the door. Not once, but twice! This ain't no horror movie script, it's the real-life story of Avery, a sex worker who had her Twitter account, aka her bread and butter, snatched away from her. Twice! Talk about a double whammy! 😱
The Digital Gentrification Wave 🌊🏙️
Word on the street is that sex workers are getting the boot from social media in droves. They're calling it "digital gentrification," where the online world is getting all "sanitised." And the worst part? There's this Online Safety Bill that could make their work even more challenging and dangerous. It's like someone decided to replace their safety net with a tightrope, and then set that tightrope on fire! 🔥🔥
A Global Phenomenon: It's Raining Suspensions, Hallelujah! 🌐🌧️
Reports are flooding in from all over the globe about sex workers losing their social media accounts. Whether it's the Scarlet Alliance in Australia or our comrades across the pond in the US, everyone's feeling the heat. Jenna Love, a sex worker who recently lost her Instagram account of 17k followers (ouch! 😫), says it feels like a crackdown.
It's Déjà vu All Over Again! - The FOSTA and Online Safety Bill Connection 🔄🔗
To understand this hullabaloo, we need to rewind to 2018 when a piece of legislation called FOSTA made online platforms liable for any content that advertised sex work. The result? Classified websites widely used by sex workers shut down, and many found themselves unable to pay rent or put food on the table. This sparked a shift to social media, but now, the proposed Online Safety Bill seems eerily similar to FOSTA. 😨
A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing: The Online Safety Bill 🐺🐑
The Online Safety Bill has two parts that worry sex workers. Firstly, it gives the eSafety Commissioner the power to remove X18+, R18+, or RC (Refused Classification) ads. Secondly, it allows the Communications Minister to set "basic online safety expectations" for social media. This might sound all nice and dandy, but the Scarlet Alliance argues it might just be an excuse to remove more sex worker accounts.
To make matters worse, a policy by Tumblr explicitly prohibits adult content and any content that "exploits, objectifies, or harms" individuals, which has led to a rise in content removal and account suspensions on the platform.
I'm still gathering more data to create a comprehensive and detailed report. But rest assured, we'll dive deeper into the issue and ensure that no stone is left unturned. I'll keep you posted with more updates, so watch this space! 👀✨
😱 It's a Wild Wild Web! The New Frontier of Deplatforming 😱
Yooo, check this out, peeps! There's a fresh wave of panic in the digital world, and it's rocking our pals in the sex work biz🌊. Avery, a sex worker, got kicked off Twitter not once but twice😵! When she tried setting up a third account, she found she couldn't use her old name, which was her brand, her voice, her connection with her clients. Oof! Talk about your worst Monday morning nightmare😱👻.
🏢 The Digital Gentrification: Clean Web, Dirty Consequences 🏢
The sex workers are crying foul over what they're calling a wave of "digital gentrification". Apparently, the interwebs are getting a scrub-down, and they're the dirt being washed off the map. This, they say, is threatening their means of earning a living, especially since some sex work is legal in Australia. I mean, they're just trying to advertise and work safely, but it seems like the web's got no room for them anymore😔🌐.
🐦 From Tweets to the Streets: The Social Media Crackdown 🐦
Turns out, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram have been playing the role of digital bouncers, and "countless" sex workers have found themselves on the wrong side of the velvet rope🔒. Our friend Jenna Love, a sex worker of nine years, recently lost her Instagram account with a whopping 17,000 followers. "Every day you open up Twitter or Instagram, you see someone else going," she said, sounding like she's living in a bad episode of 'The Leftovers'😭.
🚫 The Online Safety Bill: Safety or Censorship? 🚫
But wait, there's more! Many sex workers are also worried about the proposed Australian Online Safety Bill. This bill could be bad news for them, giving platforms even more reason to show them the door. It's bringing back memories of the Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act (FOSTA) that President Donald Trump signed into law back in 2018. That law made online platforms liable for any content that advertised sex work, leading to the closure of classified websites used by sex workers. Can you imagine? Losing your main source of income overnight!😱💔.
🎥 X-rated Advertisements: The Future is Censored 🎥
The new bill could spell trouble for X18+, R18+, or RC (Refused Classification) advertisements. The Scarlet Alliance is worried that this could include anything from bondage to spanking, to candle wax. Yeah, you heard it right, candle wax!🕯️😂. The only thing standing in the way of the government using the laws to ban ads for sex workers is a non-binding and informal "regulatory approach". That's like standing on a cliff edge and hoping the wind doesn't blow too hard💨🏞️.
💻 Tech Giants and the Deplatforming Dilemma 💻
Another concern is the part of the proposed legislation that allows the Communications Minister to set "basic online safety expectations for social media services". The Scarlet Alliance's Gala Vanting expressed concerns that instead of implementing age-verification systems, social media companies may find it easier to just remove sex worker accounts. That's like cutting off the branch you're sitting on, isn't it?🌳😅
🎭 The Human Impact: From Screens to Streets 🎭
On a serious note though, all this digital gentrification and deplatforming are not just about losing followers or getting locked out of accounts. It's about real people, with real lives, trying to make a living. It's about safety, rights, and dignity. It's about how we, as a society, choose to treat some of our most vulnerable members. So, as you scroll through your sanitized feeds, spare a thought for those who have been forced to take their business from the screens to the streets, in a world that's becoming increasingly hostile to them. Because at the end of the day, it could be any of us. Today it's them, tomorrow it could be...🤷♀️