Will Anti-Trafficking Law Endanger Sex Workers Offline? Democrats To Study FOSTA-SESTA Impact

President Donald Trump signed the Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act-Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act (FOSTA-SESTA) into law in November. While the aim of the bill has been stated as stopping illegal online sex trafficking, it has been criticized for a variety of concerns, ranging from censorship to endangering the safety of sex workers offline.

Democrats, under the leadership of Rep. Ro Khanna (Democrat-California), have introduced the Safe Sex Workers Study Act, which will analyze the impact of FOSTA-SESTA on the health and safety of sex workers.

“Today, Reps. Ro Khanna (CA-17), Barbara Lee (CA-13) and Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Ron Wyden (D-OR), introduced the SAFE SEX Workers Study Act, a bill to require the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to conduct the first national study on the health and safety of sex workers. The landmark study will require consultation, as appropriate, with the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), and report to Congress on the study within one year of the date of enactment,” the press release issued by the Democrat party leaders on the bill.

The biggest concern is its impact on the American consensual sex industry. FOSTA–SESTA is expected to shut down resources needed to screen customers, set limits and discuss issues in their groups.

FOSTA–SESTA is expected to push sex workers underground and expose them to violence and health issues, which take place in offline sex trafficking.

However, despite the expected impact of FOSTA-SESTA, currently, the Safe Sex Study Bill does not have bipartisan support, neither in the House nor in the Senate. There is no guarantee that it will pass in both.

Another imperative for this study to take place is President Trump, who made a big deal about signing FOSTA-SESTA signs it into law.