The Importance of Supporting Sex Positivity On Social Media Under SESTA/FOSTA
Left to Right: Chatz of Love, Ray Zamora, Eli
November 18, 2019 - Oakland-based queer cabaret rock band Copyslut is a part of a movement of sex positive artists and educators who utilize social media to connect with community and educate fans. Their educational component aims to eradicate stigma and shame from people’s choices around bodies, sexuality, and expression. They are among the millions of accounts that choose to converse with a wider audience through the creation of online content. “Coming of age at the dawn of the internet was foundational to my ability to develop my artistic voice, self-educate myself on queerness, and connect with a community I would not have otherwise. However, the evolution of the internet has proven to be harmful to people’s mental health - especially youth of today who are taught that self worth and social status are directly linked to the number of ‘likes and followers’ you have. I also know that access to online communities as a queer youth saved my life.” - Ray. Copyslut is coming up in a unique time when artists have more control over their expression. They are less dependent on record labels because of access to social media and other internet distribution tools, and still, it has its limitations.
Several accounts aligned with similar values to Copyslut have been navigating new forms of censorship, ranging from content or account removal to shadow banning online. Shadow banning is the act of blocking or partially blocking a user or a user’s content from exposure to the online community. It is done in a way that does not make it readily apparent to the user that they have been shadow banned. Creatives are struggling to maintain visibility and keep their accounts active due to the obscure restrictions generated by ever-changing algorithms.
Why are these algorithms targeting accounts of sex workers, women, trans/queer, artists and sex educator communities?
In 2018 a piece of legislation called SESTA/FOSTA (Stop Online Sex Trafficking Act/ Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act) was passed. These laws hold third party platforms, such as Instagram or Facebook, legally responsible for content that could be interpreted as prostitution or child trafficking. Regardless of the intention of the law, hard data shows that SESTA/FOSTA has not decreased cases of sex trafficking. In fact, the data shows that there has been an increase in violence against multiple communities including women, queer/trans people, and sex workers.
For those unfamiliar, laws in America are intentionally vague and it is through court cases and legal interpretation that laws find specificity. There have been no cases brought against third party websites like Facebook and Instagram. Instead what has happened is that websites have responded to this law with self-policing and self-censorship which has led to non-specific changes to online community guidelines.
With new users joining every minute, the complexities of the social media universe have become nearly endless. This, paired with automatic scans run by algorithms instead of human beings, makes it impossible to know what content is allowed and what is not. Automated systems have specifically begun to apply heavy restrictions and censorship to large and diverse groups of users, including women, trans & queer people, artists, sex educators, sex workers, and more. For example, even advocates of breast feeding are being censored for violating community guidelines. This combined with ambiguously written terms of service have significantly contributed to the disruption of online platforms for groups that have historically relied on access to community for many reasons, including safety, survival, and mutual support.
Those affected by shadow banning have begun a conversation about how artists, public figures, and other groups that are being censored can take advantage of online platforms to promote their art and values even in this escalated internet climate of censorship. Providing more human oversight on platforms like Instagram would be a great first step so that regulating content includes a willingness to collaborate and understand nuance. We need to create a better way to communicate and embrace progressive values rather than punish them. Copyslut’s direct experience with shadow banning includes online ad accounts being disabled with no further details, posts being deleted because they didn’t follow ‘Community Guidelines’, and posts not being approved because they included “excessive skin” and “provocative dancing”. Copyslut considers themselves to be a life-affirming, family-friendly band.
“We are a family friendly band, we center our music around storytelling, transformative healing, and self-love. Being open about our experiences - pain, love, and pleasure - frames our music and helps to create shame free environments. This has moved people, especially youth, to open up about their own experiences. For every person who has approached me to vulnerably share something after a show or a social media post, I like to think there are many more who are also opening up in their own unique and personal ways.
Taboos and censorship hurt the youths’ ability to get the support they need when exploring their identities, sexuality, and life experiences. When we teach ourselves and others about boundaries and pursuing pleasure openly with curiosity, it helps us all develop tools for safer, more fulfilling, consensual relationships” - Chatz of Love, Lead Singer of Copyslut
The conversation in the media is new, but since the passing of SESTA/FOSTA, there have been many who are collecting data and working on a legislative level to overturn these laws. As artists who are being directly impacted by censorship and shadow banning, Copyslut cares about being a part of the conversations that are educating others on this issue and putting an end of online censorship including shadow banning. Those unjustly impacted by corporate censorship in our complex ecosystem need a platform to uplift each other.
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We have collected quotes from people who have experienced multiple forms of shadow banning for their attempts to educate followers about sexual health, consent, body positivity, the importance of the female perspective and much more - we’ve included partial quotes below. Full quotes are available upon request.
Erika Lust - A Swedish Erotic filmmaker, screenwriter and producer who has proved instrumental in the aims of the feminist pornography movement // IG: @erikalust
“Instagram already has strict guidelines when it comes to sexual content, with depictions of sexual intercourse and most types of nudity outright banned. So, what more can they be looking for under the label of “sexually suggestive”? Whilst the term is open to interpretation, there is no denying that it is directed at women. Almost anything that women do - eating, exercising, sunbathing - can be seen as such. It is often the way in which women are viewed rather than what they are doing that renders their behavior potentially suggestive or not. Images that could be viewed as empowering, body positive or informative can just as easily be seen as suggestive when viewed from a male perspective. It is this lack of objectivity that is most concerning, especially when you consider that the majority of people behind the tech companies making these decisions are men.”
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SH:24: An online account promoting the importance of sexual and reproductive health. They offer free STI-testing, advice and support in partnership with the NHS // IG: @sh24_nhs
"SH:24 is a sex positive, not-for-profit sexual health service, providing online STI testing and educational resources. We've experienced censorship on Facebook owned platforms - our posts have occasionally been flagged as violating "community guidelines" on both Instagram and Facebook. This is incredibly frustrating, particularly when our posts are educational - for example, a post promoting a queer sex ed guide for women who have sex with women was removed. Several hashtags, including "sexuality" appear to have been shadow banned - this feels like Facebook is deliberately targeting and removing progressive or LGBTQ+ content.”
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Mistress Blunt: Danielle Blunt is a NYC-based Dominatrix and sex worker rights activist. She researches the intersection of public health, sex work and equitable access to tech // IG + Twitter: @mistressblunt
“Shadow banning is one of the ways that marginalized communities are denied access to technologies. Shadow banning has an effect of displacement, isolation, and heightened exposure to violence.
While many platforms explicitly ban adult content and sex worker use, some utilize what is commonly referred to as ‘shadow banning,’ or what platforms, when admitting the practice, refer to as ‘algorithmic curation’. Like fashion influencers and indie musicians, some sex workers use social media to build their brands, as well as build communities and organize; hashtags and viral posts have the power to shift public discourse. But in many instances, these tools do not work the same way for sex workers.”
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