Stop Trafficking ! Anti-Human Trafficking Newsletter

April 2018 Vol. 16 No. 04 This issue highlights the National Center on Sexual Exploitation’s list of companies promoting sexual exploitation.

U.S. Catholic Sisters Against Human Trafficking Sponsors of ‘Stop Trafficking’ 2018 •Adorers of the Blood of Christ •Sisters of Charity of New York •Adrian Dominicans •Sisters of Charity of St. Joan •Benedictine Sisters of Chicago Antida •Benedictine Sisters of Mount St. •Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Scholastica, Atchison, KS Virgin Mary Dirty Dozen List •Cenacle Sisters, N. Amer. Prov. •Sisters of Charity of the •Congregation of Notre Dame Incarnate Word •Congregation of Sisters of •Sisters of Christian Charity St. Agnes Mendham, NJ & Wilmette, IL •Congregation of St. Joseph •Sisters of Mercy of the Americas •Daughters of Charity, •Sisters of Notre Dame, CA Prov. Province of the West •Sisters of Notre Dame de •Daughters of Charity, Namur, USA Prov. of St. Louise •Sisters of Providence, Mother •Daughters of the Holy Spirit Joseph Province •Dominican Sisters of •Sisters of Providence of St. Mission San Jose, CA Vincent de Paul •Dominican Sisters of Peace •Sisters of St. Francis of Clinton •Dominican Sisters of •Sisters of St. Francis of San Rafael, CA Colorado Springs •Dominican Sisters of •Sisters of St. Francis of Sinsinawa, WI Dubuque •Dominican Sisters of Springfield, IL •Sisters of St. Francis of •Felician Sisters Redwood City •Franciscan Sisters of Little Falls •Sisters of St. Francis of the •Franciscan Sisters of Peace Providence of God •Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual •Sisters of St. Francis Adoration Rochester, MN •Franciscan Sisters of the Sacred •Sisters of St. Joseph of Heart Carondelet •Holy Spirit Missionary Sisters •Sisters of St. Joseph of Chestnut •Marianites of Holy Cross Hill Philadelphia •Maryknoll Sisters •Sisters of St. Joseph of Cluny, •Medical Mission Sisters USA & Canada Prov.s •Our Lady of Victory Missionary •Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange Sisters •Sisters of the Divine Savior •Presentation Sisters, San Francisco •Sisters of the Good Shepherd •Religious of the Sacred Heart •Sisters of the Holy Cross of Mary •Sisters of the Holy Family •Religious Sisters of Charity •Sisters of the Holy Names of •School Sisters of Notre Dame, Jesus and Mary North America •Sisters of the Humility of Mary •School Sisters of St. Francis •Sisters of the Precious Blood •School Sisters of St. Francis of •Society of the Holy Child Jesus Christ the King •U.S. Ursuline Sisters of the •Servants of the Holy Heart of Mary Roman Union •Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati •Sisters of Charity of Halifax USCSAHT Partner •Sisters of Charity of •Society of the Divine Savior USA Leavenworth •Sisters of Charity of Nazareth Anti-Human Trafficking Newsletter 16/04

2 • One mother contacted NCOSE when her teenage son showed her the dozens of graphic tees with full frontal nudity and sexually objectifying depictions of women that showed up when he was simply looking for a t-shirt. • One of NCOSE’s staff bought a back brace on Amazon and then continued to get sadomasochistic parapherna- lia as ‘Recommendations’ for items she might be inter- ested in. Amazon has more than 8,000 BDSM Sex Toys for sale. (BDSM refers to a variety of often erotic practices or roleplaying involving bondage, discipline, dominance and submission, sadomasochism.) • A concerned father alerted NCOSE to the fact that when searching with his son on Amazon for ‘guitar pick cases,’ many cases with nudity and depicting sex acts were displayed. The National Center on Sexual Exploitation works for a • One women contacted NCOSE when, after perusing world where the pornified vision of reality—with its utilitar- Amazon’s magazine selections for something she might ian and insatiable consumption of human beings for selfish be interested in, she found many pornography titles for sexual pleasure, and its raw, brutal, debasing, hate-filled sale. themes—become intolerable to all those who have concern for the well-being of humanity, have respect for human digni- To learn more of the problem and to find ways to take ty, and affirm human rights. action, go to: https://endsexualexploitation.org/amazon/ The NCOSE announced its annual “Dirty Dozen List” in February 2018. The list names and shames a range of actors who contribute significantly to the normalization of pornog- “We target mainstream corporations and services, raphy, prostitution, sex trafficking, and other forms of sexual which the American people use and interact with ev- exploitation. ery day on a mass scale, that simultaneously promote The groups, agencies, businesses (and this year, individuals) or profit from messages of incest, the dehumanization named to this list are among the nation’s worst for masquer- of women, sexual violence and even racism and child ading as mainstream entities with respectable reputations, exploitation. while facilitating access to, or pandering and profiting direct- “This year we departed from the tradition of target- ly from pornography and/or prostitution. ing only companies or organizations and also high- Others push policy agendas that normalize egregious forms lighted ‘The Poster Boys of #MeTo.’ These are some of sexual exploitation. This list ensures that their participa- of the most prominent men in Hollywood who have tion and collusion with the various aspects of the sex trade abused their positions of power. becomes public knowledge, and equips concerned citizens “If the ‘#Me Too’ movement has revealed anything, with information and tools to hold them accountable. it is that sexual exploitation runs deep in our society, The NCOSE is committed to continue naming and shaming and the Dirty Dozen List gives individuals a voice, and until these mainstream contributors to the normalization a chance to take action and hold mega-corporations of sexual exploitation no longer stand in allegiance with and public influencers responsible for promoting rape pornographers, sex traffickers, and sex buyers, but join the myths, and sexual entitlement, that fuel sexual harass- concerned public in fighting for the right of everyone to live ment and violence,” explained Haley Halverson, Vice ‘sexploitation-free’ lives. President of Advocacy and Outreach at the NCOSE. Anti-Human Trafficking Newsletter 16/04

amount of easily accessible sexually explicit material bypassing school filters mixed in with educational mate- rial. On June 23rd 2017, EBSCO wrote to NCOSE saying they were ‘confi- dent’ the sexually graphic content was completely removed from their school products. But on June 26th NCOSE 3 researchers found over 50 sexually graphic articles across four states in 50 minutes of searching. The vast majority of these graphic results came With premium channel services. directly from EBSCO’s middle school opera- Comcast provides dozens of pornog- and elementary school databases. The tions in 97 countries and 943 locations raphy titles via its Cinemax, Playboy, material still largely bypasses school worldwide, Backpage.com is likely the Vivid, Hustler, TEN, and Too Much and home filters because it is within largest facilitator of sex trafficking in for TV channels and subscriptions. the EBSCO search engine. the world. All in all, by one review conducted in As a classified advertising website April 2016, there were 515 X-rated known as ‘the hub’ for prostitution offerings on Comcast’s Xfinity. Many advertising, Backpage.com serves as a of the pornography titles offered by Home virtual auction block where sex buyers Comcast Xfinity contain themes of Box Of- can shop for human beings for sex incest, racism, sexism, prostitution, fice Inc. from the privacy of their home, office, and exploitation. (HBO) is hotel room, or cell phone. Comcast’s current ISP model re- an Amer- Many of those bought and sold via quires that customers wishing to ican subscription-only, cable television the website are sexually trafficked block hardcore material jump through network owned by Home Box Office, women and children. The website complicated hoops to filter or ‘opt-out’ Inc., a division of Time Warner. As facilitates this activity by allegedly of those services. However, the ‘opt-in’ estimated by Nielsen in July 2015, editing ads to conceal the illegality of model would require those customers approximately 30.9% of the 116.4 underlying criminal activity and re- wishing to view hardcore pornography million U.S. homes with televisions mains immune from prosecution due online to ‘opt in’ to access such sites, receive HBO. Through its HBO NOW to the Communications Decency Act while other customers automatically streaming service, its content can be Section 230. would receive their Internet free from streamed to mobile devises via broad- NCOSE demands that Backpage.com sexually exploitative material. band connections. Additionally, a deal stop promoting and profiting from with Amazon grants Amazon Prime sexual exploitation. They must stop members unlimited streaming access EB- facilitating sex trafficking, prostitution, to past seasons of HBO programs, as SCO and the exchange of pornographic well as select current series. Addition- Infor- photos (including child sexual abuse ally, its channel HBO Zone airs movies mation images) by eliminating the ‘adult ser- and original programs aimed at Services vices’ section of their website. young adults ages 18-34, and features offers pornographic movies. HBO is also online library resources to public and available via satellite to subscribers of private schools (K-12), public libraries, the DISH Network. universities, and more. In its advertis- Since the early 2000s HBO has ing for schools, it promises ‘fast access produced a string of original programs to curriculum-appropriate content.’ that incorporate graphic sex scenes. Comcast Corporation is an Ameri- However, its Explora, Science Refer- Examples include G String Divas, Cat- can telecommunications conglomer- ence Center, Literary Reference Cen- House: The Series, and Hung. Graphic ate that provides numerous services ter, and other products, provide easy depictions of sex, rape, and brutal including broadcasting and cable access to hardcore pornography sites sexual violence are also commonplace television, home phone services, and and extremely graphic sexual content. in The Deuce, Game of Thrones and high-speed Internet. Unfortunately, In 2017, EBSCO removed some Westworld. Comcast’s Xfinity also peddles por- content from their K-12 databases. nography via its video-on-demand and However there remains an incredible Anti-Human Trafficking Newsletter 16/04

During the avalanche of public apologies that came out during the #MeToo phenomenon, most alleged predators invoked passive verbs, NCOSE scaled to generalities, and employed broke excuses, producing disingenuous, ex- with its cusatory apologies. This shows sexual tradition assault and harassment are not merely of plac- behavioral problems; they are rooted ing only in deep-set cultural beliefs. 4 main- stream A lead- Apple’s compa- ing media iBooks app nies or streaming is auto- organiza- compa- matically tions on ny, Roku provides its users with the pre-down- the Dirty ability to stream television programs, loaded on most iPhones as an easy Dozen List, to include four ‘Poster movies, music, and more, on their way to access audio and written Boys’ of the #MeToo culture of sexual personal devices. Roku also facili- books while mobile. However, this assault and harassment: Harvey Wein- tates access to hardcore pornography app contains erotic literature that stein, Kevin Spacey, Woody Allen, channels through hundreds of private supports rape myths, normalizes and James Franco. These men used and hidden channels. This stands in adult-with-teen- and incest-themed their power to both harass and abuse sharp contrast to the policies of other exploitation, and reinforces degrading others, as well as shape America’s cul- streaming device industry leaders racially charged sexual stereotypes. tural acceptance of sexual exploitation such as Apple TV or Amazon’s Fire Even innocent searches autopopulate through their professions. TV, which have rightly kept hardcore graphic suggestions. Many stories fea- Harvey Weinstein was chosen for his pornography off of their systems. ture ‘barely legal’ student-teacher, and now infamous abuse of power over Pornographers are well aware of the ‘babysitter’ sex, ‘forced sex’ (aka rape) countless women in the entertainment backdoor Roku has left open to them. or submission of Black, Asian, and industry. Kevin Spacey was chosen for They widely advertise for their private Indian minority races to white males. his abuse and harassment of males, channels and applaud Roku in forum Apple encourages authors to correctly underscoring the reality that males after forum for being the go-to stream- label their genres but does not trans- are also victims of sexual exploitation. ing device to permit this material. parently inform readers of the true Woody Allen was chosen because he category system in iBooks. ‘Erotica’ personifies the elite exploiters, who re- isn’t listed under the ‘African Amer- main insulated from the consequences ican Fiction’ category on the main Snap- of their actions, despite decades of chat is a page, but in the second section listed reports that he sexually abused his on the ‘African American Fiction’ mobile then 7-year old adopted daughter. app that page itself. This means that people are James Franco was chosen for not only easily accidentally exposed to sexually allows users to send and receive pho- accusations of sexual misconduct but tos and videos, which will disappear graphic material. also his art imitating life through The This is inconsistent with Apple’s after a few seconds of the recipient Deuce, an HBO show normalizing viewing them. Snapchat’s ‘Stories’ other policies that have kept pornogra- commercial sexual exploitation and phy off of their app store and Apple TV string Snaps together to create a depicting eroticized sexual violence. narrative that lasts for 24 hours. To streaming devices, They are the symptom of a deeply A lot of erotic content on iBooks isn’t create a ‘Story,’ a user chooses to add entrenched culture of sexual objectifi- their Snaps to their ‘Story.’ Depending even labeled under the title of ‘erotica’ cation and exploitation, fueled by por- but is deceptively located under the on their privacy settings, the photos nography and the cultural elites who and videos added to a ‘Story’ can be ambiguous section title ‘What’s Hot.’ produce films and shows that eroticize This section heading suggests to the viewed by either all Snapchatters, or even glamorize sexual harassment, just the user’s friends, or a custom- Apple user that these books may be the assault, commercial sexual exploita- most popular, and, believing that the ized group, whereas Snaps are viewed tion, and the production of content only by a user who is personally sent topic is ‘safe,’ they may read, or worse, that reinforces rape myths. Hollywood allow their children to read, selections the Snap from the sender.Snapchat’s and many media corporations bear ‘Stories’ also includes public content without suspecting the content may be weighty responsibility for perpetuating harmful. the warped mindsets of abusers. Snapchat cont. pg. 5 Anti-Human Trafficking Newsletter 16/04

graphic and degrading themes, the user is not only a voyeur but an active participant in staging the scene. The House Party ‘hook up’ game on are frequently enticed, pressured, and Steam literally trains its users in pred- even bullied by their peers to create atory tactics for sexual assault, and and send sexts. In many other instanc- even sex trafficking, which then plague es, predatory adults groom minors by real people offline in high schools, uni- seeking sexual images of, and even 5 versities, military bases, and more. sexual encounters with, underage The game includes disturbing fea- boys and girls. Many Snapchat images tures that allow users to increase their Snapchat cont. from pg. 4 have found their way on ‘revenge’ odds of ‘having sex’ with a woman from media outlets like Cosmopolitan, porn sites. In fact, minors have been in the game if they manipulate and that could contain sexually graphic criminally charged with distributing coerce women into sex acts. Different material that cannot be easily blocked or creating child pornography through game scenarios include blackmail us- by users. Snapchat over the last several years. ing nude pictures, increasing women’s There are 100 million daily active Snapchat still does not allow users alcohol consumption, impersonating users, 65% of users upload content to opt-out of sexually graphic content a friend through text, and jamming – snaps or stories. 71% of users are or to report Snapchat users that are a woman’s cell phone reception to under age 25. A 2014 survey of high sending sexually explicit photos and isolate her in a room away from other school seniors revealed that 46% of videos, or using their Snapchat app party goers. Users ‘win’ the game by them used Snapchat daily and 77% of to promote or advertise pornography having sex with women at the party. college students used the app daily. or prostitution. Snapchat’s business The sexual encounters are blatant ani- There are approximately 6 billion daily model facilitates sexual exploitation mated pornography, featuring genita- Snapchat video views (Facebook has 8 yielding hefty profits for the company lia, ejaculation, and more. billion video views a day). without any regard for the associated As our society suffers from the con- Arguably the most popular smart- harms. sequences of campus sexual assault, phone app used by Millennials and military sexual assault, and rising teens, Snapchat is frequently used for child-on-child sexual abuse, we see sexting and the sharing of self-pro- Steam that normalizing the sexual use (and duced child sexual abuse images. is the often abuse) of others in videogames Many of the pornographic images on ‘Walmart’ is irresponsible on the corporate and Snapchat are created and distributed of online social level. by children and many of these images videogame distribution, with over 35 Recommended Policy and end up on third party websites. Snaps million users who are minors. Steam Platform Improvements have been hacked and recipients can offers categories of ‘nudity’ and ‘sexual The NCOSE urges Steam® and its easily take screenshots to save and content’ video games, which include parent company Valve® to do the further distribute Snaps they have over 780 video games with explicit following: received. content, featuring only mild warnings, • Remove the game House Party due The Snapcash app went from re- such as ‘may not be appropriate for to its singularly degrading and ex- ported revenue of $3 million in 2014 all ages, or for work.’ ploitive themes. to projected revenue of $50 million Owned by Valve Corporation, Steam • Create an 18+ category on its website in 2015. A major contributor to this sells thousands of video games for PC, where all games with any amount of growth is the development of the fea- Mac, Linux box, mobile devices, and nudity or sexual content are stored. ture Snapcash, which enables Snap- televisions, in addition to connecting All accounts should have this 18+ chat and its users to monetize and gamers with community forums on its category disabled by default. There profit from the exchange of pornogra- website. should be an extensive opt-in process phy. Many porn performers and strip These games, for example House Par- to view such games so that children club employees are using Snapcash ty, Men of Yoshiwara: Ohgiya, Super are no longer automatically exposed to earn money for nude videos and Star, Porno Studio Tycoon and more, to this content. photos of themselves. promote themes of sexual violence, • Institute a more robust policy Many individuals, and even teen- exhibitionism, and rape, with the enforcement against selling games agers, who do not routinely engaged dangerous misconception that sexually that normalize or glamorize sexual in the sex trade, have used Snapchat exploiting others is harmless and fun. exploitation in the future, no matter for sexting and Snapcash for selling When videogames include sexually the age of the user. self-made pornography. Individuals Anti-Human Trafficking Newsletter 16/04

fill the list of suggested content on the right side of the screen, or will be list- duit to user-generated videos where ed as suggestions in the video player cute videos are mixed together with when finished watching the explicit sexually graphic material. A simple film. This is especially dangerous for search term like ‘how to have’ can younger audiences using YouTube. autocomplete with child sex themes. Enforce the Standards, Regard- While YouTube fixes such problems less of the Partner It appears that Google is willing to let 6 whenever they receive concentrated media attention, the website does the Terms of Use slide for celebrities There little to proactively monitor or restrict who upload content that is in direct are as inappropriate content. It appears that violation. Beyoncé, Justin Timberlake, many whenever they can get away with it, and Robin Thicke are just a few exam- as 10 YouTube allows inappropriate content ples of celebrities who have amassed million Twitter accounts that may in- to remain on its platform in order to millions of views (and $$$ for Google) clude explicit sexual content. Twitter generate views and more profit. with music videos that include full has come under fire recently for vast Users Must Serve As Moderators frontal nudity. amounts of cyber-based sexual ha- Google’s current system depends What Should YouTube Do? rassment, revenge pornography, being largely on reactive moderating, which Despite positive changes regarding spammed with pornography, having relies on users to flag and report GooglePlay and AdWords, Google has one’s virtual identity co-opted by tags offensive or sexually explicit content. remained reticent regarding changes to pornography, and even sexually YouTube prefers this method to taking to anything relating to the content exploited images of children on its responsibility upon itself to provide on YouTube. While the launch of the platform. Korea caught 117 people dis- more active moderation and policing YouTube Kids App is a step in right tributing explicit sexual content via in real-time, because the views on direction, it does not go far enough. Twitter―33 of the distributors were explicit videos help to serve YouTube’s Together, with thousands of con- elementary school children. bottom line. cerned parents and users, NCOSE Twitter is responsible for doing its When users must act as moderators, urges Google to: part to curb sexual exploitation, yet they must first watch the explicit con- • Turn Safe Search and Restricted the company has by default shifted re- tent and then report exact time stamps Mode on automatically for all You- sponsibility to report sexually graphic with descriptions. The main problem Tube users, so that they have to tweets or accounts onto the individual with this established procedure for opt-in for more graphic or adult con- user. Twitter must recognize that por- content removal is that users must tent, instead of being automatically nography is overtly sexist, objectifying, first be exposed to the harmful content bombarded with sexually exploitive and sexually exploitative. Pornography and then they must continue to view material. and prostitution reduce women to be the offensive material as they alert • Improve the ease and access of re- less than human – to be sexual objects Google about the violation. porting videos that violate its Terms whose sole purpose is to be consumed Ads on Explicit Videos of Use. by the public. Twitter’s laisse-faire Sexually explicit videos on You- • Apply the same image filtering soft- approach to sexually explicit content Tube often amass many views, be- ware currently used to identify child has gone on far too long. coming eligible for lucrative pre-roll pornography to flag all forms of adult video ads that make YouTube and the pornography or sexualized nudity as well. Currently, You- Uploading Channel lots of money. • Develop a more thorough review pro- Tube has over a Searches and Related Content cess for channels applying to mone- billion users—al- Many innocent search terms used on tize their videos. most one-third of YouTube will bring up hardcore and • Extend the AdWords policy to all people on the Internet. YouTube violent explicit videos because upload- YouTube and refuse to profit from reaches more 18-49 year olds than any ers use misleading descriptions when sexually exploitive content. cable network in the U.S. Every 60 adding the content. Certainly, Google • Update YouTube to work more effi- seconds 300 hours of video is upload- has the ability to develop a system for ciently with third-party filters. ed to YouTube and 323 days worth of analyzing the images and not just the • Most importantly, we call on Google YouTube videos are viewed on Face- text descriptions of uploaded content. to use its creativity and immense book. YouTube’s 2014 revenue was Another problem is that, once users talent to develop effective solutions estimated to be $4 billion. view an explicit video, other videos for this growing problem. Google’s YouTube is an Internet con- with sexually explicit thumbnails will Anti-Human Trafficking Newsletter 16/04

spirit of #MeToo that has swept our country include victims of the sexu- al exploitation and sex trafficking or not.” Excerpted from Lisa Thompson, Vice up their own prostitution advertising President of Policy and Research for the platforms. Thus, the Internet now National Center on Sexual Exploitation hosts a thriving and ever-expanding (https://endsexualexploitation.org/articles/me- virtual, open marketplace for the mar- too-power-bring-corporatized-sex-trafficking/) 7 keting and purchase of people for sex. “Which brings us back to #MeToo. If NCOSE Successes A Legislative Remedy to there was ever a time for our country Stop Internet Porn to say we value women and children Google adopted a policy to prohibit too much to see them traded like pub- pornographic ads and any ads that “If there is a single legislative test of lic sexual commodities on the Internet, link to websites with sexually explicit the strength of our national resolve to surely this is the moment. content. deliver on the promise of #MeToo, it “The U.S. Senate could do just that by Facebook has taken steps to im- is the battle over passage of the much passing the legislative package known prove blocking and reporting of child needed FOSTA-SESTA legislative as FOSTA-SESTA, which in Febru- pornography on its site. package that would amend Section ary 2018 passed in the U.S. House GooglePlay instituted policies that 230 of the Communications Decency of Representatives 388 to 25. The prohibit pornographic apps in their Act, which until now protects web- underlying bill, the ‘Enable States and app store after the first year on our list sites hosting third-party content from Victims to Fight Online Sex Traffick- (though lax enforcement of this policy lawsuits based on the actions of those ing Act’ (FOSTA), was sponsored by followed). After a second year on the third-parties. Rep. Ann Wagner. An amendment list, GooglePlay removed all apps in “The most infamous of these websites offered by Rep. Mimi Walters added violation. is Backpage.com. Carl Ferrer, James the provisions of the ‘Stop Enabling Walmart, RiteAid, Food Lion Larkin, and Michael Lacey represent a Sex Traffickers Act’ (SESTA), spon- and other retailers moved to put the corporate class of sex traffickers, who sored by Sens. Rob Portman and sexually explicit Cosmopolitan mag- sit at the apex of the global supply Richard Blumenthal. This legislation azine behind blinders in their retail chain of sexual exploitation. restores civil rights of action to victims shops. “As a ‘business’ that helps arrange of sex trafficking and empowers states Hilton Hotels Worldwide pub- prostitution transactions and derives Attorneys General to prosecute the licly announced it would stop selling earnings from them, there can be no corporate kings of sex trafficking. pornography and issued orders to doubt that Backpage, and its execu- “I wish I could say that without a implement this policy in all of their tives and owners, are the functional shadow of a doubt that the Senate will properties around the world. equivalents of sex traffickers (i.e. pass FOSTA-SESTA. Tragically, that The Department of Defense pimps). As an example, from January is not the case. FOSTA-SESTA has stopped the sale of pornography in all 2013 to March 2015, 99% of Back- powerful opponents. Those oppo- Army and Air Force base exchanges. page’s global revenue was attributable nents generally fall into three camps: The DOD also ordered regular search- to prostitution advertising. During this 1) those who see the sex trade as just es and removal of all sexual materials same period, Backpage made nearly another business sector, 2) those who displayed in public and in workplaces $51 million in revenue from prostitu- believe that any amendment to the for all military branches. tion ads in California alone. CDA whatsoever imperils the tech- Intercontinental Hotels Group “Low level sex traffickers, who post nology sector, and 3) those who claim (IHG). This premiere international ads on websites for the purpose of that amending the CDA fatally wounds hotel company, which includes brands marketing the women and girls they freedom of speech. like Holiday Inn and Crowne Pla- monger, may easily be arrested and “These are specious arguments. Peo- za, was a candidate for the 2016 Dirty prosecuted. But that is not true for ple are not products to be sold online. Dozen List for its sale of hardcore Ferrer and company. The 1st Circuit The lives of women and children are pornography via on-demand televi- Court of Appeals ruled that Section not a sacrifice to make on the altar of sion offerings. But IHG worked with 230 of the CDA protects Backpage’s corporate self-interest. The victims of NCOSE to remove pornography from activities even if they knowingly facili- sex trafficking need more free speech, all its hotels globally and stayed off the tated sex trafficking. not less. list. (https://endsexualexploitation.org/ “Inspired by Backpage’s success, oth- “Members of the U.S. Senate, this dirtydozen-2018/#victory) ers have flocked to the Internet to start is your moment to decide: does the Anti-Human Trafficking Newsletter 16/04

Informative Web Sites: (Each contains information related to human trafficking)

National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE) https://endsexualexploitation.org NCOSE Updates 8 https://endsexualexploitation.org/ dirtydozen-2018/#updates SESTA Passes Congress of new provisions aimed at addressing 2018 Dirty Dozen Flyer current policy gaps, such as strength- https://endsexualexploitation.org/ On March 21, 2018, the U.S. Sen- ening the Department of State’s wp-content/uploads/DD_2018_fli- ate passed the Stop Enabling Sex Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report by er_2-6.pdf Traffickers Act (SESTA). The legis- ensuring countries are more accurate- lation passed the House (388 to 25) ly analyzed and ranked; exempting Towards a Global Indicator in late February. SESTA provides a restitution for trafficking survivors on Unidentified Victims in much-needed update to the Commu- from federal taxes; bolstering efforts Child Sexual Exploitation nications Decency Act (CDA) that pro- to keep goods made from forced labor Material https://static1.squarespace. tects both people from being exploited from entering the U.S.; and increasing online and First Amendment rights. com/static/594970e91b631b- support for the U.S. Advisory Council 3571be12e2/t/5a9eb8fd SESTA enables state law enforcement on Human Trafficking. officials to take legal action against individuals or businesses that violate Become a federal sex trafficking laws, such as the alleged actions by Backpage.com, NCOSE Activist without inadvertently affecting good actors who are not knowingly facili- The Dirty Dozen List is an activism tool that gives back power to individuals tating sex trafficking. SESTA allows who want a voice in the culture. People can participate by taking easy online victims of sex trafficking to seek civil actions -- from sending emails to sharing social media messages. remedy against the websites that facili- 2018 Actions tated their victimization. To learn more of the problem for each specific entity (http://polarisproject.org/news/press-releases/ and to find ways to take action, go to: sesta-passes-senate) https://endsexualexploitation.org/amazon/ https://endsexualexploitation.org/backpage/ https://endsexualexploitation.org/comcast/ Take Action: Urge Congress https://endsexualexploitation.org/ebsco/ to reauthorize the TVPA https://endsexualexploitation.org/hbo/ https://act.polarisproject.org/ https://endsexualexploitation.org/ibooks/ https://endsexualexploitation.org/posterboys/ page/7792/action/1?ea.url.id=1305122 https://endsexualexploitation.org/roku/ https://endsexualexploitation.org/snapchat/ The Trafficking Victims Protection https://endsexualexploitation.org/steam/ Act (TVPA) expired in Sept. 2017. https://endsexualexploitation.org/twitter/ Originally passed in 2000, the law has https://endsexualexploitation.org/youtube/ been reauthorized four times since. For actions related to other In 2017 three bills were introduced to Stop Trafficking! is dedicated reauthorize it: H.R. 2200 introduced NCOSE projects, go to: exclusively to fostering an exchange of by Reps. Chris Smith (R-NJ) & Karen https://endsexualexploitation.org/projects/ information among USCSAHT members, Bass (D-CA); S. 1311 introduced by organizations and concerned persons, collaborating to eliminate all forms of Sens. John Cornyn (R-TX) & Amy human trafficking. Klobuchar (D-MN); and S. 1312 intro- To access back issues, go to: duced by Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) Toll-Free 24/7 Hotline http://www.stopenslavement.org/ & Dianne Feinstein (D-CA). Along National Human Trafficking past-issues-chronological.html Resource Center To contribute information, please contact: with reauthorizing funding to combat 1.888.3737.888 [email protected] trafficking, the bills contain a number Text “BeFree” (233733) Editing and Layout: Jean Schafer, SDS