Black Label Magazine Takes On FOSTA in 1st Amendment Op-Ed

Many in the adult community have been upset and inconvenienced by changes to the rules on some of the leading social media sites, and in response, Lincoln from Black Label magazine has published an article titled “The Capitalist Oppression” and illustrated it with new photos as he argues that tech companies are whittling away at freedom of expression. He discusses Facebook’s new community standards and how they are squashing discussions of sex in general as well as artistic representations and the expectation that (Facebook-owned) Instagram will follow suit, as well as Tumblr’s new crackdown on porn and the hope that Twitter doesn’t follow suit. “They lured us in with the promise of an amazing, inclusive platform with which we could express ourselves, spread our message throughout the world, and make connections we otherwise couldn’t,” Lincoln writes. “Once we were in, trapped, they tightened down the clamps.” They are seeking, he writes, to push the adult industry back underground. Reacting to anti-sex-trafficking legislation FOSTA/SESTA, social media outlets now have cover for their censorship as these confusing regulations blur the lines between true outlaws and sex industry professionals. “Literally MILLIONS of people desire to consume what we create and distribute,” Lincoln continues. “So, by censoring us, ostracizing us, discriminating on us, these companies are doing the same to the regular folks who seek to see and consume what we create. They are depriving our fans (and us, for that matter) of liberty and the pursuit of happiness—the very foundation of the United States of America. They are preventing us from exercising our First Amendment right to express ourselves.” These are concerning times for the adult industry and for anyone who enjoys the content or even the conversation. Lincoln’s article is an important voice in this important dialog. The print edition of Black Label magazine may be purchased here, and the digital issue can be found here. All the issues and membership information can be found here.