fosta-sesta-law-affecting-legit-dating-sites-freedom-online

The fallout from the FOSTA-SESTA law is continuing. As so many predicted, the law is harming consensual sex workers and now… regular dating sites… AND freedom online.

I came across a story about a site called Pounced.org (now defunct as of Nov./2018). I hadn’t heard of it, but then again….

I’m not interested in cosplay in furry animal outfits.

Pounced.org is (soon to be shutdown) a dating site for those (around the world) who love to dress up as furry animals and engage in foreplay and friendship with other ‘furries’.

Now, before you dismiss this, let me tell you how Pounced.org (closing July 1st/2018) affects you and your right to free speech on the internet. First, some quick back story, Pounced.org, launched in March 2003. It was a free, location-based service to help furries meet other furries.

This was literally a world wide site. People from around the globe would connect on the Pounced forum. They would make arrangements to meet up locally or go to a national or international conference to wear fur and play.

According to Wikifur, (Yes, there is such a site. That’s how serious a niche this is.) over 71,000 users and 13,000 personal ads were listed in 2016. Wikifur has dozens of “Fur-Cons” scheduled to take place around the world this year.

Think Santa-Con, which has descended on New York City in recent years in December. Except, instead of red hats think bunny costumes. The site launched in 2003! How many sites are around today that started out then? Very few.

This is all because of the broadly written and widely interpreted meaning of the FOSTA-SESTA law the US government can come after sites like Pounced.org. Since it’s a small group of people who run the site, mostly on a volunteer basis, as the site was completely free to use, they do not have the resources to fight any legal backlash.

THAT’S what FOSTA-SESTA has done. That’s right. FOSTA-SESTA has stopped Mickey Mouse from meeting the Easter Bunny.

It also means you have less freedom online.

Just because you or I hadn’t heard of Pounced.org doesn’t mean it didn’t have it’s place on the net. If you read through their very short and sweet About Section it says this:

“Pounced.org was founded as a way for members of the furry fandom to meet each other, and had since become the primary furry personals site on the internet. It was founded by furs and for furs, it is run by volunteers.”

THAT’s what FOSTA-SESTA has done. It has shutdown the furry fandom and their coming for you next. Don’t think so? Get this….
A quick Google search popped up loads of stats on the furry fandom community around the world. It’s obvious this is a deeply devoted fan base. Pounced.org spawned websites started by its members. Pounced.org help to create friendships.

The offshoot websites connected people of the same furry mindset. Pounced.org helped to promote national and international conferences where furries from all over could meet.

I have to ask… where is the harm in all of this?

As stated on dogpatch.press – there were hook ups. When planning a trip to a FurCon, furries would connect via the forum on Pounced.org. In doing so they would make arrangements to share a room together.

These plans were made between consenting adults set up ahead of time. Whose business is it if the fellow furries shared a room together, split the cost and got defuzzed together?

THAT is what FOSTA-SESTA has done.

As far as I can tell, there have been no improvements in regard to catching sex traffickers because of the FOSTA-SESTA laws. You’d think politicians would want to shout if from the roof tops if they had been successful. The few dating sites who seem immune to FOSTA-SESTA are the big sites like Match.com, Cupid.com and Tinder.

They have the resources to hire a legal team and employees to monitor and keep the site within compliance of the laws. Once again it’s the little guy who gets screwed. Let’s just vote these fools out of office. It’s one of the most fundamental rights as a full fledged citizen of this country.

I’ve made the suggestion to vote for candidates who support liberal marijuana laws because they tend to be the most progressive thinkers. It means they’re the most likely to have the foresight and (hopefully) guts to call for an amendment to the FOSTA–SESTA laws.

It’s happening. The thing we never thought would NEVER happen in America. We are losing our freedoms. Fight back by voting for progressives and staying informed. More to come on FOSTA-SESTA.