“Censored” is a conversation about two bills known as FOSTA, the Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act, and SESTA, the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act. The laws were written to fight online sex trafficking by making website publishers responsible if third parties are found to be posting ads for prostitution on their platforms. What has ended up happening is platforms that allowed sex workers to be self employed have shut down. The larger population experiences the impact of SESTA/FOSTA through thoroughly censored legal activity on social media. Users that create sexual images are routinely shadow banned, hashtags come back with no images connected, and images that are considered “in poor taste” get demoted by algorithms.
The image was covered with no explanation about what is underneath. There were no any signs that invited the audience to touch the art nor were any posts made about the image under the curtain until the show was over. Some viewers did not see it.
Model: @joyafterdark
Rigger/Photographer: @the_silence_photographer
