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Tech firms drawn into lawmakers' battle over deterring online sex trade

As House, Senate panels separately weigh solutions, Internet sites are fearful of losing the broad immunity granted to online businesses under federal law

online, online sex trade, computer
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John D McKinnon | WSJ Washington
A dispute over how to deter a flourishing online sex trade is likely to escalate into a high-profile policy battle in 2018, adding to political headaches for big tech.
 
Lawmakers for months have been working on ways to address the issue, which has its roots in a 1990s law that gives websites and other online businesses broad legal immunity for activity of their users. The law has provided legal cover for adult classified-ad sites such as Backpage.com to develop into big businesses, shielding them from lawsuits by victims as well as prosecution and other actions by local authorities.
 

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