Dear Minors who keep following and Interacting with Explicit stories, I want you to look at this:
Link: https://www.avvo.com/legal-answers/what-laws-apply-to-a-minor-writing-reading-explici-4921019.html
It is illegal for an individual to knowingly use interactive computer services to display obscenity in a manner that makes it available to a minor less than 18 years of age (See 47 U.S.C. § 223(d)). (As stated in a Tumblr post. Click the link to read it fully)
I have seen a lot of discourse, again, about minors being in NSFW spaces and even some adults defending minors and that's not okay. A friend and I have done some research and have collected the above materials to show minors (those who are under the age of 18) that it is illegal for a minor to write, read, or interact with any sort of NSFW work.
When you do so you are putting adults at risk because adults will have to answer for your actions. You are putting adults at risk of legal trouble. When an adult blocks you it is not because they are trying to be mean, it's because they are trying to protect themselves and in existence you from anything bad happening. Nobody wants to end up in jail over a fucking fictional story. It's not fair to adults that you're putting them at such risk because you want to read about your favorite characters having sex.
An author has a responsibility to tag their stories, put warnings on them, and at times disclaimers for the stories so that the reader can make an informed decision before reading. If a story is marked as explicit or the author says they do not want anyone under the age of 18 to read their content then don't read it.
Everyone is allowed to have boundaries. Smut authors are trying to create safe boundaries so they do not do anything that would get them into trouble. If a person - whether or not an they write smut expresses that they don't want children or teens to follow them then that needs to be respected.
It is not anyone responsibility to provide minors with blogs that are safe for them to consume. If a minor can find NSFW blogs then they can find blogs that are safe for them.
Parents - and I know there are parents on here - need to take it upon themselves to educate their children on internet safety and not going into spaces that are not for them. They need to be more proactive in knowing what their children are doing on the internet. There are too many unsafe places and unsafe people on the internet for children and teens to be on it without parent knowledge.
Minors: you need to think about what you're doing and how you're putting people in danger. It is not worth it just so you can read material that's meant for adults. Stop putting people at risk. Stop not listening. Stop following blogs that are under the age of 18. You are in the wrong, not the adults blocking you.
A U.S. librarian sent an ask explaining the 3 types of illegal speech / expression and provides more information on this topic. "There are only 3 types of illegal speech/expression in the U.S. Obscenity, child obscenity & dangerous speech. Obscenity-visual or written-must be decided by the Supreme Court. Nothing has been declared obscene for years, because it's too subjective. This encompasses pornography. For reference, one of the last works to be declared obscene in the U.S. is Miller's Tropic of Cancer and that was and is unenforceable. Child Obscenity is pornography-graphic visual depictions of minors. It's illegal-period. Dangerous Speech is the equivalent of yelling fire in a crowded theater. Putting people in immediate physical harm by lying. In the U.S. minors have the same 1st Amendment rights as adults. It is a violation of their rights for someone in a public library to tell them they cannot read any written material, period. It is supplying graphic visual material, via internet or physical materials, that is illegal. This is why we strongly encourage parents to participate in material selection for their kids. Long story short, I would definitely make it loud and clear that your blog is 18+ only & reiterate that as you publish new material. Also, block minors and remain vigilant to protect yourself. As far as minors producing their own NSFW content, I don't believe that's illegal either. Minors actually have the right to keep thier library account private from thier parents if they choose. It's illegal to provide them with a list of any materials borrowed by their kids if they don't have the account info. Minors have more rights than most people think. Of course, this only applies to U.S. citizens. When dealing with the internet, always err on the side of caution." (If you click on the link you will be taken to the original ask that I have posted here.)
