Regulation of sexually explicit material on the internet has always been fraught with first-amendment difficulties. Furthermore, the perception that there is easy money to be had has led to the stuffing of email-boxes with unsolicited and unwanted tasteless junkmail. Finally real progress is being made as the merchants in the financial infrastructure such as VISA decide that there are some customers they can do without. By monitoring websites and refusing to provide their services for the types of sites with whom they would rather not be associated, they not only avoid getting involved with enterprises of questionable legality and even more questionable exploitation, but they also hinder the flow of money that makes exploitation profitable. And as a capper, they are turning over lists of websites that are trafficing in child porn to the authorities. That ought to chase more than a few of the scoundrels outta Dodge.

It's been a pet idea of mine that a way to limit the evils of sexual exploitation was to remove the money from the situation. Freedom of expression is one thing but one should not expect to make money from it.