One of COSL’s anticipated projects, Fan Refuge, a fandom community site built by fans, for fans, has been postponed. This decision was not made lightly. Our team is pivoting quickly with the changing legal landscape of online speech.
There has been a growing wave of concerning new laws across the U.S, which we have been tracking and fighting against through our Drawing the Line project, that are targeting artistic content. Legislation like Texas SB 20 and Michigan’s HB 4930 is blurring the lines between fantasy and reality.
- Texas SB 20 aims to crack down on AI-generated child pornography, but experts are worried that Texas may have just made anime illegal.
- Michigan’s HB 4930 aims to criminalize online pornography while simultaneously criminalizing gender expression.
The lack of legal clarity makes it necessary for us to launch Fan Refuge with the most protective features to ensure user safety.
Securing a Safe Launch of Fan Refuge
This current postponement will be focused on completing the necessary infrastructure that will make Fan Refuge a safe online community for everyone.
- Dead Dove Plugin: Our most recent custom-developed open source plugin will allow users to take action and apply content warnings to their content, which includes blurring content based on terms and displaying warning texts to users before using. Users will also be allowed to override admin settings and choose their own warming preferences for a more personalized experience.
- AI-Assisted Moderation: We are developing an AI-assisted plugin that will proactively remove CSAM and content that violates policy, and automatically apply tags to permitted content that is missing them. This will create a safer community for everyone.
3 Ways You Can Help Fan Refuge and Support Our Work
COSL and Fan Refuge are community-powered projects; we rely on you to help our work continue growing. Here’s how you can help us launch Fan Refuge and keep our online communities safe.
- Donate to Fan Refuge: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, your donation is tax-deductible and goes directly to supporting our work.
- Join our Drawing the Line Project: We need a long-term solution against restrictive laws that hurt our creative expression and harm our online communities.
- Stop HB 4938: Michigan’s Attack on Free Expression. Take action to stop the anticorruption of the Public Morals Act.
Our Commitment to Building a Safe, Inclusive Fan Refuge
This temporary pause is a setback, but it also presents an opportunity for us to reaffirm our values and ensure that we are building safe and inclusive fan communities for everyone. By supporting COSL, you are helping create secure and safe communities online for art, storytelling, and joy. To support our work, please consider donating to support Fan Refuge development below.
For more information on our progress, follow us: https://fanrefuge.com/