Beyond the Filter

About Beyond the Filter

Beyond the Filter is a podcast about censorship. It includes censorship through laws, self-censorship, and corporate censorship. It includes censorship of art and fiction, censorship of political dissent, and censorship of self-expression, especially when it comes to sex and gender. It also looks at the reasons why we censor, the effects of censorship, and alternatives to censorship.

Publisher

Beyond the Filter

Category

health & fitness · news · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

1 Jan 2025

Latest episode

25 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

14 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   25 Oct 2026

   Beyond the Filter: Wattpad, Fur Affinity, and UK porn bans

   Who gets to decide which stories we can tell—and what happens when fiction crosses somebody else’s line? In this episode of Beyond the Filter, Brandy and Jeremy unpack Wattpad’s content restrictions and the slippery distinction between sexual content that “supports the story” and content deemed to exist primarily for arousal. They explore what these rules miss about character, craft and education, and why vague standards can leave queer creators and fan communities particularly exposed. The discussion moves to Fur Affinity’s resistance to advertiser pressure, the role of community funding in sustaining creative spaces, and what Archive of Our Own offers as an alternative. Finally, they examine the UK’s new pornography restrictions covering strangulation, fictional family relationships and adults portraying under-sixteens, asking how prohibiting representations differs from preventing actual harm. Across platform policies, commercial pressures and criminal law, one question keeps returning: are we protecting people, or simply suppressing stories that make somebody uncomfortable? The post Beyond the Filter: Wattpad, Fur Affinity, and UK porn bans (https://c4osl.org/beyond-the-filter-wattpad-fur-affinity-and-uk-porn-bans/) appeared first on Center for Online Safety and Liberty (https://c4osl.org).

2. 

   18 Jun 2026

   Beyond the Filter: Cyber Harassment Support

   In this episode of Beyond the Filter, Brandy and Jeremy host Varsha Vaishali, founder of Cyber Harassment Support, to explore the multifaceted issue of cyber harassment. They delve into practical support strategies, the evolving landscape of online abuse, and innovative solutions to make digital spaces safer for all. Key Topics: The core mission and scope of Cyber Harassment Support (CHS) in raising awareness, prevention, and victim navigation Why practical support is crucial beyond reporting and blocking Types of common online harms: sextortion, doxing, impersonation, AI-enabled scams The importance of preserving evidence and when to involve authorities Challenges platforms face in responding to reports of harassment How AI and technology can both exacerbate and help mitigate cyber harassment The influence of social media platform design on cyberbullying and online conflicts Legal gaps in Canada and globally regarding image-based abuse and cross-border harassment The particular vulnerability of marginalized groups, including LGBTQ+ communities How online harassment trends have shifted over time, including moral justifications for increased hostility Strategies for creating safer online communities through design and policy Resources & Links: Cyber Harassent Support (CHS) (https://www.chssupport.org/) AI Fraud Detection Tool by CHS (https://www.chssupport.org/ai-fraud-check) Canadian Law on Image-Based Abuse (https://laws.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/C-46/) GDPR & International Data Laws (https://gdpr.eu/) The post Beyond the Filter: Cyber Harassment Support (https://c4osl.org/beyond-the-filter-cyber-harassment-support/) appeared first on Center for Online Safety and Liberty (https://c4osl.org).

3. 

   3 Mar 2026

   Beyond the Filter: Sexual Content Online: Who Gets Protected and Who Gets Policed?

   In the season finale of Beyond the Filter, Jeremy and Brandy are joined by Shambhawi Paudel (ILGA Asia) and Mar Díaz (digital rights and LGBTQ advocate) for a wide-ranging conversation on censorship, platform power, and queer expression across Europe and Asia. From colonial-era morality laws and online entrapment in parts of Asia to shadowbanning, algorithmic bias, and the limits of the EU’s Digital Services Act, the episode explores how governments and platforms alike are reshaping digital space in the name of “safety.” The guests examine why sex workers and LGBTQ+ communities are often first and hardest hit by over-moderation, how fictional and AI-generated content is being swept into expanding criminal frameworks, and whether privacy and human rights law offer better tools to address real harms like deepfake abuse. As a preview of two upcoming RightsCon workshops, the conversation asks a central question: how do we protect people online without collapsing the line between personal expression and lived abuse? Resources mentioned during this episode Drawing the Line Watchlist 2025 (https://drawingthelineprinciples.org/watchlist) – A research report covering 10 countries that reveals how the conflation of personal expression with lived abuse is diverting resources away from protecting real victims from harm. Resources – ILGA Asia (https://ilgaasia.org/resources) – A central repository of reports, policy briefs, statements, and research publications produced by ILGA Asia, covering LGBTIQ human rights, civic space, legal reform, and regional advocacy developments across Asia.. Legal Barriers to Freedom of Expression (https://database.ilga.org/legal-barriers-freedom-of-expression) – From the ILGA World Database, an interactive global database documenting laws that restrict freedom of expression related to sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, and sex characteristics (SOGIESC), including criminal, administrative, and morality-based provisions affecting LGBTIQ communities. Platform Accountability: a rule-of-law checklist (https://assets.nationbuilder.com/eswa/pages/1942/attachments/original/1746621094/Platform_Accountability.pdf?1746621094) — a report by the European Sex Workers’ Rights Alliance outlining recommendations on platform governance, content moderation, and accountability for sex workers’ rights. Freedom on the Net 2024: The Struggle for Trust Online (https://freedomhouse.org/sites/default/files/2024-10/FREEDOM-ON-THE-NET-2024-DIGITAL-BOOKLET.pdf) — Freedom House’s annual digital rights assessment across 72 countries, covering internet freedom and online expression. Repro Uncensored Research Page (https://www.reprouncensored.org/research) — the research archive page for Repro Uncensored, featuring reports and investigations on digital censorship and platform control. Manifesto for Sex-Positive Social Media (https://apo.org.au/sites/default/files/resource-files/2022-08/apo-nid319110.pdf) — a manifesto setting out guiding principles for platforms, governments, and policymakers to support sex-positive approaches to social media content and governance. The post Beyond the Filter: Sexual Content Online: Who Gets Protected and Who Gets Policed? (https://c4osl.org/beyond-the-filter-sexual-content-online-who-gets-protected-and-who-gets-policed/) appeared first on Center for Online Safety and Liberty (https://c4osl.org).

4. 

   1 Feb 2026

   Beyond the Filter: Tech-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence

   In this episode of Beyond the Filter, Brandy and Jeremy examine how gender-based harm is being amplified by digital platforms and AI tools, using the recent Grok scandal on X as a case study. The chatbot’s ability to generate sexualized, non-consensual images of real women and girls exposed serious failures in platform governance and safeguards beyond-the-filter-ep-11. Joining the discussion is Sophia Bonilla, Strategy & Partnerships Lead at the Integrity Institute, who explains what TFGBV is, who is most vulnerable to it, and why online abuse often escalates into lasting psychological, social, and economic harm. The conversation explores how AI image generation has lowered the barriers to abuse, blurred legal and ethical boundaries, and intensified the silencing of women, girls, and gender-diverse people online. References Technology‑facilitated Gender‑based Violence: A Growing Threat (https://www.unfpa.org/TFGBV) An Infographic Guide to Technology‑facilitated Gender‑based Violence (TFGBV) (https://www.unfpa.org/sites/default/files/pub-pdf/An%20Infographic%20Guide%20to%20An%20Infographic%20Guide%20to%20TFGBV.pdf) Measuring the Prevalence of Online Violence against Women (https://onlineviolencewomen.eiu.com/) It’s Everyone’s Problem: Mainstreaming Responses to Technology‑Facilitated Gender‑Based Violence (https://igp.sipa.columbia.edu/sites/igp/files/2024-09/IGP_TFGBV_Its_Everyones_Problem_090524.pdf) Digital Violence, Real World Harm: Evaluating Survivor‑Centric Tools for Intimate Image Abuse in the age of Gen AI (https://humane-intelligence.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Digital_violence_real_world_harm_evaluating_survivor_centric_tools_for_intimate_image_abuse_in_the_age_of_generative_AI.pdf) New Report Calls for Proactive Solutions to Tech‑Facilitated Gender‑Based Violence (https://www.integrityinstitute.org/news/institute-news/new-report-calls-for-proactive-solutions-to-tech-facilitated-gender-based-violence) Strong Words, Slow Action: The Grok Reckoning (https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/strong-words-slow-action-grok-reckoning-webfurther-llc-m6hde/) What OpenAI’s Latest Red‑Teaming Challenge Reveals About the Evolution of AI “Safety” Practices (https://www.techpolicy.press/what-openais-latest-redteaming-challenge-reveals-about-the-evolution-of-ai-safety-practices/) Fostering Healthy Masculinities: Building Resilience Against Online Misogyny (https://www.isdglobal.org/isd-publications/fostering-healthy-masculinities-building-resilience-against-online-misogyny/) Safety by design, online content moderation & community management (https://www.svri.org/tfgbv-safety-by-design/) The post Beyond the Filter: Tech-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (https://c4osl.org/beyond-the-filter-tech-facilitated-gender-based-violence/) appeared first on Center for Online Safety and Liberty (https://c4osl.org).

5. 

   8 Dec 2025

   Beyond the Filter: Drawing the Line Watchlist

   Hosts Brandy Brightman and Jeremy Malcolm, along with Emma Shapiro, Ashley Remminga, and Zora Rush, launch the Drawing the Line Watchlist, which examines how countries blur the line between personal expression and abuse, impacting artists and marginalized creators in this interview episode.

6. 

   1 Nov 2025

   Beyond the Filter: Fantasy Sexual Materials and Offending

   Dr. Craig Harper discusses his research on the connection between fantasy sexual materials and offending with hosts Brandy and Jeremy in an interview.

7. 

   1 Oct 2025

   Beyond the Filter: The Assassination of Charlie Kirk and the Censorship of Jimmy Kimmel

   Brandy and Jeremy analyze the political fallout following Charlie Kirk's assassination and discuss the censorship surrounding Jimmy Kimmel's actions in this interview.

8. 

   1 Sept 2025

   Beyond the Filter: Porn and Censorship

   Journalist Michael McGrady Jr. discusses financial censorship and age verification as threats to online sexual expression with hosts Brandy and Jeremy.

9. 

   1 Aug 2025

   Beyond the Filter: Fan Refuge

   Hosts Jeremy and Brandy explore the creation of Fan Refuge, a new social media platform, in this interview episode.

10. 

    1 Jul 2025

    Beyond the Filter: Fanfic arrests in China

    Hosts Jeremy and Brandy interview artist F15-H (Fish) about fan fiction arrests in China, revealing the challenges faced by creators in the region.

11. 

    29 May 2025

    Beyond the Filter: Aurélie Petit on Censorship of Animated Porn and its Limits

    Aurélie Petit, a film studies PhD candidate, examines the censorship and limitations surrounding animated pornography in a discussion with Brandy and Jeremy in this interview.

12. 

    1 May 2025

    Beyond the Filter: Project 2025

    Under Trump and Project 2025, censorship isn’t creeping in — it’s charging full force. From gutting public media and defunding the arts […] The post Beyond the Filter: Project 2025 (https://c4osl.org/beyond-the-filter-project-2025/) appeared first on Center for Online Safety and Liberty (https://c4osl.org).

13. 

    1 Apr 2025

    Beyond the Filter: Pilot Episode

    In the inaugural episode of Beyond the Filter, hosts Jeremy Malcolm and Brandy Brightman discuss the complexities of censorship in the digital […] The post Beyond the Filter: Pilot Episode (https://c4osl.org/beyond-the-filter-pilot-episode/) appeared first on Center for Online Safety and Liberty (https://c4osl.org).

14. 

    1 Jan 2025

    Beyond the Filter: Australia’s Under 16 Social Media Ban

    This episode discusses Australia’s groundbreaking social media minimum age law, which mandates that platforms block users under 16. The conversation explores the implications of this law on free expression, mental health, cyberbullying, and the responsibilities of both the government and parents. It also delves into the enforcement challenges and the potential impact on adult users’ privacy, while considering alternative approaches to protecting children online without infringing on their rights. Add resources here from Word document and also my Guardian article. Also update graphic and transcript before publishing. The post Beyond the Filter: Australia’s Under 16 Social Media Ban (https://c4osl.org/beyond-the-filter-australias-under-16-social-media-ban/) appeared first on Center for Online Safety and Liberty (https://c4osl.org).

Who has been a guest on Beyond the Filter

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Emma Shapiro
• Ashley Remminga
• Zora Rush
• Dr Craig Harper
• Michael McGrady Jr

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

1 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

1 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 16 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

31

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

0

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Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

Questions about Beyond the Filter