Date originally published: 09/08/2021
We would like to explain why Ivy Societe has issued an apology to us and tell our side of the story.
In mid-2020 we were sued for defamation by David Azzato, the ultimate controller and beneficial owner of Scarlet Blue. We are unable to go into detail due to legal reasons, but it is our opinion that the defamation claims were unjustified. The case was settled, but during this period a significant amount of time, resources and emotional energy were wasted. Overall, this was an extremely stressful and traumatic experience.
When new websites servicing sex workers pop up, we will look into the ownership of sites – especially when they claim to be sex worker led. We like to reach out, collaborate and support other sex worker led projects and initiatives.
During our investigation into Ivy Societe, we noticed that not only had our privacy policy been lifted, but their Terms of Service (at the time of investigation) suggested AA Media Services GmbH was the owner of Ivy Societe. AA Media Services GmbH was, up until recently, an entity associated with Scarlet Blue (see screenshot below). The reference to AA Media Services GmbH in Ivy Societe's Terms of Service therefore raised concerns about the correctness of Ivy Societe's claim of being Australian-owned.
Due to the recent encounter with David Azzato, we were quite shocked to believe another entity potentially associated with Scarlet Blue had used our content without permission. We therefore took a more formal approach with Ivy Societe than we may otherwise have done. We note that since contacting them about these issues, Ivy Societe's website no longer makes any reference to AA Media Services GmbH. On the date of publication, according to Scarlet Blue's Terms and Conditions, Scarlet Blue is now owned by Fikandina Ltd and not AA Media Services GmbH.
We do not like the way that this situation has played out, nor do we enjoy having to put this post together. A key consideration for us at Assembly Four however is that we want all sex workers to feel safe in knowing who runs the platforms their livelihoods rely on. We also want sex workers who are putting themselves on the line legally, financially and otherwise by running community platforms, to know that their hard work won't be used without their permission.
As previously mentioned, we are more than happy to work with sex worker led initiatives and we invite anyone to reach out for knowledge sharing. We are disappointed these conversations did not happen with Ivy Societe and hopefully, from now we can build a positive relationship that benefits the wider community.
(Highlighted text, in red and green, indicates unique content. Unhighlighted text is identical content. Screenshot of the differences between our Privacy Policy and the one used by Ivy Societe.)
(Screenshot from Web Archive 28th of June 2021: https://web.archive.org/web/20210628102729/https://scarletblue.com.au/)
(Screenshot from Web Archive 24th of May 2021: https://web.archive.org/web/20210524043238/https://ivysociete.com/au/terms-and-conditions)
(Screenshot of Ivy Societe apology on Twitter)
