Technology mediated sex work : Fluidity, networking & regulation in the UK

This chapter draws on findings from the Beyond the Gaze (BtG) research project, the largest UK study to date of the working practices, safety and regulation of the online sex markets. BtG has produced some significant data sets which shed light on the characteristics and regulation of contemporary sex work, particularly for independent escorts and webcammers. It explores how the internet has significantly re-shaped and created; business opportunities, work patterns, flexible working and the mobility/fluidity (over time, space and job roles) of postmodern forms of sex work online. It highlights how online spaces are now vital for connectivity and peer support, with sex workers are using virtual spaces, social media and other online platforms and applications to establish and cement professional and peer support networks, some based around safety but equally around collegiate or social chat as well as advocacy. It also illustrates how policing intersects with the online sex work world, highlighting how UK policing is in it’s infancy in engaging with online markets and the primary focus has been through the modern slavery and trafficking remit. It argues that in the UK and globally online and digital technology has transformed and will continue to reshape the sex industry.