Despite recent political efforts towards the criminalisation of digital sexual services in the UK, there is hope for the future of online sex work. The UK’s 2023 Online Safey Act (OSA) follows in the footsteps of FOSTA-SESTA, by creating an increasingly carceral online environment for sworkers. 

Discrimination from social media and financial tech companies, through shadowbanning and blacklisting, remains a critical threat. Many will be pushed into poverty or forced to accept more risky work. Many adult service platforms, such as Adult-Work, continue to offer extremely exploitative labour environments while failing to guard against violence. 

However, the vibrant collective spirit in this community offers vital opposition, especially given the drive towards unionisation. In the UK, Sex Workers’ Union (SWU) has made important gains. This includes the collectivisation of different sectors, across camming, stripping and full-service providers, alongside opposition to discrimination and political stigma. 

The union is engaged in resistance to platforms, for instance representing members when clients make fraudulent claims. SWU successfully blocked strip clubs from shutting down in Edinburgh and offers essential legal representation for those usually left vulnerable. SWU is also amplifying the voices of sex workers on the political stage – where they are often invisible and ignored. Just recently, the union’s efforts with the Financial Conduct Authority led the City regulator to warn banks against denying sex workers’ business accounts. 

Such resistance draws into question what the future of labour rights within online sex work might look like. Online platforms often exacerbate these issues by imposing high fees, enforcing stringent content guidelines, or suddenly deactivating accounts without warning or recourse. This lack of stability and security highlights the urgent need for a comprehensive framework that addresses the unique labour rights concerns of online sex workers.

What the Future Could Hold: Key Areas for Advocacy

As the conversation around labour rights in online sex work continues to grow, several key areas demand attention:

Legal Recognition and Protection

One of the most critical steps towards securing labour rights for online sex workers is achieving legal recognition of their work. This involves full decriminalisation and establishing clear legal protections that safeguard against discrimination, harassment and exploitation. Legal recognition would also challenge shadowbanning while enhancing union protection, access to benefits and legal recourse in the event of disputes with platforms or clients. The OSA must be adapted to protect both sex workers and victims of sexual exploitation. 

Universal Basic Income

A critical framework for supporting sex workers is Universal Basic Income. This would ensure that workers are not coerced into accepting abusive clients by financial distress. It would also support those looking to exit the industry, by tackling poverty and precarity. In general, a society which adopts UBI as an economic policy model prioritises meritocracy over inequality. 

Health and Safety Protections

Like any other form of labour, online sex work requires specific health and safety protections. These could include access to mental health services, support for dealing with online harassment, and resources for managing the unique physical demands of the job. Additionally, workers should be protected against doxxing and other forms of digital violence like image-based violence, which can have severe consequences for their personal safety.

Platform Accountability and Ownership 

Online platforms play a pivotal role in the lives of sex workers, yet they often operate with minimal oversight. Future labour rights efforts must focus on holding these platforms accountable for their treatment of workers. This could include implementing transparent policies regarding content moderation, payment practices and account deactivations. Workers should also have access to a grievance process that allows them to challenge unfair treatment or decisions made by platforms. 

In addition, worker owned platform cooperatives, which offer more equitable fee structures alongside access to rights, benefits and protections from clients, offer a much brighter future. Online sex workers, and full-services workers, would be given the opportunity to experience ownership and empowerment. Protections against image-based sexual violence could be built into the platform infrastructure, while citizen assemblies enable democratic decision-making. Josie West has made this argument in her article ‘Image-based sexual violence and imperfect victims: the case for platform cooperativism in the online sex industry.’ In a co-written article, we also made the case here. 

Financial Inclusion

Advocating for financial inclusion is crucial to ensuring that sex workers can access basic financial services, such as banking, credit, and insurance, without fear of being cut off or penalised. This would also involve challenging discriminatory practices within the financial sector and pushing for regulations that protect the rights of sex workers. As noted, Sex Workers’ Union are already making critical steps in this direction. 

The Role of Allies and Advocates

The future of labour rights in online sex work will not be shaped by sex workers alone. Allies and advocates within the media, academia and NGO’s like National Ugly Mugs, play a crucial role in advancing these efforts, whether through supporting decriminalisation initiatives, challenging harmful legislation like SESTA/FOSTA and the OSA, or amplifying the voices of sex workers in public discourse. It’s essential for society to recognise the legitimacy of sex work as a form of labour and to support policies that protect the rights and well-being of those who engage in it.

A Vision for the Future

As society becomes more open to discussions about sex work and its role in the digital economy, there is an opportunity to create a future where sex workers are treated with dignity and respect. This future would involve not only legal recognition and protection but also a cultural shift that acknowledges the value of sex work and the rights of those who perform it.

By advocating for labour rights within online sex work, we are not only protecting the individuals involved but also setting a precedent for how we approach work in the digital age. The fight for sex workers’ rights is a fight for the future of work itself—one that prioritises fairness, safety and respect for all.