#PrivacyCamp23 - How səx workers navigate and adapt to real – and mythical – crises
Channel: European Digital Rights
Date: 2023-03-07

Kali Sudhra started the conversation by outlining the context that the COVID-19 pandemic created for səx workers. Səx workers were faced with less space in their community, increased police encounters and more people moving online to do their work. However, the online environment brought more risks, including financial discrimination by platforms, as səx workers have to abide by the terms of service which are often discriminatory, require private info disclosure (e.g. PayPal). Səx workers also experience online censorship, a consequence of racist algorithms, meaning many cannot advertise services, pushing səx workers to the margins.

Yigit Aydinalp spoke about the role of private actors as enablers of harmful legal frameworks. In the Digital Services Act, the Greens introduced an amendment on non-consensual imagery, which means that hosts of content would have to collect users’ phone numbers. This violates the data minimisation principle, especially when working with marginalised communities. Səx workers were not consulted on this. In the Child Səxual Abuse Regulation proposal, we also see the over-reliance on tech solutions in response to another crisis, resulting in more surveillance to marginalised communities.

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