“Disadvantaged in the American-dominated internet”: sex, work, and technology

Abstract

How do people in a precarious profession leverage technology to grow their business and improve their quality of life? Sex workers sit at the intersection of multiple marginalized identities and makeup a sizeable workforce: the United Nations estimates that at least42 million sex workers are conducting business across the globe.Yet, little research has examined how well technology fulfills sexworkers’ business needs in the face of unique social, political, legal,and safety constraints.We present interviews with 29 sex workers in Germany and Switzerland where such work is legal, offering a first HCI perspective on this population’s use of technology. While our participants demonstrate savvy navigation of online spaces, sex workers encounter frustrating barriers due to an American-dominated internet that enforces puritan values globally. Our findings raise concerns about digital discrimination against sex workers and suggest concrete directions for the design of more inclusive technology.