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

Internet-based sex markets have become pervasive facilitated by computer-mediated communication through email, chat-rooms, social media forums and web-based advertising. As Ray and others have noted, the Internet has had a substantial impact on the way in which independent sex workers, as well as escort agencies and sometimes massage parlours, advertise their services. Long gone are the days when sex workers relied on advertisements in the personal or classified columns of newspapers, contact magazines, cards in telephone boxes or other locations in lieu of making initial contact with customers on the street, in bars, hotels, lorry parks or other physical locations. Online spaces have become vital for connectivity enabling sex workers to network and access peer support and advocacy. In the survey of sex workers, 61% of respondents (n = 391) strongly agreed and a further 19.7% (n = 126) tended to agree that the Internet gave them access to such networks and support.