Navigating Cyberspace: Exploring Sex Workers’ Experiences with Online Platforms

Persons working in the sex industry are often the “canaries in the coal mine” for online censorship. As some of the first workers to face removal from online spaces, they’ve made us aware of the longstanding and widespread censorship of sexual speech and behavior online. Woodhull commissioned a study to examine how sex workers use online platforms and experience censorship thereon, and they have data to talk about! For the past year, Melissa Ditmore, PhD and Samantha Majic, PhD worked with sex workers across the United States to develop a survey and interview guide to study the effects of digital platform closures and other platform measures to restrict sex workers’ access to online spaces on sex workers themselves. Their findings to date reveal both sex workers’ marginalization online and also the measures they are taking to challenge and resist this. Our May Censorship Series program will delve into their findings. Join us for one of the very first public discussions of their research!