Prostitution and sex work in an online context

Abstract

This chapter provides an overview of sex work in an online context, exploring the history and progression of discussion boards and review websites catering to male customers who interact with female sex workers online to purchase sexual encounters. The various online sex markets are investigated in detail, presenting data from three studies of customers in the United States, as well as documenting recent legal challenges to both buyers and sellers of paid sex. The chapter also presents a comparison of the online behaviors of both customers and men who choose not to purchase sex. Differing marketing strategies of independent sex workers are described in their approaches to having a greater stake in the post FOSTA-SESTA (Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act- Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act) online environment, where the attempt to impede the selling of sexual services has been fueled by website shutdowns, arrests, and prison sentences, intended to serve as a deterrent to human trafficking.