By Olivia Cushman
A new bill on internet sex work could be harmful to those who make their living off of selling sexually explicit content to buyers. The Stop Internet Sexual Exploitation Act, or SISEA, is a bill that was recently introduced to the Senate by senators Jeff Merkley (D) and Ben Sasse (R). The aim of this bill was to “Limit exploitation and human trafficking” on popular adult film sites, like PornHub, which has recently removed all unverified content from its platform.
But this bill could harm the very people it claims to protect, and that is the people in the sex industry who make their money off of sites like Onlyfans, Patreon, and other sites where sex workers can sell explicit photos or videos. In a press release, Merkley said, “we must ensure that not another single life of a child, man, or woman is destroyed by these sites,” when referring to human trafficking and repercussions of non-consensual and revenge porn on its victims.
Personally, I think that there should be another kind of law in place in a preventative effort to keep revenge porn off of sites like PornHub — one that doesn’t harm sex workers. For some, this is their only form of work; selling their bodies to consumers online proves that capitalism, even on porn sites, is very much alive and well.
Included in this bill’s provisions is a robust and severely limiting video verification process: users who upload pornographic material to a public website would need to verify their identity within the site before entering, and every person in the video needs to sign a consent form. This all seems reasonable on the parts of legal adult performers and sex workers, until you take into realization that the majority of these sex workers can’t afford to comply, based on what situation they’re in involving repercussions with their identity being revealed publicly, for example. Leaked content could cause real-world harassment and endangerment.
This is a very real and serious issue. Sex work can be a choice, but for many, it’s not. The internet does have a problem with exploitative content, but there can be another avenue to take in order to specifically stop revenge porn and non-consensual porn. One that does not take away from by-choice sex workers who sell and advertise adult content on the internet.
Then again, aspiring internet adult performers really shouldn’t be trying to sign up for an OnlyFans as soon as they turn 18. Sex work is a really serious thing to consider. Usually this is young women who don’t have any real world job who are trying to get in on the good pay that your subscribers can give you. However, there is a caveat. This being that individuals who buy from someone constantly objectify them and act like they have full rights to a person after they pay them; to the point where it can even become harassment.
This can be mentally taxing on someone and can cause them to quit after too much of it at one time. So it is an option, yes, but it’s not the only option. The bottom line is that you shouldn’t try internet sex work at 18 for the simple fact that this will get old, you’re just too young.
