Planetary Sex Markets: How Digital Platforms Are Reshaping the Geography of Sex Work

Digital platforms are increasingly central to the lives and livelihoods of sex workers around the world. But what happens when platforms like OnlyFans and Chaturbate not only mediate labour—but become the infrastructure that determines where, how, and for whom sex work is possible?

In a new article published in Porn Studies, members of the Fairwork team introduce the concept of “planetary sex markets”—labour markets for sex work that operate at a global scale, bringing workers, clients, and platforms into complex new relationships that transcend national borders and time zones.

A New Geography of Sex Work

Drawing on research with sex workers in multiple countries, the paper shows how platforms are creating new opportunities for some workers to access international clients and overcome local barriers such as legal restrictions, disability, or immigration status. For these workers, platform-based sex work can offer flexibility, mobility, and increased earning potential.

Yet this globalisation of sex work is not without its challenges. Workers’ experiences remain powerfully shaped by their local contexts—whether it’s the need to adjust sleep schedules to align with US client demand, or navigating uneven access to banking systems, internet infrastructure, and legal protections.

As the authors argue, platform design and policies play a major role in shaping the social relations of sex work—reinforcing existing inequalities while also redrawing the boundaries of labour markets.

Beyond Local Labour Markets

This work builds on Fairwork’s ongoing research into the platformisation of sex work and labour rights in the digital economy. By foregrounding the lived experiences of sex workers and examining how platform infrastructures operate at scale, the concept of “planetary sex markets” invites researchers and policymakers to think beyond national frameworks—and towards transnational accountability for labour justice.

 Read the full article here: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/23268743.2025.2512825