As of the last few weeks google has started censoring sex worker websites from some search results.
Starting from November 1st it appears google started doing something to suppress search results that point to sex work related websites.
Something unrelated to whether people have safe mode on, or off.
The first I heard about this was on reddit.
Over the following few days multiple people posted about this censorship.
So I went to twitter. "X" whatever. Searched for "google", filtered by posts from people I follow and sorted by new then scrolled back to November 1st to see what people were saying at the time when this started happening.
If you're following a lot of sex workers on twitter, I recommend repeating the steps above to get a sense of how we feel about the possibility that google could, on a whim, flush all the hard work we've ever done on SEO and self promotion down the toilet.
If clients can't find us, we don't work. Our success, or failure, in our efforts to make a living as sex workers depends on our visibility in search results. Either via clients finding our own personal websites or finding directories and then finding our listings on those directories. If they can't do this, what are we supposed to do?
People are asking about this on google's help page, so far with no solution.
A lot of people are asking about this on the google support reddit megapost for November too.
It's interesting that something as news-worthy as the world's leading search engine suddenly deciding to pretend sex workers don't exist hasn't rated any mention whatsoever in mainstream news.
The solution for those experiencing this is to log into your google account, go to Settings > more settings > privacy and safety > personal results off.
But how many clients will figure that out?
Not everyone is seeing the censored search results so it may be that google is rolling out this new "feature" to only a selected percentage of their users initially with a view to making this universal after a trial phase.
I recommend using Duckduckgo instead of google. It's a privacy oriented search engine that doesn't track it's users and does not censor search results.
And of course, if you're searching for sex workers, that is what Sex Worker Search is for.
I think it's fair to say that without sex workers, and the adult industry, there would be no internet as we know it.
It's pure hypocrisy that giant corporations like google that make hundreds of billions of dollars per year thanks to an internet the adult industry to a great extent built for them, then censor us.
I asked Google Bard what I thinks about decriminalisation of sex work.
Here's it's response =
Those who argue against criminalisation point out that sex work is a form of work, and that workers should have the same rights and protections as other workers. They also argue that criminalisation does not actually stop sex work, but instead drives it underground, where it is more dangerous for workers.
There is a growing body of evidence that supports the argument that decriminalisation is the best way to protect sex workers. For example, a study by the World Health Organization found that countries with decriminalised sex work had lower rates of HIV infection among sex workers than countries where sex work was criminalised.
Another study, by the International Labour Organization, found that decriminalisation was associated with improved working conditions for sex workers, including increased access to health care and social services.
Of course, there are still risks associated with sex work, even in a decriminalised setting. However, these risks can be mitigated through education, outreach, and regulation.
Overall, the evidence suggests that decriminalisation is the best way to protect sex workers and their rights. It is a complex issue, but one that deserves serious consideration.
Here are some specific reasons why sex work should be decriminalised:
Decriminalisation would protect sex workers from violence and exploitation. When sex work is criminalized, sex workers are less likely to report violence or exploitation to the police, for fear of being arrested themselves. This leaves them vulnerable to abuse from clients, pimps, and other criminals. decriminalisation would allow sex workers to report crimes without fear of reprisal, and would make it easier for law enforcement to investigate and prosecute those who commit violence against sex workers.
Decriminalisation would improve the health and safety of sex workers. When sex work is criminalized, sex workers are less likely to have access to health care and other services. They are also more likely to engage in risky sexual practices, such as unprotected sex, in order to avoid arrest. decriminalisation would allow sex workers to access health care and other services without fear of arrest, and would help to reduce the risk of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections.
Decriminalisation would reduce stigma and discrimination against sex workers. When sex work is criminalized, it reinforces the stigma and discrimination that sex workers already face. This can make it difficult for sex workers to access housing, employment, and other essential services. decriminalisation would help to reduce stigma and discrimination against sex workers, and would make it easier for them to live their lives with dignity and respect.
Of course, there are still some who oppose the decriminalisation of sex work. However, the evidence suggests that decriminalisation is the best way to protect sex workers and their rights. It is a complex issue, but one that deserves serious consideration.
Yes!
Almost all sex worker organizations around the world favour the decriminalization of sex work, and have that goal as a primary objective.
Here is a list of sex worker organizations.
For example Global Network of Sex Work Projects, English Collective of Prostitutes and SWARM Collective.
One thing Chat GPT didn't mention was the reasons why legalisation and the so called Nordic Model are inferior to full decriminalisation.
So I asked Bing AI to clarify =
According to Human Rights Watch, full decriminalisation is a more effective approach to protecting sex workers’ rights than the Nordic model because research shows that it is more effective in reducing violence and exploitation against sex workers1. Decriminalisation of sex work means that sex workers are no longer breaking the law by carrying out sex work. They are not forced to live outside the law and there is better scope for their human rights to be protected2. If sex work is legalised, it means that the state makes very specific laws and policies that formally regulate sex work2.
That's also pretty good. Simplistic but it has the right idea.
Last but not least, I asked Chat GPT what it thinks about discrimination against sex workers on social media.
Here's it's take =
Discrimination against sex workers on social media is a distressing issue that has garnered significant attention in recent years. Sex workers face stigmatization and prejudice both online and offline, and social media platforms have become an additional battleground where this discrimination often plays out.
One of the key challenges faced by sex workers on social media is the prevalence of policies that explicitly or implicitly target and censor their content. Major platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter have implemented strict community guidelines that prohibit the promotion of sexual services, adult content, or anything that may be deemed "sexually explicit." While these policies are intended to prevent exploitation and protect users, they often result in the silencing and exclusion of sex workers from these platforms.
The enforcement of these policies is often inconsistent and arbitrary, with sex workers experiencing disproportionately harsh penalties and content removals compared to other users. Their accounts may be suspended or permanently banned, leading to the loss of their online presence, connections, and income streams. Moreover, these policies drive sex workers to adopt alternative platforms that may have fewer user protections or pose other risks.
Another form of discrimination against sex workers on social media manifests in the negative portrayal and harmful stereotypes perpetuated by users and media outlets. Sex workers are frequently subjected to derogatory comments, harassment, and cyberbullying. They may face personal attacks, threats, and doxing, which can have severe emotional and psychological consequences. Moreover, the public shaming and dehumanization of sex workers perpetuate societal biases and hinder efforts to improve their safety, health, and overall well-being.
Furthermore, algorithms used by social media platforms can amplify existing biases and further marginalize sex workers. These algorithms are designed to prioritize content based on user engagement, often favouring posts that generate more likes, shares, or comments. However, this can lead to a situation where positive and supportive content related to sex work is suppressed, while negative and judgmental content gains more visibility. Consequently, sex workers find it challenging to share their experiences, advocate for their rights, and build supportive communities online.
Addressing discrimination against sex workers on social media requires a multi-faceted approach. It starts with revisiting platform policies and guidelines to ensure they do not disproportionately target sex workers. Platforms should actively engage with sex worker-led organizations and advocacy groups to develop more inclusive and fair policies that consider the diverse experiences and needs of this community.
Education and awareness campaigns are also essential in combating stigma and challenging harmful stereotypes. These efforts should emphasize the human rights and labour rights of sex workers, dispel misconceptions, and encourage empathy and understanding.
Social media platforms must invest in training their content moderators to approach sex work-related content with sensitivity and fairness. They should adopt transparent and accessible appeals processes to rectify content removal mistakes or unfair account suspensions.
Lastly, users themselves need to actively participate in creating a more inclusive and supportive online environment. This involves confronting their own biases, challenging harmful narratives, and standing up against harassment and discrimination targeting sex workers.
By working collectively, we can strive for a more equitable and just digital space that respects the rights and dignity of all individuals, including sex workers.
High five Chat GPT!
For more information re discrimination against sex workers on social media, I recommend reading The ‘Mommy Goddess’ and the Mass Reporting of Sex Workers on Instagram by Olivia Snow for Jezebel.
The Free Speech Coalition does a lot of excellent work protecting the rights and freedoms of adult industry professionals.
I own three twitter accounts and one instagram and they're all shadowbanned.
For example my Sex Worker Search Twitter account, is utterly useless as per the Shadowban test.
Only my own followers can find my accounts and my tweets. Nothing I've posted appears in search or under location tags. Even typing my usernames into the search field doesn't show my accounts. This is all pretty normal for sex workers.
I have resorted in the past to using this chrome plugin to delete all my posts, retweets and likes, then deleted my profile pic, background, bio and everything else leaving a pristine, blank profile with nothing there. The idea is to logout of twitter and not login again for a month or so. I've done this a few times and it has temporarily gotten rid of shadowbans but I just keep getting shadowbanned again and again.
I used to have a twitter account with over 100,000 followers and got banned with no warning, no explanation and no access to a human to consider an appeal.
Fuck social media. The only reason I don't just delete them all is because having the little social media icons on my website leading to accounts where I post reasonably regularly is expected and for some clients is part of the reason they choose to meet me.
Maybe if sex work gets decriminalised in the USA the situation with social media might improve. We'd be less likely to get outright banned then. I suspect shadowbans would still happen since there's still the fact that the companies spending money on ad space don't want their ads to appear next to sex workers.
I hate the idea of compulsory age gating but it seems that's the way things are headed. One side effect could be that these social media giants could know which of their users are adults who want to see adult content and then there would be no need for shadowbans. There's still no way I'm giving my ID documents to them and just hoping they don't sell them to advertisers or hand them over to the feds.
I think the best social media is a blog page on your own personal website and then if people want to experience that like a twitter or instagram feed, they can add your blog and the blogs of all the sex workers they want to follow to a privacy oriented open source rss feed reader so they can view a list of the headlines of all the new blog posts of all the sex workers they like as they are posted with no bans, no shadowbans and complete control of the content in the hands of the sex workers.
On my to do list is to go through all the independent sex worker sites currently indexed here on Sex Worker Search and tag each site that has a blog page with the word "blog" so that people can type in search terms to find sex worker blogs to add to their RSS feeds.
In doing so I'm happy to give the middle finger to Elon Musk and his ilk. I doubt the hegemon of twitter will ever man up and make a clear cut decision regarding who's welcome and who isn't. Why cant twitter just be transparent about their own terms? Why can't they enforce consistently? What's the point of sneaky shadowbanning and banning with no warning, no explanation and no recourse for the consideration of human customer service?
Also, can we just fire all the politicians and replace them with Chat GPT, Bing AI and Google Bard? I for one welcome our new machine overlords.