> The situation
The digitalisation of the public and private spheres in Europe is exacerbated by global market competition and the COVID-19 pandemic. Information and communication technologies (ICT) are becoming ever more widespread amongst general populations as well as sex workers. While this digitalisation brings many benefits to sex workers’ lives and changes their working habits, new threats are emerging due to harmful laws governing digital spaces and the weaponisation of these technologies. Additionally, technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) are already being deployed in many European countries and their use is expected to increase due to the EU's aim to become a ‘leader’ in this area. The adoption of these technologies brings potential risks that civil society has to address in order to safeguard the human rights of marginalised and criminalised communities.
Some of the intersecting topics for sex workers in Europe and Central Asia when it comes to digital rights are:
- Online censorship and discrimination
- Data security and online privacy
- Algorithmic biases
- Platforms and labour rights issues
- Anti-trafficking rhetoric
> Our objectives
The experiences and rights of sex workers are increasingly recognised and protected in discussions and measures to safeguard digital freedoms and privacy.
- The rights violations experienced by sex workers are recognised in the debate on digital rights and freedoms by civil society organisations, tech companies and policy and decision-makers.
- The sex workers rights movement in Europe and Central Asia is primed and actively engaged in the debate on digital rights and freedoms.
- Civil Society leaders on digital rights and privacy understand the issues impacting sex workers and show allyship.
> Our current activities
ESWA is one of the 16 organisations (out of 220!) selected by the European Artificial Intelligence Fund to develop advocacy and capacity-building activities to ensure the voices of civil society, including marginalised communities such as sex workers, are included in debates and policy-making on artificial intelligence and digital rights.
ESWA has developed an exciting programme that will include consultations with its members on the impact of AI on sex workers’ rights, particularly in relation to surveillance, privacy and censorship. ESWA will develop resources such as policy papers and tool kits to advocate for the inclusion of sex workers in the digital rights field and the development of AI policies that do not infringe on sex workers’ rights – in particular, the most marginalised sex workers such as undocumented, LGBTQI, or racialised sex workers. ESWA will also conduct trainings for sex workers’ communities to build their capacity and knowledge on AI and digital rights.