ESWA is happy to present its newest report withing the Digital Rights Programme, tackling the all too common discrimination that sex workers' face in online spaces - and practical solutions on how to combat it.It is a beginning of a conversation on how we can collectively push for fairer, more transparent, and inclusive digital policies. It is essential not just for sex workers but for LGBTQIA+ communities, racialised and Indigenous groups, human rights defenders, and all those affected by restrictive content moderation policies.
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This report is part of the European Sex Workers’ Rights Alliance (ESWA) Digital Rights programme, expanding on previous work to address the discrimination, surveillance, and censorship sex workers encounter in digital spaces, particularly on social media platforms. Building on our report, The Impact of Online Censorship and Digital Discrimination on Sex Workers (2022), which documented these issues through extensive community consultations, this report shifts from identifying problems to proposing solutions. It sets out strategies for improving social media platform accountability and ensuring more inclusive, equitable platform policies. This includes how we can address the intensifying online discrimination against sex workers on social media platforms, what actions will foster more inclusive and equitable platform policies, and whose responsibility it is to ensure these measures are implemented.
The challenges outlined here are part of wider debates on platform governance, affecting many communities striving for fair representation, freedom of expression, and digital rights. While this report focuses on the needs of sex workers, its recommendations have broader relevance for other groups disproportionately affected by restrictive content moderation policies. This includes LGBTQIA+ communities, users from racialised and Indigenous groups, human rights advocates, and individuals raising awareness in conflict zones.
This report presents targeted recommendations for those responsible for ensuring platform accountability for sex workers, including community organisations, civil society groups, government regulators, policymakers, and social media platforms. It focuses on the largest mainstream social media platforms used in Europe and Central Asia, particularly those owned by Meta and X. Under the newly enforced EU Digital Services Act (DSA) (2022), these platforms are now classified as Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs) and are required to implement safeguards against discrimination or face penalties.
The report begins with a literature review, establishing the foundation for the solution-driven approaches explored in the main sections. Drawing on consultations with sex workers in Europe and Central Asia, alongside insights from researchers and specialists, it critically examines potential solutions for increasing platform accountability.
CALL TO ACTION
ESWA has also launched a new campaign demanding accountability from Meta-owned platforms (Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp) regarding their harmful treatment of sex workers online.
As part of this campaign, we have published an open letter to Meta’s Oversight Board (can be found here), calling on them to address discriminatory content moderation practices and commit to meaningful engagement with sex workers and our organisations. The letter highlights widespread issues such as shadowbanning, wrongful content takedowns, and the silencing of sex workers’ voices, even when we speak out about our rights, organise for our safety, or share non-sexual content.
All organisations are invited to co-sign our Open Letter by emailing [email protected].
