On September 19th, 2019, sex workers of all kinds were locked out of their Twitter accounts en masse. This is a terrifying move by Twitter as the platform has been regarded as the last major social media outlet to allow sex workers to openly exist. For many, Twitter has become their main source for client acquisition as popular advertising sites shuttered their operations after the seizure of Backpage and subsequent passing of SESTA/FOSTA in 2018. This latest attack on sex workers has the community anxiously anticipating the destruction of their last tether to the civilian world. For countless providers, losing Twitter will be akin to losing one’s job.
This is wide-scale targeting is not only an advertising concern but one of safety as well. While some providers have gained back access to their accounts, some fear they never will. Even those who have been able to log back in are scared this is the first move in kicking sex workers entirely off the platform or that it will begin to function more like Instagram which has cracked down on any sexually explicit or suggestive content. Fears about Twitter usage are not only tormenting those still locked out as some have expressed concern that Twitter is collecting sensitive information. Twitter has demanded that workers register a phone number in order to use their accounts again. Sex workers, especially POC and trans workers, are at a greater risk for violence than the general population and therefore often do not provide their legal information such as names or phone numbers to protect themselves. The lockout is restoking fears of prolific and unprecedented censorship for sex workers and educators.
In the last two years, there have been rapid changes to terms of service that target sexually suggestive or explicit content on most major platforms. After Tumblr banned pornography and nudity and Instagram began deleting accounts with sexually suggestive posts without warning, Twitter became the sole large-scale social media platform for providers to share uncensored content. In some ways, this aggressive move by Twitter comes as no surprise as providers have been nervously awaiting sweeping changes to sites that will prohibit sex workers and educators from using them post-SESTA/FOSTA. This new law was theoretically created to combat sex trafficking but is criticized as a thinly veiled means to censor consensual sex workers. SESTA/FOSTA has done nothing to curb sex trafficking and has instead made it harder for law enforcement to find victims and for consensual sex workers to survive.
To add insult to injury, Twitter’s aggressive attack comes a week after the release of the Hustler movie, a film profiting off of sex workers’ stories. The site even promoted the movie with a twitter sponsored hashtag. Hypocritical exploitation of sex work by media outlets for profit is nothing new to workers, but these concurrent events on Twitter are especially heinous as Hustler is raking in millions of dollars while Sex Workers are worried about their future ability to earn a livable income.
Losing Twitter would be devastating for providers. It would be a huge loss for their business, safety, and community. Removing sex workers from online platforms only makes sex work more dangerous. While some providers enjoy and choose sex work, others seek it out as a way to transition out of otherwise dangerous or exploitative situations like abuse, homelessness, medical debt, poverty or single parenthood. So any attack on sex workers is an attack on some of the most marginalized citizens. Civilians need to show up for sex workers’ rights in the same droves they did for the Hustler movie. It’s long past time to demand fair and equal treatment for sex workers, and the consequences of delayed action by civilians and lawmakers will be lethal.
