Policing Online Sex Markets

Abstract

This chapter considers the legal and regulatory consequences of the increased use of digital technology in sex work. We consider how police are attempting to respond to a rapidly changing environment and the pressures this brings to traditional policing rationales and practices. The BtG study confirms that currently, there is limited awareness of online sex markets. In part, this is because policy and regulation in the UK has failed to pay attention to online markets and remains largely focused on street and managed indoor sectors. However, existing legislation may have significant consequences for the working conditions and security of people working in this sector. Laws relating to brothel keeping and initiatives that seek to tackle ‘vulnerability’ (to sexual exploitation or trafficking)—whilst clear policing priorities—may become the primary legal lenses through which all sex work is perceived. This creates significant challenges for policing online environments in terms of available resources and skills but also crucially in terms of balancing the rights and interests of the more diverse section/profile of industry that we describe in our study. We conclude by noting that these challenges are only exacerbated if policies and practices of policing do not better align with the realities of sex markets.