Time and Date: October 22, 2024, 3-4 pm (CET)
An Industry Perspective on Regulating Platformized Sexual Content
Rébecca Suzanne Franco
The rise of digital platforms has transformed sexual commerce, raising questions about how sexual content is sold and regulated and on what terms at the intersection of several regulatory domains: pornography and sex work, user-generated content, and gig labor.Regulation of platformized pornography and sex work is no longer the sole domain of state actors; it now involves a complex network of stakeholders, including platform providers, high-risk payment processors, and content moderation services that shape and provide the infastructure for the digital sexual economy.
This talk delves into empirical research that examines the evolving regulatory landscape of platformized sex work and adult content, often described as a regulatory ‘grey zone.’ This talk will highlight the necessity of an iterative and investigative approach to understanding how this stigmatized and rapidly changing industry is governed. I will reflect on fieldwork experiences, the role of researcher positionality towards dynamic understandings of ‘vulnerability’ and ‘harm’, and — drawing on engaged scholarship on sex workers’ rights — the importance of community engagement.
Presenting Author
Dr Rébecca Suzanne Franco is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Amsterdam Institute for Social Science Research working on the NWO research project ‘The Platformization of the Sex Industry: Morals, Markets and Mass Intimacy’, where she investigates the regulation of platformized sexual content and sex work. Previously, she completed a PhD in the regulation of (post)colonial migration and intimacies. Rébecca’s research interests more revolve around the regulation of sex and intimacies, both historically and in the digital platform era.
About the Series
This talk is part of the series Behind the Scenes – Conversations on Empirical Platform Governance Research that invites scholars in this field to share their experiences and views, fostering community exchange about how we can study platform governance in this challenging context. It is hosted by the Lab “Platform Governance, Media, and Technology” (PGMT) at the Centre for Media, Communication and Information Research (ZeMKI), University of Bremen, and the Centre for Media and Journalism Studies, University of Groningen.
Registration