For the past four years, Stegeman has been studying the world of webcamming, a form of online sex work in which people earn money by performing sexual acts in front of a camera while interacting with viewers. 'As with other online work, the websites on which webcam performers work have considerable influence on their earnings,' Stegeman argues. 'At the same time, webcamming differs greatly from other digital work in that it is heavily stigmatised.'

The same questions for an Uber driver

When researching sex work, the focus is usually on sexuality or legality. Important topics, Stegeman agrees, but she wanted to approach webcamming as just a job, similar to other online work. 'The questions I asked I could also have asked to an Uber driver. What does your workday look like, how do you deal with the influence of online platforms and how do you make yourself visible online?'

Conversations with webcam performers

Stegeman conducted lengthy conversations with webcam performers in the Netherlands, Romania and the United Kingdom. In Romania, also called the hub of the online sex industry, she also spent a lot of time in the studios from which webcam performers worked. ‘It was difficult to gain access to these studios, but at some point I had built up enough trust.’

Visibility can be tricky

'In the end, my research was mostly about visibility,' Stegeman concludes. ‘It applies to anyone offering work through an online platform: you have to be highly visible to earn your money. Because sex work is often not socially accepted, however, that visibility can be harmful for webcam performers. For example, when family or employers find out.’

Stereotypical classification

Webcam performers have quite a bit of autonomy according to Stegeman, ‘but the platforms also have a lot of influence on the manner of their visibility.' For example, through the way in which they use classification systems based on gender, age, ethnicity and body characteristics to guide clients through the thousands of performances that are live. 'This helps performers become visible, but the classifications are often very stereotypical and even insulting, and not how sex workers want to present themselves.'

With small decisions, her respondents tried to maintain influence over their own visibility. For example, by not being recognisable, not appearing on the front page of a website or working under a different persona.

More control and more recognition

According to Stegeman, we can learn more from online sex work than we might think. 'Online sex work shows that visibility, so necessary for online work, is sometimes not a positive thing. You hardly have any influence on how an online platform uses your content to attract customers.' Stegeman therefore pleads for more control for workers on online platforms over their own content.

But she also argues for more recognition for online sex work. 'That webcammer could be anyone: your neighbour, someone 19 or 58 years old. Someone who is very successful or just earning a little extra money. But it is not someone who should be placed outside of society. You don't have to do the job yourself, but accept that others may want to.'

Defence details

Hanne Stegeman, 2024, 'Behind the webcam: Contested visibility in online sex work in the Netherlands, Romania and the United Kingdom'. Supervisors are Prof. Dr. O.J.M. Velthuis and Prof. Dr. T. Poell.

Time and location

September 25, 16.00-17.30, Agnietenkapel, Amsterdam