Sex cams allow you to connect with a model from the comfort of your own home. The models will chat with you, perform naked masturbations or even offer live cybersex shows.
The wording in the ToS documents for BongaCams, LiveJasmin and XLoveCams deemphasize work by using euphemistic terms and distancing camming from (full-service) sex work.
1. Safety
When it comes to online adult content, sexcams are a safe and fun way to indulge. They allow users to chat with performers and engage in erotic activities without the risk of repercussions from their real-world partners. Additionally, sexcams are easy to navigate and offer a variety of options for viewers. This makes them a great option for couples who are looking for an extra thrill without having to travel long distances.
In addition to providing sexual gratification, sex cams can also provide an opportunity for people who are socially isolated or disabled to feel connected with others. For example, a recent study found that most participants who watched live sex cams reported feeling calmer and happier afterward. In addition, most participants felt that the performer’s physical attractiveness and happiness were important attributes to consider. Furthermore, the researchers found that viewers wanted a model who was responsive and authentic in their conversations. This could indicate that sexcams can be a form of therapy for people who are suffering from mental illness or isolation.
However, sexcams can be dangerous for women who work on them. In one study, female performers were found to have higher levels of sex-related illnesses than non-model peers in the same industry. This may be due to the high amounts of stress, exhaustion and rumination they experience from their jobs. In addition, many of them use stimulants such as cocaine to stay awake during long shifts.
Webcam sex platforms also have the power to control the type of sex work that takes place on their sites. This is apparent in their ToS documents, which are the legal contracts that all users and performers agree to before using a platform. In the ToS documents of BongaCams, LiveJasmin and Chaturbate, the terms’sexual’, ‘genitals’, ‘erotic’, ‘nudity’ and’sex’ are almost entirely absent (BongaCams, 2020b; LiveJasmin, 2020c; Chaturbate, 2020b). This denial of camming as (sex) work can have harmful implications for the representation and regulation of this work, by obstructing workers from finding other employment and by reinforcing sex work stigma.
To help avoid this, it is recommended that models separate their professional and private lives. This is to protect their identity and ensure that they don’t accidentally share information with the wrong audience. In addition, they should use watermarks to prevent their personal images from being used without permission. They should also use a pseudonym when posting online to reduce the chance of doxxing, which involves researching and sharing identifiable information about a person.
2. Privacy
Users need to understand how sexcam sites collect, save, and share their personal data. This way, they can make informed decisions and take the appropriate measures to safeguard their privacy. For example, they can use an alias and a secure browser to protect their identity and privacy. Additionally, they can avoid clicking on links or supplying personal information unless they are certain that the request is legitimate. They can also choose a site that offers features or tools to improve their privacy, such as encryption and anonymization.
While sex work is regulated by national laws and institutions, online types of sex work like webcamming are primarily governed by platform legislation (Stjernfelt and Lauritzen, 2020: 106). Using a webcam, models can interact with the audience and earn tips from their viewers. These can be used to purchase a variety of items, from lingerie to vibrators and toys that stimulate the body. Some models even use interactive sex toys that respond to user tips and can increase in intensity as the model pleases the audience.
However, despite the obvious sexuality of camming, platforms such as BongaCams, LiveJasmin and Chaturbate reclaim these activities from sex work by defining them as entertainment. They do this through their ToS documents, which reject conceptions of camming as sex work and instead construct it as a form of entertainment (BongaCams, 2022a; LiveJasmin, 2020b; Chaturbate, 2020a). This moderation harms webcammers’ labour rights and further stigmatises the line of work.
These platforms also impose strict interpretations of FOSTA-SESTA to prevent webcammers from providing contact information or advertising other websites (BongaCams, 2022b; LiveJasmin, 2020b; and Chaturbate, 2020a). This can help them control the market by preventing webcammers from engaging in competition with them.
Ultimately, it is not only important to understand how these online spaces are regulated, but also to understand how they are constructed. This is because, although it might seem counterintuitive, these sex platforms are a space that reflects the cultural norms of the society in which they operate. The sexy and sensual aesthetic of cams may be deceiving, but these digital spaces can reinforce restrictive sexual norms and perpetuate harmful ideologies (Ruberg, 2020: 2). Thus, it is crucial to look into the ToS documents of these webcam platforms in order to critically examine their practices.
3. Payment options
As consumers become more wary of cyber fraud, identity theft and other issues related to online spending, they seek more secure, more anonymous payment options. One such option is cryptocurrencies, which offer the promise of low fees and fast transaction times. However, they do come with risks of their own, and are not as widely accepted as traditional credit cards.
Many adult models who choose to use a 3rd party payment processor like Stripe or PayPal are attracted to their simplicity and lack of account management requirements. This may seem like a great option for those with no website experience or coding knowledge, but it’s a dangerous way to run a porn business. Most 3rd-party processors are not set up to support adult businesses, and they can cause major problems for porn entrepreneurs if they don’t take the proper precautions.
The best alternative is to have your own merchant account, which offers a much more comprehensive set of payment options, including ACH and e-check payments. These are more secure and more convenient than credit card transactions, and they can be processed through a variety of different devices. In addition, direct merchant accounts are often easier to set up than other alternatives.
While some live sex cam sites only accept credit cards, most offer online checks as an option. This payment method is becoming increasingly popular for both customers and webmasters. If you’re not seeing this option on a site you want to join, it’s worth asking about. You may be surprised to find that most of the bigger sites actually do offer this option.
4. Legality
Although national laws vary on types of sex work, online sex work such as camming is largely unregulated. Instead, it is regulated by digital platforms and their rules. As a result, webcam sex platforms play an important role in perpetuating sexual norms online. The language used in these ToS delimits what can be considered sex, and thus shapes the way that a stigmatised line of labour is represented. This is done by describing certain behaviours as ‘non-normative’, and actively distancing camming from sex work, specifically full service sex.
The ToS of BongaCams, LiveJasmin and Chaturbate downplay the sex work elements of camming. This is done by explicitly stating that they do not support ‘prostitution or any type of meeting/escort-type arrangements between models and customers’ (BongaCams, 2020a). They also ban mentioning ‘full services work’. This language is not only a denial of sex work but it also reinforces the idea that full-service sex work is more desirable than camming.
Despite being an illegal activity, the use of language in these ToS documents shows that webcam models are aware that they are engaging in a risky activity. They are, however, also aware that they may be caught by the law and that they might have to face disciplinary action if their identity is discovered. This raises the question of what it means to have a legal consciousness, which can be seen as an articulation of a desire for self-preservation.
It can be argued that this legal consciousness is a central aspect of the feminist ethos in sexwork. The desire to self-preserve and to avoid being caught by the police can lead to women sacrificing pleasure in their work. However, a society based solely on fear cannot function; it must be accompanied by a vision of freedom and empowerment that increases women’s pleasure and agency.
While neoliberal discourses promote the notion that self-regulation is a good thing, it has negative consequences for the wellbeing of workers. It undermines the importance of collective struggle in achieving rights, it displaces a focus on social justice and it makes it easier for exploitative practices to continue in the workplace. Moreover, it can also disempower sexwork activists who seek to make structural changes in their societies.