Sex Work Influencers Raise Concerns Over online Safety โBillS โPotential to Silence Voices & Impact Data Access
CANBERRA โข – Sexโข work advocates โคare โvoicing alarm over Australia‘s impending online pornography ban for minors,โ warningโฃ teh โlegislation could inadvertently censor vital information adn further marginalize โsex workers, notably as young people are increasingly exposed to explicit content viaโ social media. โThe ban, set to be โขimplemented in two phases beginning December 2025 and concluding in Marchโค 2026, will require adults to provide age verification to access pornography.
The concerns center on the potential for overbroad application of โฃthe rules by tech platforms,โข leading to โฃthe โsuppression of legitimate content related to sexual health, sex work,โค and โคadvocacy. Mish Pony, a prominent voice inโค the sex worker community, highlights a pre-existing โissue of tech companies incorrectly flagging sexual health promotion materials as adult โcontent.
“We already know that tech platforms, social media โฃsites, Google incorrectly flag sexual health promotion materials as adult content,” Pony stated. they further expressed fears that discussionsโฃ around sex work, even non-explicit ones, could be “shadowbanned or subjected to age verification.”
this potential silencing of sexโข worker voicesโฃ is seen asโ particularly dangerous, creating an “information vacuum” โฃfor both young people and adults. โAdvocates argue that access to informationโค directly from sex workers is crucial for harm reduction, safe practices, and destigmatization.
The new regulations come amid growing concern over the proliferation of explicit content targeting โฃyoung girlsโ on platforms like TikTok and โฃInstagram. While the legislation aims โto protect โminors, โฃsex work influencers worry the broad scope of the ban and the lack of transparency surrounding itsโข implementation will have unintended consequences, hindering access to crucial information and further โisolating a vulnerable community.
Theโ rollout of the ban and โคits ultimate impact remain โฃto be seen.
