The sex worker’s guide to the internet
Petra Kramer
Illustratie: Théodore Roussel.
So here we are, the supposed land of the free first got rid of net neutrality and then it came for the content of advertisements. Backpage got seized because they allowed sex workers to advertise their business. *gasp*
Luckily this is the internet and the internet interprets censorship as damage and it routes around it. And I am here to teach you how to do that.
Video chats
First things first, you will need the Tor browser. If you’re really hardcore you might even want to use Tails. Secondly you’re going to need Pidgin+OTR because before SESTA/FOSTA became a thing Skype decided that they get to police what kind of video chats you’re allowed to have.
You might also want to have a VPN. While video chats should be possible over Tor, that is not always the case. A VPN is faster but there is a trade-off. All VPNs tell you they do not keep any logs, but there is only one VPN-provider which has actually proved that they don’t. That’s Private Internet Access.
Watermarked porn
Lastly, and I know this controversial, you might need intimate.io, blockchain technology specifically designed for the adult industry. It runs on Ethereum so that makes it possible to (invisibly) watermark your porn with the name of the recipient and to automatically fine the buyer should they upload it anywhere else. I’ll be more opinionated about it after April 26, the day that it launches.
Now that we are passed the stage of throwing brand names, let’s explain how stuff works.
Darknet
First Tor. The Tor-browser is a hardened version of Firefox that can also access .onion-domains. I know Backpage got seized, that is why I am writing this, I do not know why Backpage is not on the darknet yet. (You can get a daily overview of each and every website on the darknet here.)
You can get free hosting on the darknet here, of course that link only works if you use the Tor-browser.
Tails is a bit more complex, it’s an OS that you install on an USB-stick, which sends all your traffic through the Tor-network. If you want to be ultra-paranoid, Tails is the OS for you.
Pidgin
Next up, Pidgin. Or XMPP as the protocol is known. Edward Snowden revealed that even the NSA could not hack it. Pidgin is the same double edged sword as Tor. Both hacktivists and secret agents use it. That may sound like a bad deal, but it’s not.
Skype may have chosen to police content. Pidgin/Jabber won’t because it can’t. End to end encryption means nobody knows what the clients are saying to each other. And it allows you to video chat.
Mobile phone
If you use a mobile phone, use Signal. Do not use Whatsapp. Whatsapp = Facebook.
To promote your hidden site you can use switter.at, an instance of mastodon.social especially for sex workers.
If I did any sex work, I’d be extremely paranoid right now. If you do any sex work and I happen to like you, I’m more than happy help you to migrate you to a system where not a single government can touch you. If I don’t know you, I will gladly help you in exchange for a donation to charity.
Petra Kramer describes herself as a ‘anarcho-jihadi’ and ’transliban’. She’s tough as nails and razor sharp. Follow her on Twitter (in Dutch, though) and read her (Dutch, mainly) blog. This article was published there first.
English, Petra Kramer, 17.04.2018 @ 07:16
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