CELINE

E-VICTION: DEPLATFORMING AND ITS EFFECTS ON LONELINESS

Ana Valens’ article, “‘E-Viction’ sex work event sheds light on ‘digital gentrification’ by self-destructing when it’s over,” reports on a unique virtual event that seeked to address the pressing issue of sex workers’ culling from online platforms, of “trading [their] hard work for civilians” while forcing them to “find a new platform.” In “A Feature, Not a Bug,'' Mar Hicks states that “technological systems tend to require the domination of many for the profit of a few." Similarly, in the case of online adult creators, they have been subjugated, used, and discarded while the results of their work line the pockets of the platform creators and managers.

Feb 20, 2021

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During the E-Viction event, sex workers “[agreed] to deplatform and censor themselves en masse as a sort of consensual, nonconsent role-play” (Valens). The term “censor” holds the double meaning of both the workers’ agreed-upon deletion, and the idea of certain sexualities consistently being censored by mainstream media — in specific, the sexualities of those who identify as disabled, queer, trans, and POC, who are the most affected by digital gentrification.

This short description also integrates the BDSM term of “consensual, nonconsent." This phrase means that the dominant figure in the scenario is able to act as if the submissive figure has waived all consent. While specifying “role-play” is typically not necessary as its meaning is already embedded in the term’s definition, here it serves to signal that this particular fantasy is not one of the sex workers', but rather they are playing out a role that they have already been forced into — the position of being imposed upon by the domineering platforms without being able to consent. They reclaim part of their power by being complicit actors in an event that highlights their lack of autonomy.

Trans rights sign seen at a sex workers' rights march in Stockholm

I decided to visit the E-Viction site a few days ago. Now long after the event, I was met with a carefully designed “NETWORK ERROR'' screen.

A striking reminder to Legacy Russell’s Glitched Feminism, which remarks, “A glitch is a form of refusal,” this site seems to agree by “glitching out” after the deadline has passed (15). It refuses to show any more lewd content as a form of protest. Instead, it offers a series of sentences for the viewer’s contemplation. For instance, “The loneliest moments are the ones that accompany a detaching: space that was first empty, then filled, then emptied again" ("NETWORK ERROR"). Initially, this struck me as another witty, sexually-charged metaphor. But, its commentary on the nature of loneliness in relation to online sex work was not lost on me.

This event was held during the midst of the current pandemic, with many people unable to seek out the physical and emotional intimacy that they may have been used to. Accessing adult content online is a safe way to explore your inner desires while also alleviating some feelings of solitude. Thus, this statement can be taken as a metaphor for the relationship between consumers and sex workers. The content produced by the adult creators filled the void of human intimacy created (or exacerbated) by the onset of the pandemic, but as the workers continue to be stripped away through deplatforming, the void remains. It highlights how digital gentrification is not only detrimental for the sex workers, but for the consumers as well — the number of which likely exceeds the workers significantly.

TEDx talk from a sex worker discussing men's need for intimacy

But even so, many sex workers pour themselves into their work, revealing their most intimate lives on screen for others’ consumption. Many sex workers have admitted that intimacy with their clients can develop, so when that connection is stripped away from them, it is not just financial gain and autonomy that they might be losing, but those feelings of connection too (Petro).

However, we cannot forget the last actor in this ménage-a-trois. Many platforms once filled with the presence of sex workers were left destitute once they decided to remove them. Tumblr was once known for its widespread NSFW content, but after its ban on adult content, its web traffic dropped by a third, with its users scrambling to find new sites to meet their needs (Captain). In this way, the platforms themselves join the host of those left feeling forsaken after deplatforming.

Loneliness is an emotion I have often felt during the pandemic. Undoubtedly it is one that we can all relate to. By harnessing our collective understanding of this quiet yet powerful emotion, we may find greater success in tackling the urgent issue of sex workers’ digital gentrification.

Until next time,
Celine ❤

E-Viction site

References:
Captain, Sean. “After Tumblr’s NSFW ban, these adult communities have come out on top.” Fast Company, 4 June 2019, fastcompany.com. Accessed 19 February 2021.

Hicks, Mar. “A Feature, Not a Bug.” Technology Stories, 4 December 2017, technologystories.org. Accessed 19 February 2021.

“NETWORK ERROR.” E-Viction, e-viction.net. Accessed 19 February 2021.

Petro, Melissa. “'It Gets Very Intimate for Me': How Sex Workers Experience Pleasure with Clients.” VICE, 16 December 2016, vice.com. Accessed 19 February 2021.

Russell, Legacy. Glitch Feminism: A Manifesto. London, Brooklyn: Verso, 2020.

Valens, Ana. “‘E-Viction’ sex work event sheds light on ‘digital gentrification’ by self-destructing when it’s over.”daily dot, 20 August 2020, dailydot.com. Accessed 19 February 2021.

Media:
“E-Viction.net.” VICE, vice.com. Accessed 19 February 2021.

“Placard at a sex workers’ rights march.” PinkNews, pinknews.co.uk. Accessed 19 February 2021.

"What a sex worker can teach us about human connection | Nicole Emma | TEDxSaltLakeCity.” YouTube, uploaded by Tedx Talks, 18 December 2018, youtube.com.