Webcam models perform erotic labor in a competitive capitalist online marketplace. They can work independently or with 3rd-party payment processors.

One model described how she does not fear doxxing because anyone can see her public shows, but she does worry about clients file sharing capped recordings of their private sessions. These findings challenge critiques of neoliberal feminism that devolve women into henchwomen of the capitalist system.

What are the Sites?

If a cam model wants to succeed, she needs to find a strategy that pays off both in the short term and the long run. That means being smart about the modes she chooses and figuring out how to make them work for her. She must also be patient, because she will likely have to invest a lot of time in her work before she starts to see a return on her investment.

It is important to remember that webcam modeling is a form of service work. As such, it requires the sex worker to manage her own emotions as well as those of her clients. In addition, it requires the sex worker to offer an authentic erotic experience that is bounded by the economic exchange of sex labor.

Another important consideration is that webcam models must navigate the dangers of their line of work. Scholars have documented how sex workers develop emotional management strategies to mitigate the risks of their erotic labor. For example, a female model described how she created what Sanders (2005a) calls a manufactured identity online. This identity included a new name, a different style of dress, and a different manner of talking to her customers.

Another challenge is the complexities of payment processing. As a result, many independent webcam models contract out their payment services to ensure they are able to meet the demands of their diverse audiences.

What are the Domains?

Webcam models can specialize in a wide variety of fetishes such as BDSM, hands, and feet. They can also be focused on a particular niche market or a certain age range. The internet has ignited a growing gig economy for adult entertainers who can use their talent to create their own businesses and appeal to domestic and international consumers.

While academic research on sex work has focused primarily on prostitution, the migration of sex work online necessitates a shift in methodological approaches to studying this new phenomenon. By conducting a content analysis of discussions on an online forum for webcam models, this study offers insight into a form of sex work about which little is known.

The results of this study show that female cam models often conceive of their sex work as both pleasurable and dangerous. They rely on pleasure as an emotional management strategy to navigate the dangers of camming, such as the threat of being doxxed or harassed. The pleasure they experience allows them to deliver embodied authenticity to their customers, which is essential to their success as performers.

However, the neoliberal ideas that many cam models adopt could thwart their feminist goals. For example, several of the women on this forum emphasized an individualistic logic that suggests that any model who gets upset about doxxing and harassment is not cut out for this line of work.

What are the Features?

The migration of sex work to digital platforms has transformed the way that many sex workers advertise and sell sexualized services. While scholars have documented how sex workers use the Internet to market their services and facilitate physical encounters with clients, research into adult webcam modeling is still nascent and has yet to make this new form of sex work a focal point of analysis. This study uses a qualitative approach to investigate the emergence of this new form of erotic labor in an online context. It conducts a content analysis of discussions on an online forum for cam models and examines the themes of pleasure (erotic and affectual) and danger (capping, doxxing, and harassment).

This research illustrates how camming is an intimate labor that requires significant self-care. It also demonstrates that the pleasures and dangers of camming are interwoven; in order to obtain the pleasures of camming, models must effectively navigate the dangers. Specifically, models must protect themselves from the threat of doxxing by maintaining up-to-date firewall and virus protection and creating a manufactured identity to hide their real name and home address from hackers.

Additionally, models must manage their finances and determine how much time they can spend streaming on a given week. While the pay for a cam model can be incredibly lucrative, it can fluctuate dramatically and can be difficult to manage financially. For example, a model may be paid hundreds of dollars for a single show, but she may not earn any tips at all during other shows.

What are the Payment Options?

Whether a model streams on an established adult webcam site or independently from her own website, she is required to have an adequate payment processing method. Although low-risk payment alternatives like Stripe and PayPal may seem appealing, they can put a model at risk of violating their terms of service or getting shut down by credit card networks that consider adult entertainment to be high-risk. Fortunately, DirectPayNet has the solutions that will allow models to offer a wide range of online payments including e-check and ACH.

While some women who cam on the internet express a desire to protect themselves from sexual assault, many of them merely minimize or downplay the dangers associated with their work. This logic is consistent with neoliberal ideas that promote individual choice and responsibility as the solution to social problems. This approach runs counter to feminist goals, which require movement toward a vision rather than away from a fear of oppression.

The moderator on this forum also pointed out that it was important for models to be vigilant about protecting their privacy and intellectual property. She suggested that if a model’s material is capped and posted on the web, she can contact the website where it appears and ask for it to be removed. However, this can backfire if the website knows her real name or other personal information that could identify her.