View article

People engage in sexual intimacy online in a variety of ways. For example, they may send intimate images to each other (sext) or they may work in or consume content produced by the sex industry. Engaging in digital intimacy is common: an estimated 1 in every 200 people has been a sex worker 1 in their lifetime and more than 80% of adults 2 have sexted.

Many risks plague online sexual intimacy: intimate content can be stolen and republished [7], online platforms are hostile to sex workers [3, 5, 6], and ensuring one’s safety when interacting with someone sexually online can be challenging. Yet, safety while engaging in digital intimacy is necessary for authentic online engagement.