Throughout history, human beings have always had a key interest in physical pleasure. The more we explored our bodies, the deeper we sought sexual pleasure. Prostitution is one of our earliest professions invented solely for this pursuit. From it came other forms of sex work, like pornography and phone sex services. With the rise of social media and easy access to the internet, Phone sex services and phonography have merged to create a new form of sex work – adult content creation.
Although all these branches of sex work involve the exchange of sexual services, acts, or performances for payment, people often use terms such as “adult content creator”, “porn-actress and prostitute interchangeably. However, it is crucial to understand that they operate under different legal rules that dictate their working conditions, scalability, and public perceptions.
Defining the different roles
Prostitute
A prostitute is legally defined as a person who offers acts of a sexual nature for payment. They do not create sexual content for online subscribers or a public audience. They are the primary financial beneficiary of the payments made by their clients. Although prostitution is not entirely illegal, the acts surrounding it are criminalised.
Adult content creator
An adult content creator produces sexually explicit material in the form of explicit live streams, videos, and photos for their followers and online subscribers. They typically work independently, with their proceeds split between them and the platform( e.g, OnlyFans).
Adult content creation encompasses a wide range of individuals, from solo performers to collaborators, who may not be part of the traditional porn industry.
Porn Actress (or Adult Performer)
A porn actress is a specific type of adult content creator who acts in professionally produced, sexually explicit films or videos. They are considered actors within the legal adult film industry. They perform sexual acts on camera as part of a production that is to be distributed to the public. A production company or director often dictates their performance. Proceeds go to the production company, which then pays the actress and the government through taxes.
The legal framework: pornography vs. prostitution
While prostitution is not always illegal, the acts surrounding it are criminalised, and it is not a recognised form of work. In contrast, when produced legally, pornography is considered a form of expression and a taxable industry. The primary legal difference hinges on intent, distribution, and state recognition.
Why legally produced porn is not prostitution
- Performance for an Audience: The sexual acts are performed to produce a product for public viewing and not as a direct service.
- Government Endorsement, Protection & Taxation: The legal porn industry is heavily regulated, with strict working conditions, and the income is taxed, from production to workers. The actors have rights, and they have to adhere to mandatory STD testing, and, in some regions, required condom use.
In the UK, the legality of pornography comes with specific restrictions. Revenge porn, creating or possessing pornographic material involving persons under the age of 18, and possessing extreme pornography are all illegal.
The profession of adult content creation is a relatively newer form of sex work; services like phone sex have always existed. Platforms such as OnlyFans have caused a boom in the adult industry, offering slightly less curated, personalised adult material.
There is an overlap between these roles. For example, some OnlyFans creators also work as prostitutes. We see this in the case of Shannon Sharpe and the OnlyFans model who recently sued him. She was an adult content creator working on the platform who he paid for sex. She later sued him for sexual assault and won her case. Highlighting the legal grey areas regarding prostitution, the protections of persons who choose to work in the sex industry. There’s also been an uptake in former porn actors' transitioning to adult content creation for more creative control and higher profits.
While these professions are dominated by women, men, and trans people are also providers of sexual services.