Online Sex Work Environment: Exploring The Security of Working Conditions The Case of Vietnam

Sex work has long been a controversial issue that is severely forbidden in the specific con-text of Vietnam, not to mention it lays under the heavy social stigma and discrimination for those who are involved with the term, especially women. For the purpose of earning a liv-ing, sex workers are obliged to stay underground in a hidden yet vibrant industry, working in a poor environment with limited working conditions. For these reasons, their work comes along with plenty of risks and insecurities for not being protected by an authentic national legal system. As the world is entering the New Age of technology, it strongly af-fects all aspects and professions of life, and sex work is not staying out of the circle. “At the level of society and on a global scale we can see that media networks, social networks reach into the farthest corners and edges of the world” as the 21st century is possibly called the age of networks (Van Dijk, 1991/2012). Technology, especially digital communication in online platforms, has shifted social interrelations along with social networks, including sex work. The diversity of sex work has been transformed and broaden from original forms of street-based sex work to new models of commercial sex online with the support of re-cent advances in technological development. Due to the development of information tech-nology, sex workers have more opportunities to make contact directly with clients, thus not depending on the brothel owners and pimps, bringing about sizeable effects among sex workers and their customers. However, Internet-based platforms have not only facilitated how sexual services are commercially provided but also brought more (new) potential risks and insecurities to sex workers in reality. At the same time, the Government has not ratified any official legal doc-uments with complete statements and fair recognition in terms of regulating offline and online sex work with relevant subjects. Therefore, it exists plenty of gaping loopholes and inequality related to the rights of sex workers, thereby inadequate legal protection for them. This research paper will explore the security of the working conditions of online sex work-ers in Vietnam and limited capabilities among sex workers themselves due to incomplete legal enforcement and widespread discrimination that are the main contributing factors for sex workers’ agony and silence on their problems.