What Next TBD: How Crypto Fails Sex Workers

Slate Technology

Slate

Society & Culture, Technology, History

4.6 • 636 Ratings

🗓️ 18 August 2023

⏱️ 26 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

At first, cryptocurrency seemed like the solution to the problems sex workers have had with traditional banks. But as the US moves to regulate the crypto industry, many are finding it hasn’t worked out like they hoped. Guests: Joel Khalili, reporter at Wired Liara Roux, sex worker, organizer, and writer You can check out Joel’s reporting in Wired here. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Here's the truth about AI. AI is only as powerful as the platform it's built into.
0:05.0	ServiceNow puts AI to work for people across your business,
0:09.0	removing friction and frustration for your employees,
0:12.0	supercharging productivity for your developers,
0:15.0	providing intelligent tools for your service agents to make customers happier.
0:19.0	All built into a single platform you can
0:21.9	use right now. That's why the world works with ServiceNow. Visit servicenow.com
0:27.8	slash UK slash AI for people. About a decade ago, Liara Roo was working at a tech job in the Bay Area and hating it.
0:39.3	Then, something better came up.
0:42.3	And a friend of mine was a dominatrix, and she told me that I thought I might like sex work better.
0:48.3	And I did.
0:49.3	So Rue, who's gender queer, decided to become an escort.
0:55.0	They were aware of some challenges, including one many outsiders may not think about much.
1:02.0	That's banking. Rue knew that keeping money at a traditional bank might be an issue.
1:07.0	Traditional finance doesn't like dealing with sex work.
1:10.0	It's a problem that's plagued the adult industry for decades, dating back to the 60s.
1:15.6	But, for a while, Rue managed to hang on to their bank account.
1:19.6	A few years down the road, they figured out that I was a sex worker and they shut down my account.
1:25.6	Losing bank accounts and being shut out of traditional banking altogether is common for sex workers.
1:32.3	As many as two-thirds have lost access to either a bank account or financial service, according
1:37.3	to data from the Free Speech Coalition, a U.S. Trade Association for the adult industry.
1:43.3	Some 40% have lost access to a bank account in the past year.
	...

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