SexTech X Security
This article provides an overview of the relationship between sex and tech, the Sextech industry, and the relationship between Sextech and cybersecurity. This has been modified from a conference talk originally presented at ChCon 2022.
Introduction
It would be an intimidating feat to attempt to determine what humans love more, Sex or Tech. Either way, it cannot be denied that both play an integral part to not only our evolution and progression over the millennia but also in our modern daily lives. In order to explore this relationship two distinctions need to be made. There is technology used for sex, and there is technology advanced by sex where tech was innovated or sustained by a demand for sexual content. Both categories are covered in the umbrella that is SexTech. This term was coined by Cindy Gallop in 2009 and is defined as “technology, and technology-driven ventures, designed to enhance, innovate and disrupt in every area of human sexuality and human sexual experience.”
Whilst there is an emphasis on tech and entrepreneurship, this industry organically encompasses a wide range of topics. For instance:
- Teledildonices
- Applications (Web, Mobile, VR)
- Robotics
- Health Apps
- Pornography
- Sexual Health Services
- Sex Education
- Sexual wellness
The general technical scope of the industry focuses on physical devices and applications, which is similar to a range of industries. However what sets SexTech apart is the use cases and potential impact in the event of a cybersecurity incident.
No application is ever 100% secure or safe from compromise and this includes applications and devices used for sex. These applications may be vulnerable to common attacks which could be exploited by an attacker. For instance, if device communications were intercepted this could lead to unauthorized control and access to the device, information disclosure, and physical harm. Similarly if an application were compromised, sensitive data or personal information could be leaked which may include sexuality, preferences or STI status. This could lead to reputational damage or cause harm for people’s well being, relationships, and even personal safety.
Consumers aren’t the only ones at risk in Sextech. The Sextech industry itself faces challenges which affects people working in the industry whether they are sex workers, or sex tech entrepreneurs. A lot of this stems from the stigma surrounding the industry which ultimately leads to a lack of platform stability and institutional support.
Censorship is at the crux of this issue as big platforms such as social media ban explicit content from their applications. This prevents sex workers from operating autonomously in safe conditions and Sextech companies from engaging with users on mainstream platforms.
In a similar vein, platforms which originally allowed the sex community to operate are going through phases of de-platforming users. Most notably the Tumblr porn ban of 2018 which in turn lowered the company share value, lost a majority of the user base and did not successfully prevent explicit content from being available on the application.
Finally, there is a level of exploitation where technology or applications that were advanced by sex and the Sextech industry are turning their back on the community. For example e-commerce platforms such as PayPal and Venmo are preventing sex workers from using them despite being early adopters of online payments. Similarly, in recent news OnlyFans banned (now retracted) sexually explicit content in order to appease payment services, despite this content propelling the success of the company.
Technology and institutions that once benefited from the sex industry are ostracizing and marginalizing the community. As these practices and attitudes become widely adopted, the Sextech community struggle to find safe online alternatives. Whilst there are valid arguments for regulating explicit content on these platforms, the blatant bans ultimately do more harm than good.
The relationship between sex and tech, and subsequently SexTech is a fascinating yet problematic topic, especially when approached with cybersecurity in mind. Despite the challenges it faces, the industry is forecast to grow exponentially. In order to avoid repeating the same mistakes we need to be able to encourage discourse for the industry, provide access to education and safe resources and ultimately reduce the stigma. This will help promote safety for producers and consumers by shifting attitudes towards the industry and recognize the wider benefits the community can contribute to society.