This Woman Charges Men To Watch Her Perform Sex Acts. Does That Make Her A feminist ? Or A Danger To Women's Rights?

In a secret corner of the internet, young women are earning their fortunes by creating sexual content for a growing male audience. But, asks Daniella Scott, who’s exploiting who?

- Daniella Scott

In a small, unremarkable suburb, in a sleepy, unremarkable cul-de-sac, Emma, known only as “Rogue”, plans her working week. There’s “Model Photoset Monday”, “Topless Tuesday”, “Fetish Friday”, “Sexy-Video Saturday” and “Striptease Sunday”. All of which she will film from inside her quiet, provincial home a short bus journey from Wigan town centre.

It’s a tough job making yourself look “sexy” on a dreary Monday afternoon. Still, she has straightened her hair, shaved her legs (not her armpits – they are part of her niche), and slicked her signature liner across her eyelids. Now she just has to take a few topless selfies, a video or two in her bondage gear (crotchless underwear, a collar and chain) and upload it to those who have paid to see it all.

You see, Rogue is a… what can I call her exactly... model? Businesswoman? Sex-industry influencer? Because she is, in fact, all of these things. As are the thousands of young women like Rogue who have created their own “adult entertainment” channels on a rapidly growing platform called OnlyFans. The platform was born in 2016 through a mysterious and seemingly employee-less company named Fenix International Ltd. On its homepage it touts itself as a “social network”, a way to turn your pre-existing social media influence into income: “The only fans way to make your influence pay.” However large numbers of its accounts are used for naked selfies, titillating videos of homemade porn and fetish films all posed, performed and produced by real women from across the world. (The company is American, but its users are everywhere, from Shanghai to Hull.)