Almost overnight, North Carolina cut off access to adult streaming platforms across the state. With the snap of a finger, hundreds if not hundreds of thousands of online sex workers suddenly found themselves locked out of their accounts or unable to access the websites at all. The frustration is obvious, but what’s equally jarring is how this seemed to come out of nowhere, catching many completely off guard. No matter how it happened, it’s hard not to think about what this could mean for the hobby in North Carolina.
First things first: this state ban on adult platforms isn’t going to stop online sex workers from working. All it really takes is a VPN, and for many of them it’s business as usual, as if the ban never happened. Whether that workaround applies cleanly to every platform is still unclear, but for a good number of sites, VPN access appears to be enough to keep things moving.
That said, many people in North Carolina can’t honestly say they didn’t see this coming. With online porn already being restricted in the state not too long ago, it felt like this was the next logical step. While some are still trying to piece together how everything unfolded so quickly, a lot of fingers are being pointed at the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA). The act was designed to protect minors from harmful material on social media, and adult platforms have clearly fallen under that umbrella. Sex workers are blaming lawmakers, platform CEOs for not giving any warning, and even themselves—since very few seemed to know this was about to happen.
With so many consensual sex workers potentially cut off from their primary income, there’s a strong chance North Carolina could see an influx of providers entering the hobby. As unfortunate as that reality may be, it wouldn’t be the first time. I’ve already written about similar situations unfolding in parts of Europe, where government crackdowns on adult platforms have left many women with limited options, pushing them toward providing instead.
Regardless of whether we see that kind of shift in North Carolina, clients should move forward as if nothing has changed while staying alert. Scammers will absolutely try to take advantage of this moment, using the chaos as cover. Be mindful of who you’re contacting and wary of anything that feels too good to be true. At the same time, some of these women may genuinely be new to navigating the hobby, so patience will go a long way.
