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In the Netherlands, sex work is a legal profession. The Ministry of Justice and Security is committed to creating an environment where sex workers can freely and safely carry out their work. For this reason, it is important to have insight into the sex work industry. The latest research on the nature and scope of the sex work industry dates back to 2021. However, in recent years, the sex work industry in the Netherlands has been evolving, with sex work increasingly being offered through online advertising platforms. In the 2021 study, online advertising platforms were only marginally considered. The increased use of online advertising platforms also raises new questions about supervision, regulation, and the protection of sex workers.
To gain an understanding of the current Dutch sex work industry, Dialogic is conducting research commissioned by the Research and Documentation Centre (WODC) on the nature and scope of the Dutch (online) sex work industry. The aim of the research is to create an updated overview of the sex work industry as of 2025, including online advertising platforms for sex work. The research should pay attention to the various types of sex work.
To map the sex work industry as of 2025, two main questions have been formulated:
- What is the nature and scope of sex work advertising platforms and the sex work offered on them?
- What is the nature and scope of licensed sex work?
