UK Charity Releases Study on Financial Discrimination Against Sex Workers

UK Charity Releases Study on Financial Discrimination Against Sex Workers

LONDON — National Ugly Mugs, a U.K. charity focused on sex worker rights and outreach, has released a comprehensive research report on financial discrimination against sex workers in the U.K., including adult performers and businesses.

The report’s findings confirmed that “there is evidence of financial discrimination against sex workers from various U.K.-based banks and financial institutions,” including “the refusal of services, such as business accounts, overdrafts and loans, and other financial products” and documented cases where “the personal bank accounts of sex workers were shut down or frozen.”

Participants included adult performers, cam performers, content creators, strippers and full-service sex workers. Many participants, the report stated, “were involved in more than one form of sex work.”

Other findings of the NUM report include:

  • With increasing digitalization of payment streams and the gradual move towards a cashless society, more sex workers rely on financial products that they are unable to access due to financial discrimination. As a result, many are forced to lie to financial institutions and state authorities about their business and prevented from filing their taxes correctly and even complying with U.K. regulations of the sex industry.
  • Sex workers have developed different strategies to deal with financial discrimination which in most cases involve either hiding or lying about their engagement in the sex industry or avoiding certain banks and institutions altogether, resulting in an exclusion from large parts of the financial market, including many investment products, the housing market and retiring funds.
  • Experiencing financial discrimination has a significant negative impact on the mental health of sex workers with extreme anxiety, depression and feeling excluded being reported most frequently.
  • The anti-sex worker bias of many financial organizations has wider implications for the working conditions of sex workers as a small number of international financial institutions hold significant power in online markets, including various platforms that sex workers are using to distribute their content.

The report also noted that "although most of the anti-sex worker lobbying of Mastercard and other large financial companies originate in the U.S., the interpenetration of platforms results in repressive policing of U.K.-based institutions."

Additionally, the report described the well-documented international influence of American "right-wing evangelical groups as well as U.S. legislation on these financial players."

NUM’s declared mission is “fighting to end all forms of violence against sex workers.”

The charity, according to its mission statement, “provides tools for sex workers to report potentially violent or otherwise dangerous individuals who pose as clients, and parties who victimize sex workers.” NUM also “supports sex workers to prevent harm, report it and access resources for justice, healing and recovery in their communities and through the legal system if requested.”

To read the complete report, “Financial Discrimination of Sex Workers in the U.K.” by NUM, click here.

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

Strike 3 Holdings Sues Meta for Pirating Vixen Media Group Content to Train AI

Vixen Media Group owner Strike 3 Holdings filed suit in federal court this week, accusing Facebook parent company Meta of copyright infringement and alleging that Meta has extensively pirated VMG content to train its artificial intelligence models.

Pineapple Support, Streamate to Host 'Navigating Grief and Loss' Support Group

Pineapple Support and Streamate are hosting a free online support group to help performers cope with grief and loss.

Friday is Final AV Compliance Deadline in UK

Friday, July 25 marks U.K. media regulator Ofcom’s deadline for user-to-user services such as tube, cam and fan sites to implement its requisite “highly effective age assurance” measures for preventing minors from viewing adult content.

AEBN Publishes Popular Searches for May, June

AEBN has released the top search terms for the months of May and June from its straight and gay theaters in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Two Texas Bills Restricting Sex Toy Sales Fail to Pass

Two bills aimed at restricting sales of sex toys have failed to pass the Texas state legislature during its 2025 session.

NYC Adult Stores Petition for Rehearing in Zoning Law Case

A group of adult businesses on Tuesday petitioned the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit to rehear a case involving a zoning law that could severely limit adult stores’ operations in New York City.

Ofcom Releases Transparency Reporting Guidelines

Ofcom, the U.K. media regulator, has made public its official guidance detailing how online service providers — including adult sites — will be required to publish annual transparency reports on their efforts to protect children from online harms.

New AV Rules Take Effect for Ireland-Based Sites

Ireland’s Online Safety Code came into force Monday, including a provision requiring adult sites headquartered in Ireland to implement age assurance measures beyond self-declaration.

XBIZ Amsterdam Calls on New Startups for 'Spotlight' Program

XBIZ is pleased to announce that its new “Startup Spotlight” programming will make its European premiere at XBIZ Amsterdam 2025, set to take place Sept. 2-5 at the Jakarta Hotel Amsterdam.

Texas Resumes AV Lawsuit Against Aylo Following SCOTUS Decision

A district court judge in Texas has unfrozen the state’s $1.6 million lawsuit against Aylo for allegedly failing to comply with age verification requirements, Bloomberg Law is reporting.

Show More