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I have just got a job offer to join a software development team who are creating a webcams site. I am in need of a job right now, however, even though I have an open mind about such things, I do not want in any way to be involved and to help people to earn money from other people against their will. I think that sometimes that might the case on such websites, when people do not want to work there, but they are forced to. Or is it not?

Is there any way that I can be sure that I am working for a legitimate business, where all the models are safe?

David K
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guestguestguest
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  • guestguestguest, I edited your question to remove the duplicate question and focus more on your first question which is still on topic. – David K Oct 20 '15 at 20:45
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    What country is this. Certain countries have stricter regulations on this sort of thing. – IDrinkandIKnowThings Oct 20 '15 at 21:42
  • Huh, I just recently got pinged by an adult webcam company for a remote programming job (they found my github profile, they said). I'm presently employed in a slightly more reputable industry (defense), so it was a no-brainer to turn it down. That, and my wife would kill me. – James Adam Oct 21 '15 at 13:56
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    Related: What are the career risks of taking a job related to adult entertainment? – Trickylastname Oct 21 '15 at 19:42
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    I was going to vote to close this as unclear since a country tag is critical for decent answers here: what's ethical will vary by culture and location as will the laws and regulations concerning the industry. However, that would have closed this question as a duplicate of the related question that @Trickylastname suggested but this is no longer a duplicate. Voters, please read through both questions again after the edit: they are now not at all the same. – Lilienthal Oct 22 '15 at 10:39

3 Answers3

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[Heavily edited to remove answer to withdrawn section of question.]

In the U.S., the recordkeeping requirements for adult entertainment are pretty significant, and they do get audited, and the authorities are constantly on the lookout for underage exploitation and human trafficking. That being said, no system is perfect or reacts immediately. I'm sure it happens, still, but it's very rare. If the company has been around 3 years or more, I'm sure they've been thoroughly scrutinized at least once. I can't speak to other countries' regulation.

Wesley Long
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  • How do you know the User is in the US Please see this meta post: http://meta.workplace.stackexchange.com/questions/578/how-can-we-ensure-answers-are-culturally-relevant – IDrinkandIKnowThings Oct 20 '15 at 21:41
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    @Chad - I don't. Thus the predicate qualifier. I am inferring it based on the "style" of the language and the time of day of the posting, but I specifically qualified my answer with, "In the U.S., ..." – Wesley Long Oct 20 '15 at 22:48
  • How would a candidate investigate that record of audits? Or are you saying that if they've been around for a few years they can be assumed to be in compliance? – Monica Cellio Oct 23 '15 at 01:01
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It's possible the company could be acting ethically, but performers could be suffering from outside influences like boyfriends/pimps. Even in places where prostitution in the US is legal, this is still a problem and some brothels have been known to call the boyfriend if they felt one of the girls was out of line/didn't want to work.

Unless you have some direct contact and over-site, all you can do is keep your ears and eyes open.

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If you feel there might be an ethical violation, I would avoid the position. Understanding fully that you are in a financial predicament, this can often further lead a person to compromise ethics. Personally, I wouldn't want to be put in this position.

As with any job, looks like you want to do more research on the company before accepting a position. In this case, it would be wise to do research on the industry as a whole.

blaughw
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