A woman based in the Philippines has told the BBC how "heartbreaking" it is to earn less than $2 per hour pretending to be higher-paid OnlyFans models in online chats. She first took up this work to support her family during a period of lower income, working an 8-hour shift five days a week and being set targets to earn the model hundreds of dollars in sales of pictures and videos during her shift.

She described that the job often involved "sexting" with multiple fans simultaneously, which she found unpleasant. Many fans seemed "really nice" but were obviously lonely, making the process feel sad due to the deception: "Technically, I'm scamming them, because I'll be sending all those photos and videos to them, and I'm just after the sale," she said.

The use of chatters has led to legal cases against OnlyFans and the agencies employing them by users and law firms who deem the practice deceptive, though none have succeeded so far. The woman also expressed concerns about potential legal risks given relatively tough anti-pornography laws in the Philippines.

Mylene Cabalona, president of the independent union BPO Industry Employees' Network (BIEN), told the BBC that "while the Philippines does have relatively strict laws regarding pornography, our main concern as a union is the largely unregulated nature of this type of online work." This raises serious concerns about workers' exposure to "potentially egregious or harmful content," as well as a lack of clear guidelines on safety, accountability, and worker protection.

However, Cabalona noted that outsourced digital jobs, including chatting, can allow workers to earn income from home while supporting clients or platforms abroad, and may offer higher potential income compared to some local entry-level jobs, along with opportunities to develop skills in digital work.

Source: www.bbc.com