Occupying Public Space

Then:

Before the Digital Era, streetwalkers solicited sex exclusively on the streets, much to the dismay of the Parisian government and Prefecture of Police. Tolerating the existence of prostitution so long as it was concealed, these authorities considered streetwalkers nuisances. In On Prostitution, Parent-Duchâtelet fixates on their occupation of public space, expressing disdain for the ways theywould block traffic circulation by standing on sidewalks. These filles insoumises played by their own rules. They operated outside the confines of brothels and refused to hide themselves from public view. They refused to register as prostitutes and therefore did not receive the health examinations required by the authorities.

Interestingly, Parent-Duchâtelet also studied waste disposal in cities, and while he was more sympathetic to prostitutes in general than most of his contemporaries, he evidently saw similarities between his studies of sewage and streetwalkers: both were associated with poverty and blocking public thoroughfares. Both, he thought, should do their work behind closed doors, invisible to everyday Parisians while visible only to those in charge of regulation.The government would purify the public space of their city by containing human waste and, what he considered, sexual immorality and class-based disgust. [1]

Though the Internet seems to provide more covert ways for streetwalkers to conduct business, the change in streetwalking in the digital era might represent a transition from physical public space -- the streets -- to a virtual one  -- the computer screen.

Now:

With the advance of the Internet, some streetwalkers may now choose between meeting their clients in either of two public spaces: on the streets and/or online. Going online has allowed street prostitutes to arrange dates with johns without having to worry about being spotted by the authorities. Johns are able to find street prostitutes on the notice boards of certain websites and can read reviews before making an informed choice, while the streetwalkers have more control over the situation, picking where on the street to meet in person, and knowing more about what to expect before going off alone with a particular client. In one city, investigators have seen the number of women walking the streets plunge by around forty to fifty percent. [2]  

In some ways the Internet has improved the safety of streetwalking. Online sites like the Review Board or Backpage allow for a more cautious business environment than is typical on the street. [3] Bria, a transgender streetwalker, describes why she chose to go online rather than walk the streets: “Talking online for a while, you can gauge the risk before being around them and not take the risk if it doesn't feel right." [4] But she acknowledges going online is still dangerous; while it removes some streetwalkers from the streets and out of view of the authorities, it also sets prostitutes up for entrapment by police performing sting operations. Moreover, a disturbing trend has emerged in several states, such as Illinois and Michigan, in which serial killers use Backpage to target specific sex workers. [4] In West Virginia, a streetwalker killed her client with his own gun after he began to strangle her. When called to the scene, the police discovered a “kill kit” in his trunk along with a list of future targets in his pocket -- all streetwalkers with advertisements on Backpage. [5] Virgin Hellfire, another transgender streetwalker, used the internet to book dates with her friends but would also “go on the streets with them and be [a] security guard. When they got in a car, I'd follow to make sure they were safe." [4]