Journalist: Sex ad platforms in Estonia can make big money, pimping hard to prove

Journalist Olesja Lagašina told Vikerraadio that online platforms hosting sex worker ads in Estonia can generate millions of euros in revenue for the small number of people running them. In recent years, sex workers have largely moved online.

While writing an article for Äripäev, Lagašina conducted her own investigation and contacted platform operators. The largest platform operates in the Czech Republic and did not respond. A smaller platform, however, is owned by someone in Latvia. She described the business as international and highly profitable, noting that the larger platform earns about €7 million a year even though it employs only a couple of people.

Paid advertisements are the main source of revenue. The platforms take a cut of the fee charged by the service provider, which can be €300 or more per hour, depending on the offer.

Vulnerable individuals

Lagašina stressed that many service providers are vulnerable people, including those who have fled Russia's invasion of Ukraine. She spoke to a Ukrainian woman who had lost her job because of the war, while her mother was ill and required treatment. The woman was earning money this way because she had no other option. She traveled to another country so that no one would recognize her.

Estonia is one of those countries. During her research, Lagašina spoke to residents of an apartment building who believed one apartment was being used for selling sex. A source told her about suspicious people coming and going. After the residents moved out, Lagašina called a woman who had posted an ad on a website.

Legal challenges

Legal issues include residency and work permits, as well as pimping, which is illegal in Estonia. Many service providers may not have the necessary permits.

Proving pimping is harder. Service providers often claim they work independently and by their own choice. Lagašina noted that women may start out independent, but then come to the attention of organized crime. Many work through agencies, which can create a veneer of legality.

Because women claim to operate independently, their actions are not punishable on their own; pimping would be. Lagašina pointed out that there are many agencies on these platforms. In her view, an agency acts as an intermediary, and facilitating prostitution is a criminal offense. However, police say these could simply be advertising agencies and shutting them down would make the problem worse. Finland tried that approach and it did not solve the problem — providers simply moved elsewhere.