“Being a webcam model is a very difficult job. I really did it out of necessity to support my family because I had no way to help myself financially. There is no possibility for anything, many people are working on it. Now there is no one to support us, there is no one to do anything about it,” he told the media. Aguilera`s plan aims to ensure that people who do this work have access to basic rights as in other jobs: “Any form of linking webcam models who ignore their constitutional, legal and social rights enshrined in current labor standards” is prohibited, according to part of the document. In an unprecedented decision in Colombia, the Constitutional Court has ordered the legalization of the work of webcam models in Colombia. In the two decades that this market has operated, hundreds of models have browsed the various sites that thousands of users visit frequently, but they are not always looking for a woman behind a screen. Currently, users of these platforms are trying to find different alternatives to satisfy their demands. For this reason, the presence of men, couples and transsexuals began to strengthen on different sides of models around the world. In Colombia, it is very difficult to measure the presence of mannequins in numbers, but it is said that 90 per cent are women; 5% couples; 3% were men and only 2% were transsexual. Given the constant growth of the industry, the first university for webcam models was founded in 2017, the Universidad Juan Bustos, located in Medellín and founded by the famous consultant Juan Bustos.

The question arises as to what is the current situation with regard to the legal regulation of webcam work in Colombia. ©After several years of presence ± the webcam modelling industry until ± 2021, in particular from the T-109 judgment of 2021, it is recognised that webcam modelling is developed in the context of an employment relationship and that the absence of regulation encourages abuses in these relationships, as found in the case examined by the Court. It is necessary to address the activity and the modalities in which it is developed and to establish what the current situation is in the Regulation. López is a family business. ©After working as a tax advisor all his life and advising clients on the most effective way to set up businesses in the country, LÓPEZ thought about starting his own business. At first, the idea of owning a webcam studio seemed a little strange to him, he admits: “There are still a lot of ± taboos on the subject.” But after©much deliberation with his wife, they decided to go into the business. They used LÓPEZ`s knowledge and wanted to do everything legally, even if it was complicated because of the lack of regulations that exist in the country in this area: “They didn`t even let us open a bank account,” he explains. Now the business is run by the couple and their daughters.

“One in the studio is one person and outside is another. The girl who gets into this business does it for a while to start a business or something, it`s not like you`re going to dedicate yourself to this whole life,” Melo concludes. According to Morales, this is an aspect that should be emphasized when talking to models: “Social awareness is important, this job is not only to undress and already the client must be convinced, but it is very important that the girls are clear that this activity is something temporary, something to achieve a goal, who needs economic muscle.” Said. Many questions are raised in this market, both from the point of view of models and society: will webcam modeling ever be considered a formal work? Will it still be an industry that makes that much money every year? The representative of the House of Antioquia, John Jairo Bermúdez of the Democratic Center, presented a bill to regulate the contracts of webcam models of any sex, gender©or sexual orientation, as well as the Federation of Electronic Commerce for Adults. This studio, as LÓPEZ calls it, is dedicated to hiring women who perform erotic modeling on websites by camera from their bedroom. The men they watch pay for what they do in their sex shows with tokens, virtual currencies backed by blockchain technology. Transfers can take place in open spaces with more than 20 people or privately, where 12 tokens per minute are paid. In this business, you win if the model manages to keep its client connected. After©an hour during which the local psychologist Marãa Léópez gives him a guided tour and explains the working conditions, he gains weight. Colombia is the second country in the world after©Romania with more webcam models. “Since the pandemic, business in the city has grown exponentially. Right now, there could be more than 5,000 studies in the country, says Ernesto Léez, 48± owner of ±the place where Cindy will work.

Webcam modeling is an activity where people who live stream during 6-8 hour shifts usually connect to a specific host website, which can be free or private, depending on how it works. People on the other side of the screen visit these websites and send virtual “tokens” they`ve purchased in advance to participate in a private chat with the model or request certain actions. Depending on the platform, a token costs between 0.5 cents and $1.2 [1]. It is usually separated from the sex industry guild as a gender©because there is no physical contact, but it still consists of exchanging a sum of money for sexual services. In a single street in the center of Bogotá, you can count five studios dedicated to the trade of webcam models. They camouflage themselves between the students` buildings and a school at the end of the street. At the entrance, there is no trace of the company name, so budding models approach somewhat unsuspectingly. At the end, 2±0-year-old Cindy finds the doorbell and rings it. He learned about the study through social media and was encouraged to conduct an interview.

In an interview with La W, Andrea*, a webcam model, talks about the legalization of her work. According to official data, out of 10 studies in Bogotá, only two are legal, which means that 80% would be without any kind of regulation or control. There are many eyes that focus on whether or not this industry is a cradle of sexual exploitation, and also wonder if it is a legal obligation to conduct a study. The answer lies somewhere in between: it`s not legal to have a webcam modeling studio, but it`s not illegal either. This is confirmed by Rafael Morales, director of operations of one of the most famous studios in Bogotá: “The market for webcam models is legal, the state has not created regulations in this regard, but the judiciary has not banned it either. Morally, it can never be legalized. Studios, like ours, are subject to different statuses or different laws, so they meet the requirements to continue operating. In addition, he adds that “people`s imaginations need to be changed. Good studies are responsible for training and counselling models, this should be seen as a task like any other. In addition, it always tries to minimize the possibility of girls being blackmailed, it is always disseminated on sites outside the country.

“This work has a background that few people imagine. Models claim that working in a reputable and legal place gives them the opportunity to achieve goals such as buying a home, starting a business, or paying for their career, but at the same time, they are aware that it is a temporary job. In the event that the initiative is approved, the government will have a maximum period of six months from its entry into force to regulate all the provisions of this project, which aims to grant labour rights to models dedicated to this profession. In the judgment of 27 April 2021 on the protection of labour rights of a webcam model, the court ruled that the relationship between studio and model can be declared as the existence of an employment contract if the conditions of Article 22 of the Substantive Labour Code are recognised. However, there was a discussion in the room about free entry into the activity and whether behavior contrary to the human dignity of women could be legalized, and finally accepted the thesis© in which the existence of the contract is explained and appropriate measures are ordered. Similarly, Andrea* assured that webcam models can earn up to 30 million pesos, but these are people who have been working in this profession for a long time. In addition, he mentions that they do not give any guarantees in their employment contracts: “The contract you signed said they had to work eight hours, but if you got sick, they deducted that money.” Not a small amount has been said about the webcam modeling “industry” in the country. Many see it as degrading work, while others see it as an alternative with good economic gain and helps thousands of women achieve economic independence. And although it is an activity that began to have a new atmosphere a few years ago, this market has been in Colombia for more than two decades, which is considered the second largest supplier of models in the world. The country occupies 33% of the market; the first is Romania. “17 years ago, there were only 1,000 to 2,000 women in this market in Colombia.