Will California’s Gig Economy Law Be Porn’s ‘Armageddon’?

One of the victims of AB 5, the Democrat method of killing jobs this year is the porn industry.  Yup, California which is the home of the production of porn in the United States, will see an exodus of this industry.  So far, journalists, Amway distributors, independent truckers, ride share drivers are known victims  Add the pornography industry being chased out of California due to the Democrats.

Some will say this is a good thing—let Nevada, Arizona and Nebraska have this industry.

“A.B. 5 “could reclassify any performer working for a studio as that studio’s employee, no matter how many different studios you shoot for,” warned the Adult Performer Advocacy Committee and the Free Speech Coalition in pamphlets handed out at the AVN Expo.

Because A.B. 5 contains exemptions for business-to-business relationships, the groups suggest performers form their own corporations in order to continue to be allowed to be paid as an independent contractors. “Your employer would now have a contract with your corporation instead of with you as an individual,” they explain.

Rothfield points out that “exceptions are being written in for cam performers and the like,” but A.B. 5 “has made many adult sites feel they have to hire cam girls as employees to be compliant,” which “leaves many part time cameras scared about their income.”

Basically, laws like this make it harder for porn performers to work as independent contractors for multiple platforms, giving them less leverage and fewer options and creating greater risk for exploitation.”

Is this the one benefit of AB 5?  Or an unintended consequence?  Watch the California Political News and Views as more victims of the Democrats are exposed.

Will California’s Gig Economy Law Be Porn’s ‘Armageddon’?

Reason, 1/31/20 

Porn faces another legal threat. A.B. 5—California’s new law regulating the gig economy—is “armageddon in some ways” for the state’s porn industry, said longtime AVN writer Mark Kernes on the legal issues panel.

Many adult entertainment companies rely on talent and crew employed as independent contractors, not full-fledged employees. And for porn performers these days, it’s the norm not just to contract with one or more studios but to make money via webcamming, video clip sales, and other online platforms. Having multiple income streams that don’t depend on a few big gatekeepers makes the work safer and puts performers in more control.

A.B. 5, and the copycat legislation it’s spawning in other states, threatens that.

These laws are presented as ways to protect workers from being taken advantage of by companies who get a significant number of hours out of them without classifying them as full employees. But in practice, they take options away from freelancers, consultants, gig workers, and independent contractors, who are now limited in their options, while giving companies no incentive to suddenly hire all their contractors and incur huge additional costs.

A.B. 5 “could reclassify any performer working for a studio as that studio’s employee, no matter how many different studios you shoot for,” warned the Adult Performer Advocacy Committee and the Free Speech Coalition in pamphlets handed out at the AVN Expo.

Because A.B. 5 contains exemptions for business-to-business relationships, the groups suggest performers form their own corporations in order to continue to be allowed to be paid as an independent contractors. “Your employer would now have a contract with your corporation instead of with you as an individual,” they explain.

Rothfield points out that “exceptions are being written in for cam performers and the like,” but A.B. 5 “has made many adult sites feel they have to hire cam girls as employees to be compliant,” which “leaves many part time cameras scared about their income.”

Bascially, laws like this make it harder for porn performers to work as independent contractors for multiple platforms, giving them less leverage and fewer options and creating greater risk for exploitation.