Inside the world of 'cammers' - amateur porn stars who work from home

• From NEWS.COM.AU
• Last Updated: 5:36 PM, August 23, 2013
• Posted: 4:00 PM, August 23, 2013

Shutterstock

Armed with a webcam, 24-year-old Nikki can make upwards of $300 for a few hours a week "camming" from the comfort of her own home.

Camming is amateur porn movie-making and it's the most recent addition to the porn industry.

All you need to make it is internet access, a web cam and, of course, a willingness to "perform" - anything from various sexual acts to simple conversations with strangers, who'll pay you.

Nikki told us that along with the money, she considers the anonymity one of the biggest advantages of camming.

"I couldn't have sex for money. Sex for me is private and personal but camming means that only the people that pay for it see it," she said.

"Customers log into the free chat area and negotiate a price. I charge around $4 a minute for a private show, which means between eight to 20 people can log on and see it. I also do exclusive shows, just one-on-one."

According to a recent article in The Daily Mail, 'camming sites' like the one Nikki works for are presenting a real threat to the world's professional porn video makers, who are estimated to be worth around $5 billion a year.

Unlike more traditional sex workers, cammers work for themselves. They're independent operators, who negotiate their own terms and can easily ban any unwanted attention. Also, aside from the exchange of credit card numbers, their clients are anonymous.

Nikki uploads her content to offshore cam' sites because, as far as she knows, it would be illegal for her to produce and market her content here. She told news.com.au there were a huge range of camming sites on offer in America and Europe, each with their own rules and regulations.

Nikki said she advises other girls interested in the industry to choose their sites wisely as each also differs in terms of how they look after the cammers. They also vary in terms of how much "cut" they take from the cammers - anything from 40 to 80 percent.

"The first site I worked for was Free.com and I felt really exploited. Even though the policy said the site did not allow full nudity, I know there were other girls on there who agreed to do stuff like that all the time. And nobody stopped them," she said.

"The other problem was the support system. When something went wrong, I'd email the support line only to hear back in a couple of days with an automated response. When I did some research I found that that whole side of things had been moved to the Philippines," she said.

Feeling safe is a major priority. The new site Nikki works for, which she prefers not to name, offers a mentoring-type service for the cammers. Instead of the automated response, when Nikki feels uncomfortable due to unusual requests or abusive comments, she speaks directly to a real woman for help and even advice.