Put on lingerie. Or not. Accessorise. Or not. Take lascivious breaks. Or very lascivious ones. And turn on your webcam. The rest is up to you: on LiveJasmin, everything is for sale. The more you commit to the platform the richer you become… and the richer you make the adult entertainment giant, whose annual turnover neared €500m in 2022.

Not on the radar of the Digital Services Act--which has seen the European Commission limit itself to holding Pornhub, Stripchat and XVideos to account--LiveJasmin this week launched a massive online recruitment of models. The idea, it says, is to offer “financial opportunities and career support” to future webcam models and to help create a movement around “the positive impact” this profession has had on models and members worldwide.

“Anyone from the US, UK, Netherlands, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Australia and Canada who signs up as a model on LiveJasmin between 12 and 18 June and meets the terms and conditions of this promotion will receive the following benefits: a guaranteed income for three periods (of two weeks each), totalling over $6,000 per month and at least $9,000 over six weeks. And an additional chance to double their income thanks to a 100% welcome bonus,” says the pitch issued by Luxembourg-based companies JWS America and JWS International.

40 hours a week

The reality is slightly different. Not only can models also come from five other countries, including Luxembourg, but they will have to perform at least 80 hours per 14-day period over three successive periods from 19 June and meet thresholds. That works out to eight hours per working day. If, over the same reference periods, they reach thresholds 25 points higher than the first, they will be eligible for the bonus.

Each candidate is competing with thousands of others to catch the eye of users as well as their euros. This is vital for LiveJasmin, which takes a commission on everything the model earns. The model’s income ranges from 30% up to $350 in “revenue” (level 1) to 80% above $30,000 (level 9), all over a 14-day period. Every 14 days, the models are restarted at level 1. Algorithms obviously favour those who attract the most interest from potential customers. The principle is similar to that of search engines.

Those who wish to “free themselves” by taking part in this initiative must declare themselves as independents; LiveJasmin will forward the amounts received to the tax authorities, explains the helpline. The site boasts stories of “modern day peep show millionaires,” which is impossible to verify. “Most people who responded to the survey think that webcam models earn between $51,000 and $100,000 a year, but in reality, on LiveJasmin, they can earn more than $250,000, and many even reach more than a million dollars,” says the helpline based on a survey of 1,000 women in the United States. Jana, Eva and Alessia, its three most bankable models, reportedly pocketed €4.4m, €3.2m and €2.72m respectively in one fortnight. It’s the liberation of women that dreams are made of.

This article in Paperjam. It has been translated and edited for Delano.