An EconoTimes perspective

Zahra Stardust

Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Centre of Excellence in Automated Decision-Making and Society, Queensland University of Technology

Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Centre of Excellence in Automated Decision-Making and Society, Queensland University of Technology Zahra Stardust is a porn studies scholar interested in the regulation of sexual cultures. Her work specialises in sexual media and sextech, focusing on the politics of sexual content moderation (including the production, distribution and regulation of explicit media), and the development of community-led, social justice sextech. Her first book Indie Porn: Revolution, Regulation and Resistance (Duke University Press, 2024) explores the clash between indie porn producers, governments and big tech. Her next co-authored book, Sextech: A Critical Introduction (Polity Press, 2025), explores key debates in sextech design, manufacture and governance. Zahra is a Lecturer in Digital Communication at the Queensland University of Technology, an Affiliate at the Berkman Klein Centre for Internet and Society at Harvard University and an Associate Researcher at the Sex Tech Lab at the New School.