Facebook has become a key tool in the sex trade industry. It has become the new hangout for prostitutes and other sex workers according to a survey by Columbia University sociology professor Sudhir Venkatesh.

The survey revealed that 83% of prostitutes had Facebook pages, 70% used smart phones, including iPhones and Blackberries to help them do their job.

According to the survey the use of social media and other technologies has completely altered the trade on the ground, how it is marketed, client screening, income generation and safety.

Facebook and other social tools are being use to friend clients, screen and negotiate.

The chart below shows the change in the trade from 1991 to 2010 in New York City. The city has seen the midtown areas with high concentrations of sex workers empty out. The trade has moved indoors and diffused into more-upscale districts downtown. More>>