OnlyFans is facing pushback from sex workers after the platform announced sexually explicit material would not be allowed after October.
On Thursday, the company announced the change would be effective on October 1, Bloomberg reported. OnlyFans claimed the decision was motivated by requests from the site’s banking and payment providers. Additionally, the platform is currently trying to attract investors and raise $1 billion in funds.
“In order to ensure the long-term sustainability of our platform and continue to host an inclusive community of creators and fans, we must evolve our content guidelines,” OnlyFans said in a statement.
Content creators will be allowed to post nude videos and photos if they comply with the company’s “Acceptable Use Policy.”
“We will be sharing more details in the coming days, and we will actively support and guide our creators through this change in content guidelines,” OnlyFans promised.
British businessman Tim Stokely founded the company in 2016, but OnlyFans popped off during the pandemic since people were stuck in the house. More than $2 billion in sales went through OnlyFans in 2020, and that number might double for this year. A lot of that money can be attributed to sexual content.
Sex workers often use the site to post pornographic content behind a subscription wall. The policy change will put their livelihoods in jeopardy.
There was an outcry on social media following the announcement.
“Onlyfans is banning all sexually explicit content from their platform. They’ve also made billions off of the backs of sex workers,” tweeted one user. “As someone who does sex work on OF, I’m angry for every creator that has relied on OF for an income just to be thrown out. This is so f–ked up,” one Twitter user wrote.
onlyfans is banning all sexually explicit content from their platform.
they've also made billions off of the backs of sex workers.
as someone who does sex work on OF, i'm angry for every creator that has relied on OF for an income just to be thrown out. this is so fucked up.
— jasmine 🍚 (@jasminericegirl) August 19, 2021
“Prohibition only pushes sex workers to the margins, to be less safe, more exposed to violence and exploitation. It does not stop trafficking and abuse,” wrote another user. “It further conceals it and exposes unrecognized workers to further criminalization, erasure, fear and persecution.”
Prohibition only pushes sex workers to the margins, to be less safe, more exposed to violence and exploitation. It does not stop trafficking and abuse. It further conceals it and exposes unrecognized workers to further criminalization, erasure, fear and persecution
— María Riot (@riotmaria) August 20, 2021
‘Til you do right by sex workers, everything you even think about gonna fail.
It's so disgusting how social media platforms like Only Fans and Tumblr continue to fail sex workers who often contribute the content with the most engagement.
— Raquel Willis (@RaquelWillis_) August 19, 2021
OnlyFans would be nothing without the sex workers who built the platform. Instead of catering to banks and investors, OF should cater to its content creators.
— zellie (@zellieimani) August 19, 2021
OnlyFans just bit the hands that feed it the most.
