OnlyFans suspends future ban on sexually explicit content
25 August 2021, 16:14
The company said it had ‘secured assurances necessary’ to support its community.
OnlyFans is suspending its plan to ban sexually explicit photographs and videos on its platform later this year.
The online subscription service, which is popular among sex workers, recently announced new rules coming into effect in October that prohibit “any content containing sexually explicit conduct”, though non-sexual nudity will still be permitted.
On Wednesday, it seemingly reversed the decision with a statement on its Twitter page.
It is not clear if the ban is permanent or temporary.
The statement said: “Thank you to everyone for making your voices heard.
“We have secured assurances necessary to support our diverse creator community and have suspended the planned October 1 policy change.
“OnlyFans stands for inclusion and we will continue to provide a home for all creators.
Thank you to everyone for making your voices heard.
We have secured assurances necessary to support our diverse creator community and have suspended the planned October 1 policy change.
OnlyFans stands for inclusion and we will continue to provide a home for all creators.
— OnlyFans (@OnlyFans) August 25, 2021
“An official communication to creators will be emailed shortly.”
The social media platform is predominantly used by sex workers but a number of celebrities, musicians and comedians also use it for non-sexual content.
Creators receive 80% commission on their earnings, while the remaining 20% goes to the London-based firm, covering “referral payments, payment processing, hosting, support, and all other services”.
Some users of the platform criticised the policy change when it was first announced, with some stating that they intended to look elsewhere following the announcement, while others were anxious about what the future holds.
One user, a 23-year-old who uses the name Hexx Girl, criticised the company for the u-turn on Wednesday.
She told the PA news agency: “I think it just shows the cracks in OnlyFans as a company, and to make things worse, they announced on Twitter and have still yet to send any communications to their users.
“It shows that all they care about is their public image and they are desperately trying to hold their company together but it’s a sinking ship.
“I thought surely they were at least gonna stick to it. It’s such a joke,” she added.
Hexx Girl said that after the last announcement, she lost 500 subscribers, meaning her income dropped by £4,000-5,000 this month.
Her earnings vary monthly.
“I have new accounts on new sites and will be actively encouraging all my subscribers to move,” she added.
Initially, the company said the move was being introduced due to pressure from financial partners, leading some to assume payment processors Mastercard and Visa were behind it.
However, chief executive Tim Stokely later said in an interview it was “unfair” banks had prompted the change over concerns about “reputational risk”.
A spokesperson for OnlyFans told the PA news agency: “The proposed October 1, 2021 changes are no longer required due to banking partners’ assurances that OnlyFans can support all genres of creators.”
