General News / August 20, 2021

OnlyFans to ban sexually explicit content on site

Kelli McClintock via Unsplash
General News / August 20, 2021

OnlyFans to ban sexually explicit content on site

Words: Dylan Murphy

Following pressure from payments processors, the subscription site will no longer permit sexually-explicit content from October 1.

This article was updated to include the note that nude content will still be permitted as long as it complies with OnlyFans’ policies.

In recent years, OnlyFans has become an avenue for sex workers to safely make a living online and its popularity soared during lockdown with it now boasting 130 million users. However, while it does host other content such as informational videos on cooking, yoga and more, it’s come under increased pressure about the alleged presence of underage material on the site. According to the BBC, It’s resulted in payment processors and banks threatening to pull out, which would in turn halt the company’s ability to receive payments.

In a compromise to keep it running, OnlyFans has elected to ban “any content containing sexually-explicit conduct”. The BBC did note, however, that “People will still be able to post nude content on the site”, but “this will need to be consistent with OnlyFans’ policies”.

It comes after a number of US congress members called for an investigation into OnlyFans following allegations it hosted underage content.

The ban begins on October 1 and the site will look to pivot to more mainstream content. In a statement OnlyFans said, “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.”

An OnlyFans spokesperson said: “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 remains committed to the highest levels of safety and content moderation of any social platform. All creators are verified prior to being able to upload any content to OnlyFans, and all uploaded content is checked by automated systems and human moderators.”

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