Earlier this week, the subscription-based social media platform OnlyFans announced new policies regarding sexual content on its website.
Starting in October, users of OnlyFans will no longer be allowed to post sexually explicit content, although users can still publish nude photos and videos that adhere to its new content regulations.
The company will give more detailed information on its new policies in the coming weeks. The website, which boasts over 130 million users and 2 million creators worldwide, is popular among sex workers, who rely on it as a safe way to distribute their content to paying customers.Â
Despite OnlyFans’ popularity among sex workers, it also hosts a variety of other content creators, including chefs, musicians, personal trainers, and even Hollywood celebrities. While OnlyFans launched in 2016, it achieved a boost of popularity during the pandemic.
In one of the most noted examples of public interest in OnlyFans, actress Bella Thorne was able to make millions of dollars by posting photos and videos a few short days after opening her account last year. Thorne’s use of the website, as well as other celebrities opening accounts, has turned the focus of OnlyFans away from sexual content and more to conventional interests.
In a statement outlining the new direction of the company, OnlyFans says that it is interested in attracting mainstream audiences instead of those looking for sexual content.
Facing pressure from banking partners as it tries to attract new investors, OnlyFans says that to ensure the longevity of its platform, it must alter the content allowed on its website. The company recently valued its website at over a billion dollars. Based in the United Kingdom, OnlyFans is owned by entrepreneur Leonid Radvinsky and run by its creator, Tim Stokely.Â
Although OnlyFans’ management might be keen on eliminating sexually explicit content, sex workers who rely on the website for their very livelihood are upset by the company’s decision.
A Dallas, Texas-based creator named Silfy says that she is not surprised by OnlyFans’ new policy. Speaking with reporters from Bloomberg, the 30-year-old content creator says that OnlyFans no longer promotes sex workers among its lists of top creators.Â
Other sex workers feel betrayed by the new policy. These users point out that sex workers made OnlyFans a viable social media platform and are now being pushed aside as the company goes about rebranding itself. A particular point of contention among these creators is how much money sex workers have made OnlyFans.
Last year, the total number of transactions on the website exceeded $2 billion, with OnlyFans keeping a 20 percent cut. Industry experts predict that this year OnlyFans will double its earnings from 2020.Â
