An announcement made on August 19, 2021, shook the world of modern sex workers. The platform that allows them to monetize their videos having steamy fun with fans and sex dolls says it’s kicking them out. OnlyFans said that starting on October 1, it would no longer support sexually explicit content.
That almost sounds like PornHub is banning porn. Looking at OnlyFans’ history, Tim Stokely created it for sex workers. No matter how much they airbrush this – saying OnlyFans is a “general purpose subscription service” – it is a known fact.
The idea of OnlyFans came from sex workers selling adult content on Instagram. They were not able to do their business conveniently because of Instagram’s policies against adult content. So Stokely made a sex worker-friendly version of Instagram. He also made it a point to let creators earn directly from the content they post on the platform – thus, the paywall system.
How People Received The Announcement
We all know how the story went. OnlyFans exploded in popularity, and that is thanks to sex workers on the platform. In 2020, when the pandemic hit, people looking for sexual gratification also flocked to OnlyFans. It turned OnlyFans into a multibillion-dollar subscription service. Thus, its reputation as a revolutionary porn platform.
So it really came as a shock when the company announced that it would be removing sex workers from the platform. It stated that it will still allow nudity, but the ban hammer will hit real or simulated sex.
People on the internet were saying things along the lines of “OnlyFans did sex workers dirty” and the meme phrase “Top anime betrayals.”
Needless to say, OnlyFans’ decision caused infuriation, and people are very vocal about it. The backlash came not only from sex workers but also from their fans.
While sex workers can work for porn studios, only a small portion of what the videos make will get to them. The larger part would go to the studios. On OnlyFans, the company takes only 20%, and hence, it is the more popular choice.
Consumers of adult content also feel more comfortable in OnlyFans than in porn sites. They say they feel “less guilty.” Some describe the platform as the place where porn feels intimate. So, OnlyFans removing support for sexually explicit content affects them almost as much as it affects creators.
Why OnlyFans Planned To Ban Sexual Content
There are actually content creators in OnlyFans that whose business does not revolve around sex. Fitness instructors, beauty gurus, and cooks share the platform with adult entertainers. However, the number of those creators is small compared to the number of sex workers. So, most of OnlyFans’ revenue comes from pornographic content.
For sure, the decision to ban them was something OnlyFans did not want to make. But CEO Timothy Stokely says they thought they had to because of pressure from banks.
The entrepreneur revealed this piece of information in an interview with Financial Times. He said that BNY Mellon has flagged and rejected all of the transactions that came from their company. The UK’s Metro Bank had abruptly withdrawn support in 2019. Also, Stokely said that the JP Morgan chase “is particularly aggressive in closing sex workers’ accounts.” Not only that, but they are also cutting support to businesses that support sex workers – which, OnlyFans is.
This revelation did not surprise anyone. The difficulty to find support from banks and credit card companies is a long-standing problem faced by sex doll companies. Since OnlyFans lie mostly in the same industry, many expected it to get the same treatment.
But it did not take long before OnlyFans reversed its decision. In a tweet it published on August 25, it thanked people for making their voices heard. OnlyFans also stated that it had secured the assurances it needs to support its “diverse creator community.” With that secured, the platform says it has “suspended” the scheduled policy change. The company also said that it stands for inclusion and that it will continue to be home for all kinds of content creators.
Sex workers saw this as a massive victory. They celebrated not just the fact that they can continue making a living through OnlyFans. Sex worker Mary Moody says it symbolizes how their voices urged financial institutions to lend them a seat on the table.
Creators Remain Skeptical
Many were pleased when OnlyFans announced its porn ban reversal. However, it was just a sigh for many content creators – a pause that slows down things. They feel like they are not yet at the top of the cliff; they still are hanging at the edge.
The way OnlyFans worded the announcement was concerning. First, OnlyFans said it made the move for its “diverse creator community” or “all creators on the platform. It did not address the sex workers directly.
Porn actress turned OnlyFans content creator Scarlett Bloom says the use of the word “suspended” gets them worried. They believe OnlyFans just moved the ban to a later date.
Bloom also revealed that after OnlyFans made its initial announcement, creators quickly sought out alternatives. They rummaged the web to find platforms that are like OnlyFans. AVN Stars and ManyVids are among those, and Bloom says she’s already moving her content over to those two.
Gay porn superstar Dominic Ford, the creator of JustFor.Fans, threw shots at OnlyFans. He says that adult entertainers deserve a platform that wants their business. Moreover, the platform must want to help the sex worker community to thrive and prosper. Dominic Ford stresses that OnlyFans’ plan to ban sexually explicit content has shown that it does not care about the adult industry. Ford adds that the decision reversal does not matter. After three months, OnlyFans might reverse course again, he says.
Creators like Bloom say they will make money through OnlyFans for as long as they can. And if the time comes when it decides to kick them out for real, they will be prepared.
Leave a Reply