Over the past five years, OnlyFans has built its business on the backs of sex workers selling millions upon millions of NSFW videos and photos to their followers.
But now, as it reportedly struggles to find investors willing to buy in at a billion-dollar valuation, it’s shunting those crucial core creators aside: Beginning Oct. 1, OnlyFans will no longer allow users to post or sell any content containing sexually explicit conduct.
“In order to ensure the long-term sustainability of the platform, and to continue to host an inclusive community of creators and fans, we must evolve our content guidelines,” OnlyFans said in a statement.
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It blamed the decision on “requests” from its “banking partners and payout providers.”
Full statement from OnlyFans: pic.twitter.com/oiDH8OAUZx
— Dan Primack (@danprimack) August 19, 2021
The company–which chose this moment to highlight that it has paid out more than $5 billion to content creators thus far–said users will still be able to post nude content “as long as it is consistent with our Acceptable Use Policy.” Based on OnlyFans’ phrasing around banning content containing “sexually explicit conduct,” we’re guessing tasteful nudes are fine, but nothing showing any actual sex happening.
We’re also guessing previously posted/sold content won’t be scrubbed, but can’t say for sure.
OnlyFans it will “be sharing more details in the coming days and we will actively support and guide our creators through this change in content guidelines.”
As you might expect, OnlyFans’ decision has been received less than favorably by the internet at large–not to mention its user base of more than two million creators, a significant number of whom have come to rely on OnlyFans for the bulk of their income. (We’ve previously covered just how much some YouTubers have raked in by launching OnlyFans accounts.)
Here’s a selection of responses from Twitter:
onlyfans made me over $120,000
CAD in the last four years. they
made roughly $25,000 CAD off me
with their 20% commission. fuck them
for taking my living away but that
will clearly not stop me from putting
my work out there. abeardedboy’s
been my brand for over 10 years. pic.twitter.com/PmXtRt1mIj— ABEARDEDBOY (@domisadog) August 19, 2021
I can’t believe this. Finally there’s a safe platform for people to be comfortable with their sexuality…GONE?!Have fun shooting yourself in the fuckin’ foot OnlyFans. You’re going to end up in the dust just like Tumblr & Patreon.
I’m fucking pissed & scared for my livelihood. https://t.co/o54cAzasy0
— (@doublemaximus) August 19, 2021
fuck onlyfans for building a business on the backs of sex workers only to abandon them to chase after vc money, enjoy bankruptcy in 12 to 18 months you fucks https://t.co/or017WiEix
— Mel Stone – STREAM “Simone” LINK IN BIO (@melstonemusic) August 19, 2021
remember when ppl were like “no, no, no celebs normalizing onlyfans is a good thing!” and sex workers were like lol no, celebs taking over and not offering adult content will result in turning this site into something it’s not/something not sex worker friendly. WELP.
— irene (@lanadelslayee) August 19, 2021
well there goes 1/2 of my income. F*ck onlyfans, @SextPanther is the only website you should be on anyway ❤️ pic.twitter.com/zazNJJ4lhV
— Charlotte Cross (@TheCrossXXX) August 19, 2021
I will be on onlyfans and posting content as long as I possibly can. I do believe there will be a huge shift to another platform, but not sure where. Ill announce it when the time comes as this is a HUGE part of my income.
— paige (@paigeplzz) August 19, 2021
OnlyFans is only recognized in mainstream media because of sex workers so for OF to turn around and kick them out is horrid. Send a sex worker a fat tip today and support any other content they may have because they’re getting their platform and a revenue stream ripped away.
— Fai is creating on Fanhouse (@fairyfatele) August 19, 2021
also sites that welcomes influencere is the same reason were losing onlyfans to begin with we need a sex worker based site only
— onlyjennafoxx INC (@onlyjennafoxx) August 19, 2021
tip your favorite sex worker for a massage today
all our backs hurt from carrying onlyfans as a platform
— ∆ luna ∆ (@LunaLamb_MFC) August 19, 2021
HOW TF IS ONLY FANS BANNIN PORN?? OF GETTIN RID OF PORN IS LIKE DOLLAR TREE GETTIN RID OF DOLLAR ITEMS LIKE WTF YALL EVEN GONNA SELL THEY GONNA HAVE 2 CHANGE THEIR NAME 2 ONLYFAN CAUSE THEY ONLY GONNA HAVE 1 LEFT
— Skweezy Jibbs (@Skweezy) August 19, 2021
As some of the above tweets pointed out, it’s long been apparent that OnlyFans wants to move away from NSFW in favor of courting exclusive content from well-known celebrities and athletes.
The platform made that even more obvious three days ago with the launch of OFTV, a no-nudity, free-to-use app that offers 800+ videos from popular OnlyFans creators as well as folks like fitness instructors and chefs. OnlyFans’ flagship app is not allowed on Apple or Google app stores because it vends NSFW content.
And, of course, OnlyFans is also reportedly seeking investment from a “strategic partner.”
Per Axios, it’s trying to raise money at a valuation of more than $1 billion, and intends to use the money to buy out majority owner Leo Radvinsky (a longtime pornography mogul who founded MyFreeCams) and provide management with “more legitimacy.” Sources familiar with the matter told Axios that a number of potential investors passed quickly, without doing due diligence.
