OnlyFans to Block Sexually Explicit Videos Starting in October

In a move that has shocked many online and confirmed other’s suspicions, OnlyFans is planning to start prohibiting creators from creating pornography and sexually explicit content on their accounts. Nude photos and videos will still be allowed, but only if they follow OnlyFans policies.

OnlyFans has been around for a bit, though it had been a realm for pornography and sex workers to control their own business decisions directly with their fans. The pandemic saw many people flood the site, including high-profile celebrities who brought in 130 million users.

Now the site wants to move away from sex workers and adult videos, trying to instead pivot to being a “forum for musicians, fitness instructors and chefs,” according to Bloomberg. Most of the popular accounts on the site are posting sexual content and interacting with fans, though the pandemic did see celebrities like Bella Thorne, Cardi B and Tyga join the service.

The reason for the change isn’t a change of heart by OnlyFans, instead prompted by banking partners and payment providers raising eyebrows over the content as the site looks to raise money. OnlyFans has been valued at more than $1 billion, but one has to think this is trouble when reflecting on the most popular content.

“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,” OnlyFans wrote in a statement. The site is run by founder Tim Stokely and owner Leonid Radvinsky and has been a beacon for sex workers looking for a safer way to do their jobs. Still, sex work is looked down upon by society in general, at least in the U.S., though the company dealt with over $2 billion in sales in 2020 and gets to keep 20 percent of those funds.

OnlyFans will unveil their new guidelines at a later date, but the concern over the future of the site and its users has many questioning their own profession. Many sex workers and creators have found themselves relying heavily on OnlyFans, making the decision to switch up a hard pill to swallow.