OnlyFans Suspends Policy Change On Sexual Content

Recall last week when the popular video-sharing platform OnlyFans, announced that it will ban sexually explicit content starting from October.  OnlyFans is in the news again and this time the user-generated adult content site, is reversing course on plans to ban “sexually explicit” content after securing an agreement with its payment processors, it has announced. Others say this changes to the policy on content creation, maybe as a result of a widespread backlash by its users as well. This update was announced today Wednesday via a tweet. The tweet stated that it has “suspended the planned 1 October policy change”. Right now it is currently unclear the direction or duration of the delay, who knows if it will be permanent or temporary?

Those plans have been scrapped, the company said in a tweet.  The tweet stated, “Thank you to everyone for making your voices heard.” The company added “We have secured assurances necessary to support our diverse creator community and have suspended the planned 1 October policy change. OnlyFans stands for inclusion and we will continue to provide a home for all creators.” said the company. In a message via email to its content creators, OnlyFans stated “The proposed 1 October 2021 changes are no longer required, due to banking partners’ assurances that OnlyFans can support all genres of creators. It added that “OnlyFans is committed to providing a sage and dependable platform for all creators and their fans.”

Angry users had initially blamed OnlyFans for the planned ban on sexually explicit material. The company, which is owned by Leo Radvinsky, has long expressed desires to move beyond adult material to more general-interest content. Just two days before it announced the proposed ban, the company revealed a new business venture, OFTV, which would take its platform onto smart TVs for the first time. Due to app store rules, explicit content was banned from that service – a fact that some took as a harbinger of wider plans.

A creator from the video-sharing platform from London who ultimately welcomed the announcement stated that those who had already found new homes for their content may still not return. He continued saying “So it is short-term good news for sex workers reliant on the platform – and I would like to see this as the start of increased support, celebration and championing of sex-worker rights by OnlyFans.” The OnlyFan creator concluded with “But I think there may well have been enough anxiety caused to see many models continuing the move to other platforms.”

OnlyFans makes its money by taking 20% of all payments made to its content creators. The platform recorded a 75% increase in new creators in May last year, during the pandemic. Wariness from investors was originally claimed to be the reason for last week’s announcement. But Tim Stokely Co-Founder –OnlyFans blamed banks for penalizing the company for supporting sex workers. Stokely revealed that one bank, in particular, BNY Mellon, as having flagged and rejected transfers, while another, UK-based Metro Bank, closed the company’s accounts in 2019. BNY Mellon and Metro Bank declined to comment when asked about Stokely’s claims on Tuesday. Stokely stated that “We pay over one million creators over $300m every month, and making sure that these funds get to creators involves using the banking sector.”

In June, an investigation found children had used fake IDs to set up accounts on the site. And the children’s commissioner for England said OnlyFans needed to do more to stop underage users. In response to the investigation, OnlyFans said it had closed the accounts flagged and refunded all active subscriptions.