Just four days after announcing an Oct. 1, 2021, ban on “sexually explicit” content, the online fundraising platform OnlyFans took to Twitter to announce it had plans to continue allowing adult content on the service.
“Thank you to everyone for making your voices heard,” the company wrote on Aug. 25. “We have secured assurances necessary to support our diverse creator community and have suspended the planned October 1 policy change.”
Since its 2016 founding, LinkedIn reports that OnlyFans has amassed over 70 million registered users and more than 1 million creators around the world. The platform works by providing a space for creators and influencers who post content, typically behind a paywall, and allows subscribers to pay or tip for the content. Creators can post a range of content, from “how-to” videos to masterclasses and live shows, but the site has largely become a space for sex workers to post their personal videos and photos in exchange for paid views. Because of Google and Apple do not allow apps that contain adult content, there is no OnlyFans app and the service only works through the website on desktops and mobile.
But on Aug. 21, OnlyFans announced that it planned to ban “sexually explicit” content starting on Oct. 1. In a Tweet, the platform said that the policy change was “necessary to secure banking and payment services” to support its users. In response, many social media users argued that the platform had “deprived millions of sex workers for their sole income” in the interest of credit card companies and banks.
In defense of its reversal, OnlyFans said that it stands “for inclusion and we will continue to provide a home for all creators.” The platform said that it intended to send an “official communication” to its creators via email.