OnlyFans bans sexual content from October 2021

OnlyFans is banning sexually explicit content from October 2021. The company will prohibit its contributors from sharing any material deemed as inconsistent with their new policy. 

This is a huge turnaround for the company which has become synonymous with explicit content and will affect the lives of not only its content creators but also its users including those who enjoy porn for women.

Users will still be allowed to put up nude videos and photos, but they must be consistent with their new policy. 

OnlyFans said, "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."

The reasoning behind the move, per a statement shared by the BBC (opens in new tab), was related to increased pressure from banking partners and their payment partners too. As it stands OnlyFans is trying to raise money from outside investors, according to a report from Bloomberg (opens in new tab), at a valuation of more than $1B.

The company is one of the many online platforms, like video call business Zoom, that saw business boom throughout the pandemic. They now say they have over 130M users.

Although the company was perhaps best known for its more explicit content initially, its users and its use, in general, have most definitely evolved over time.

OnlyFans' business model is that it enables content creators to share videos and photos and charge subscribers for tips and a monthly fee. In exchange for hosting the material, the London-based tech firm charges 20% of the money earned by its users.

Accounts on the platform include anything from cooking demos to fitness videos, celebrities using it to share exclusive content with their fans, and, of course, porn.

The company is run by its founder, Tim Stokely, and owned by Leonid Radvinsky, an internet entrepreneur.

Although the rise and rise of OnlyFans has been well publicized—so have some controversies which have plagued the company too.

This includes a BBC led investigation that found there were underage users on the platform. As a result of these findings, OnlyFans told the BBC it had closed the accounts flagged and refunded all active subscriptions.

They also told the broadcaster that the age verification systems used by the platform exceed regulatory requirements. They added that they continue to evolve as new technology becomes available to, "help us to reduce incidences of under-18-year-olds becoming OnlyFans users."