OnlyFans is not the first company to ban adult content, even though it has allowed it for many years. Tumblr and Patreon followed the example of OnlyFans in 2017. Social media companies have also had issues with adult performers. After Instagram kept removing accounts, some protestors marched outside the London office of Instagram in 2019.
OnlyFans is not well-known and has struggled to attract outside investment. They are afraid of being associated with explicit content. Banks can also be a problem for the adult sector. OnlyFans stated that it had to comply with requests from [its] banking partners, and pay providers, regarding the new policy. This was in response to reports that Pornhub hosted videos of child abuse, and rape. Mastercard issued new rules in April that required adult websites to verify the identity and age of all persons depicted in their content. They also had to maintain a process for reviewing content before it was uploaded. Before it decided to leave the adult business, OnlyFans had already created lax regulations regarding illegal content.
OnlyFans creators won't be allowed to post sexually explicit content starting Oct. 1. However, they can still share images of nudity. The line between the two is blurred and the vague statements by the company have caused confusion online. Evans wants to make sure her 1,100 union members (roughly 90%) use OnlyFans and remain calm until they have all their questions answered.
Evans said that right now we are focusing on mental well-being. Because you create this kind of chaos and it attaches to workers paychecks, we can't leave adult work and get a job elsewhere. They won't hire us because our adult work is done. We are focusing on kindness, calmness, and compassion.
Evans, president of the Adult Performance Artists Guild was trying to calm some of her union members using OnlyFans to post explicit content. Evans was contacted by performers and creators who were worried about their financial futures after the platform announced that it would remove the content that made it so famous.
OnlyFans had announced that it will no longer allow explicit sexual content on its platform. Alana Evans spent Thursday fielding calls, DMs and emails.
Aimee, who uses @aimeeinghigher to post on OnlyFans, requested not to use her full identity. She stated that she believes sex workers should be calm for the moment.
She told BuzzFeed News that we have the ability to change and adapt. If this happens, there are many other platforms that we can use. We shouldn't be stressed. I don't believe this is legitimate so we should wait.
Lost, an OnlyFans creator, has been on the platform since 2019. She makes between $800 and $2,000 per month with explicit material. Twitch is a livestreaming platform that allows gamers to stream non-sexual content. She also makes income from this. She also knows that not everyone is on these other platforms.
Lost stated that it is nerve-racking for people who are unable to move platforms.
Many OnlyFans competitors took advantage of the news to promote their services to sex workers searching for a new platform. Evans expressed concern about Evans's efforts.
She said that I have told them, "Were not going to participate in that." We are not going to jump on the bandwagon and tell people, "Go join that company." We want to have conversations with platforms in order to evaluate whats going on right now and get a guarantee that they won't do the same thing going forward.
Lilli Sabine makes between $100 and $1,200 per Month on OnlyFans to share her explicit content. She uses it to repay her student loans.
Sabine stated that "Unfortunately, it is difficult to quickly move my fanbase to another platform... it will take out major chunks of my content income." It can be difficult to convert followers to new platforms. If OnlyFans bans sex workers or lewd creators, I will have to rebuild everything.
Billy Procida is a comedian and podcast host, who makes rent money by hosting OnlyFans-related podcasts. He's one of those people trying to not panic.
He told BuzzFeed News that he isn't just worried about losing his income. I am worried that this sex-negative trend, which is antagonistic to sex, will impact my entertainment career that I began at 19. It's just not clear to me why this should happen or why banks won't allow people to buy fucking porn.
BuzzFeed News spoke to creators about feeling betrayed by the decision of OnlyFans to abandon the people who made it a billion-dollar business. Evans stated that she was not surprised by the lack of concern for sex workers, even though she is angry.
She said that we helped to make them a household brand. Beyonc wouldn't be talking about it if it weren't for the performers who performed on their platform. Cardi B would not have come over. They were legitimized.
