OnlyFans Ban Betrays Creators That Popularized the Platform

Just last week, OnlyFans announced its ban on sexually explicit content on October 1st. However, after significant backlash, the company revised their executive decision.

Despite the reversal, creators still feel betrayed by the platform, and are more than right to feel so.

What is OnlyFans?

OnlyFans is a subscription-based social media platform where subscribers can pay to see exclusive content from their favourite creators, whether it be photos or videos. In addition to this, the site distinguishes itself by giving members the ability to message creators and interact with them on a one-on-one basis, adding a more personal flair as opposed to traditional media platforms.

“The platform is designed to prioritize creator engagement. When a creator posts, over 60% of their fans see and interact with the content.” The site reads. “Over 80% of direct messages sent by creators are seen and opened.”

The site was created in 2016 by Businessman Timothy Stokely. Since its creation, the platform has seen exponential growth. As of 2021, OnlyFans has over 150 million registered users and 1.5 million content creators.

While the platform was originally envisioned as a place for content creators of all genres, it became a popular online space for sex workers to distribute their content. So much so that the platform eventually became synonymous with adult content. As a result, the explicit content has aided in increasing the site’s popularity.

Further solidifying the platform’s spot in mainstream culture are celebrities such as Cardi B, Tyga, Jordyn Woods, and Trey Songz, who all created accounts promising fans to show behind-the-scenes content.

Why did OnlyFans Become a Popular Place for Adult Entertainment?

Perhaps the appeal of OnlyFans for sex workers can be summed up in one word: control.

Creating content on an OnlyFans account does not make you an employee of Only Fans. Instead, content creators on the platform act as independent contractors.

The site allows creators to be the director, producers and distributors of their own content. They have complete control of the kind of content they want to create and release. This affords sex workers the ability to cut out any middlemen (such as agents) and be directly in charge. Creators can create, release, and monetize their content from the safety of their own homes as opposed to in-person work.

The platform does not explicitly dictate how much they can charge for the content they release (except for setting some maximums), allowing creators to price as they please.

Monetarily speaking, OnlyFans is particularly distinctive as it takes a 20% cut of the total fees.

That leaves 80% of the fees directly going to the content creator themselves, allowing them to profit reasonably off the content they are releasing. Reports have shown the industry standard on other sites to be around 50%.

This is profit that does not have to be shared with directors, producers or other potential intermediaries.

The Proposed Ban

In late August, OnlyFans released a statement announcing the upcoming ban of sexually explicit content. An excerpt of the statement reads,

"In order to ensure the long-term sustainability of the platform, we must evolve our content guidelines."

When interviewed by the Financial Times, Stokley referenced financial reasons to play a massive role in the decision for a ban.

The proposed ban was reportedly a result of issues around investors and payment processors.

OnlyFans has been trying to raise funds from investors to attain a company evaluation of $1 billion. However, investors have reportedly been feeling hesitant to associate with a company hosting sexually explicit material.

Credit card companies and payment processors have also been shown hesitation to associate with content that deals with controversial topics such as sex.

The fear is these companies could be processing payments for materials of exploitative or abusive nature. Reports have cited that investors, payment processors and credit card companies are uncertain how seriously OnlyFans is taking concerns of child exploitation.

Credit card companies have also cited porn charges to be highly disputed.

These concerns created significant pressure for the company.

But after considerable backlash from creators, OnlyFans announced they would cancel the proposed ban and continue allowing sexually explicit content.

In a tweet, the company wrote:

"Thank you to everyone for making your voices heard. We have secured assurances necessary to support our diverse creator community and have suspended the planned October 1st policy change. OnlyFans stands for inclusion, and we will continue to provide a home for all creators."

Reactions were strong. Despite the ban reversal, the damage was done. Upon the announcement of the ban, some reported losing significant amounts of followers. One creator wrote,

"After triggering my PTSD to a full-blown anxiety attack of me trying to figure out what to do with my career overnight… I'll take my customers elsewhere."

Another creator said, "You have no idea how many hours I have cried and how many manic episodes I have had thinking I have lost my main source of income."

The shift towards the ban could have put sex workers at serious risk of throwing them back into the arms of a notoriously exploitative and abusive industry.

For many individuals, OnlyFans was their sole source of income. The ban could have meant that some creators lost money for basic necessities, putting them in desperate situations.

Some may have felt they had no choice but to return to the traditional adult entertainment industry and in-person work, which poses its own unique risks.

Quite frankly, the ban was a huge slap in the face to the creators who popularized the platform and helped contribute to its growth.

Although the company has suspended the proposed ban, it will likely take a while to gain back their creator community's trust again.