OnlyFans will ban sexual content on its platform starting October first: What you need to know

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Video sharing site OnlyFans which has amassed a base of more than 130 million users predominantly for adult-oriented subscription fan pages, will prohibit sexually explicit content starting October 1st.

As reported by Bloomberg, the company explains that it is making the changes of pressure from its banking and payment provider partners. In a statement to The Verge, OnlyFans said “In order to ensure the long-term sustainability of our platform, and to continue to host an inclusive community of creators and fans, we must evolve our content guidelines”.

According to OnlyFans, creators will still be allowed to post content containing nudity “as long as it is consistent with our Acceptable Use Policy.” The website's terms currently allow nudity except in the case of content featuring public nudity recorded in or broadcast from a jurisdiction where public nudity is illegal.

“We will be sharing more details in the coming days, and we will actively support and guide our creators through this change in content guidelines,” OnlyFans added. “OnlyFans remains committed to the highest levels of safety and content moderation of any social platform. All creators are verified prior to being able to upload any content to OnlyFans, and all uploaded content is checked by automated systems and human moderators”.

The decision was met with criticism, with some comparing it to blogging platform Tumblr's move in 2018 to ban images and videos featuring "adult content", including pornography. Experts at that time said the sweeping ban threatened to alienate communities, including LGBTQ users, sexual assault survivors and sex workers who used the service to connect with each other and talk about safety issues.

Others questioned what the OnlyFans decision would mean for sex workers who depended on the platform for income.