OnlyFans, a London-based content subscription service that is best known for its creators’ adult video clips and photos, will prohibit sexually explicit content from 1 October, according to Bloomberg.
Launched in November 2016, OnlyFans is a platform for performers to provide clips and photos to fans for a monthly subscription fee. It is commonly associated with sex workers, but it also hosts the work of other content creators, such as physical fitness experts, musicians, and other creators.
Yesterday, the company announced that it will no longer allow sexually explicit material from October because of “pressure from its banking and payment provider partners,” according to The Verge.
However, a BBC investigation has found that OnlyFans had been lenient on creators who had posted illegal content.
The company said in a statement to The Verge, “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.”
The platform will still allow creators to post nude images if they comply with the company’s acceptable use policy.
OnlyFans said it will provide more information in the coming days, added, “OnlyFans remains committed to the highest levels of safety and content moderation of any social platform.”
However, the website’s moderation has not been up to that standard, according to BBC.
The news outlet reported that a “compliance manual” instructed employees to give users three strikes, even if the content that was being removed was illegal, per The Verge.
The BBC also reported that a separate team handled many successful accounts, giving them additional warnings on breaking the site’s rules.
Last year, OnlyFans generated $2 billion in sales. It claims it has more than 2 million creators who have earned over $5 billion through its platform. The company also claims that it has 130 million users.
Apart from announcing the prohibition of sexually explicit content, OnlyFans published its first monthly transparency report for July on Thursday, “as part of our commitment to safety and transparency.” The article was published on The Verge.
