Is this the reason why the OnlyFans app became PG?

We all know OnlyFans as one of the internet’s most prominent porn platforms. Specifically, it’s an online platform & app created in 2016 so people can pay for content like videos, photos, and live streams through a monthly membership. The content was mainly composed by YouTubers, models, fitness trainers, content creators, and public figures to monetize their professions. 

Over the years, it has probably become the internet’s best known pornography home like other sites such as iFans. So, it’s pretty hard to believe they almost banned porn. Why would they even think about making such a move? The company stated that they would no longer allow the publishing of “explicit sexual content” in the near future. But the policy was reversed unexpectedly the following week. 

Diving into a little more detail, sex workers made OnlyFans into the multibillion-dollar subscription platform it is today. Unsurprisingly, once the news surfaced, a lot of people expressed their concern about the proposed change, saying they’ve never felt such betrayal. Afterall, these people are greatly instrumental to the company’s current success so why would the OnlyFans app even think of kicking them out?

OnlyFans App

We have interest in dragging anyone into a political debate in this article so regardless of whatever your feelings may be towards it, sex work is a very profitiable business.

And it’s easy to see why. Some things will never go away no matter how advanced technology gets or how the economy is doing. People will always be interested in sex. In the age of digital apps, art is growing &  growing.

OnlyFans is a digital subscription platform. Their users can follow creators which gives them access to exclusive content. They’ll pay a monthly fee or a one-time tip. OnlyFans takes just twenty percent of the funds. 

OnlyFans is classified as a general-purpose app, sex workers found it especially helpful to sell their pictures, videos, and conduct their personal conversations with clients. OnlyFans popularity bloomed like fireworks during the pandemic. Currently, they have 1.5 million content creators, 150 million registered users and $5 billion paid yearly to creators. 

The news

Just late last week, OnlyFans notified the public that they would ban the content that was advertised, posted or referred to as “sexually explicit content”. 

The app was still going to allow everyone to see nudity, but no real or even simulated sexual activity. The proposed change was scheduled to be effective October 1st of this year. OnlyFans sex workers were forced to find other choices. 

Change in plans

Though there was still enough time for the public to be outraged, suddenly OnlyFans had a change of heart. 

The company announced on Wednesday that they had “secured assurances necessary to support our diverse creator community.” They have postponed their plans for the new policy, but there’s no indictication whatsoever that the ban will be reinstated. 

Why the ban on porn?

Being as sex workers were some of their biggest money makers, why would OnlyFans even think of banning sex workers in the first place?

Well, according to the company’s CEO Tim Stokely, was “banks” which Stokely insisted wouldn’t work with OnlyFans since it has a strong reputation as a porn app. But that answer gave rise to a heated argument. 

Payment processing can be costly for all kinds of web platforms, but adult sites especially struggle at almost every step of the financial ladder. That doesn’t even include the problems individual sex workers face with banks and payment processors which may ban then even for non-related sex transactions. 

One crucial challenge these types of content providers face is an unusually great risk of disputed charges coming from customers who make a purchase but deny it out of embarrassment and try to get their money back. 

Anti-porn activists won big when Pornhub cut off Visa & Mastercard payments. Though the decision with the OnlyFans app was overturned, we can’t help but wonder what the future of the company is truly headed towards.

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