OnlyFans Reverses Ban on Explicit Content

August 26, 2021

After five days of backlash, the company has “secured assurances necessary” to host adult entertainers.

After five days of backlash from adult content creators and the public, OnlyFans announced a reversal of its ban on sexually explicit content.

“We have secured assurances necessary to support our diverse creator community and have suspended the planned October 1 policy change,” the company said.

Voicing support for adult entertainers

This move comes after OnlyFans founder and CEO Tim Stokely told Variety that the company would “absolutely” host adult content, if not for pressure from its partnered banks and payment processors.

The company also tweeted support for sex workers after it announced the ban, saying “Dear Sex Workers, the OnlyFans community would not be what it is today without you. The policy change was necessary to secure banking and payment services to support you. We are working around the clock to come up with solutions.”

Pressure from banks and payment processors

Although the company was outwardly supportive of adult entertainers, OnlyFans' ability to host entertainers is entirely contingent upon having willing banking partners.

It's no secret that banks and payment processors wield huge amounts of power in the adult entertainment space. When they break ties with adult entertainment services, the consequences are difficult to overcome — and often affect the content creators the most severely.

This has played a significant role in the creation of blockchain-based adult entertainment platforms. These autonomous platforms give users freedom and privacy to browse adult content.

OFTV will not host adult entertainers

Despite the reversal of the ban on adult content, OnlyFans' new streaming app, OFTV, will likely never carry explicit content.

In order to be sold on Google and Apple app stores, apps may not include pornographic content. This position appears unlikely to change in the near future.

It remains to be seen if the nudity-free OnlyFans experiment, OFTV, will be able to thrive in a fiercely competitive marketplace.

Image source: OnlyFans

Keats Iwanaga

Keats Iwanaga is a passionate writer and reader who strives to use her voice to uplift marginalized communities through writing and volunteer work. This is a focus of the articles she writes for FutureofSex.net and SexforEveryBody.com.

She authors stories with a focus on destigmatizing discussions of sexual health and wellness. A passionate volunteer, she serves as an administrative assistant at a local LGBTQ+ counseling center.

Keats graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, in 2019 with a BA in Art History and a minor in Race and Law. She was awarded High Distinction in General Scholarship and from the Art History department.