OnlyFans to Ban NSFW Content

August 20, 2021

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The ban, set to begin in October, is an effort to appease the company's banking and payment partners.

With a surprise announcement, OnlyFans becomes the latest company to ban NSFW content. “OnlyFans will prohibit the posting of any content containing sexually explicit conduct,” effective October 1st, the company said in a statement released today.

In a familiar pattern, OnlyFans is banning pornographic content “to comply with the requests of our banking partners and payout providers.”

Banking platforms shut down NSFW content

The last year has seen sex workers pushed farther to the margins of traditional marketplaces and streaming platforms. In many cases, this can be directly linked to the unease of banking and payment platforms around NSFW content.

In June, Ebay abruptly banned all adult content from its marketplace. This move likely affected over 700,000 items for sale on the site.

And in October, Mastercard will severely limit the freedoms of clients who sell or share pornographic content. In order to conduct business using the payment platform, websites will have to conduct thorough background checks on any adult performers that they employ.

Moving the market towards cryptocurrency

With the end of OnlyFans as a NSFW streaming platform, it appears increasingly apparent that blockchain-based adult entertainment will take its place in the spotlight.

NSFW sites that run on blockchain do not have to rely on traditional banking platforms like Mastercard. For better or worse, this allows blockchain-based sites to dictate their own agendas and policies, and gives users complete privacy protections.

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.