Future of Sex
tagline
  • Remote Sex
  • Virtual Sex & Entertainment
  • Robots
  • Human Augmentation
  • Sex Tech
  • Dating & Relationships
  • Bizarre Bazaar 18+
  • Future of Sex Community
  • Remote Sex
  • Virtual Sex & Entertainment
  • Robots
  • Human Augmentation
  • Sex Tech
  • Dating & Relationships
  • Bizarre Bazaar 18+
  • Future of Sex Community
  • A Day to Come: Imaging What Your Sexlife Might Be Like in the Not-To-Distant Future

  • Arms Enough for Love: The Erotic Possibilities Extra Limbs, More Thumbs May Hand Us

  • Hot Times Ahead: Tomorrow’s Male Contraceptives May Be More About Temperature, Less About Drugs

  • This Bot’s in Love With You—Sincerely or Merely a Revenue Strategy?

  • 10 Best Masturbation Sites on the Web

  • Oh, Canada! Newest, Sexiest Hotel Room in the World Is Just Across the US/Canadian Border

  • Machinery of Joy: Is AI Already Making Sexwork Obsolete?

  • Tomorrow’s Programmable Matter Sextoys Will Be Everything We Want—Whenever We Want It

Future of Sex is supported by our readers. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Home > Virtual Sex & Entertainment > Silicon Valley’s Blind Spot When It Came to OnlyFans and Sex

Virtual Sex & Entertainment
Home›Virtual Sex & Entertainment›Silicon Valley’s Blind Spot When It Came to OnlyFans and Sex

Silicon Valley’s Blind Spot When It Came to OnlyFans and Sex

By Connor Leshner
February 28, 2021
1709
0

In-person sex workers have been harmed by law and stigma. Will online platforms become their safe haven?

OnlyFans logo

A recent post on Substack tech blog Margins, in which an anonymous poster chronicles the rise and success of OnlyFans as a website for sex work, has attracted thought-provoking discussion.

The unnamed writer of “The Internet is for Porn” is introduced as “a friend of Margins, who happens to be a product executive at a public tech company.”

The article tracks the recent rise of OnlyFans to become a lucrative online adult marketplace that has given many sex workers a new home ever since the disastrous SESTA/FOSTA law was passed by an overwhelming bipartisan majority in the US.

OnlyFans has provided a much-needed space for this work online, but the site itself is not perfect, and both current and potential users should know both sides of the situation.

What is OnlyFans?

OnlyFans is an adult subscription service where people can post pictures and videos of themselves to subscribers who pay what the creator dictates.

Users can pay monthly, quarterly, or annually, and can also speak directly with the creators.

Because there is no direct propositioning from user to creator, this site skirts the illegality that led to the downfalls of similar sites like Backpage and Craigslist.

Anyone can use the site; however, creators must prove they are at least 18 in order to upload material. Material can be anything from safe-for-work to lewd, to nudes, to videos of intercourse, and some creators may elect to even go beyond that. Overall, OnlyFans offers a variety of services dictated by its creators and supported by millions to the tune of $1 billion in total revenue.

OnlyFans has also taken risks compared to the other sites in Silicon Valley. Sex workers are regular targets of payment processors like PayPal and Venmo shutting down their accounts, making it impossible to receive payments.

And Apple has banned any app that has sexual content, so the big social media accounts like Facebook, and Tumblr crackdown hard on any type of NSFW content.

OnlyFans acts as a mediator, giving the payment processors someone who does the work to check their creators and giving a place beyond social media for creators to reach out to and interact with fans. Without OnlyFans, many sex workers would be unable to generate income in the ways that they do now.

On the surface, there are some issues that OnlyFans has in regards to its users. For instance, the site takes 20% of revenue from its creators, which is a staggering margin compared to other services like Patreon. User content is regularly stolen and posted on subreddits or other pornography websites, effectively cutting into the revenue streams of creators.

Further, because users can contact creators as long as they are subscribed, there is a real potential for harassment among the other harms associated with the parasocial relationship of paying someone so you can talk with them. While this may not be something that happens often, it’s a worthwhile consideration to make, especially if the site continues to grow and moderation becomes more challenging.

Struggling to stay afloat

At a deeper level, the original poster makes some claims that are only brought up by different people in the comment section.

Cindy Gallop, a sex-tech business owner, claims that, while OnlyFans has grown incredibly quickly, many other businesses, especially those helmed by women, are struggling to stay afloat. 

“There are a huge number of women building through-the-female-lens sextech ventures. You haven’t heard of any of us, because we fight a battle every single day to keep our startups alive… It’s not true that OnlyFans welcomes adult creators, nor does it keep them safe. There are a number of platforms being built right now by sex workers for sex workers, because of that. Check out https://peep.me/, https://www.rarebirdcalls.com/, https://sunroom.so/. I welcome your help in getting us all funded.”

Another commenter, Cathy Reisenwitz, a writer, comedian and sex worker, explains that many American businesses that make erotic material are harmed by a DoJ policy known as Operation Chokepoint.

This policy consists of the government pressuring payment processors such as PayPal into disallowing businesses from receiving income so they cannot survive. OnlyFans is mostly safe from this because they operate out of the United Kingdom, but American businesses are rarely able to succeed. 

Finally, an anonymous commenter notes how websites that create sexual content are mostly brought down by policy, while harmful surveillance tools such as Palantir, and sites with questionable data theft practices such as Facebook, are allowed to operate with little oversight. OnlyFans’s success comes entirely from the fact that it is free from the scrutiny of a prudish American government, while American businesses are largely nonexistent due to the challenges of funding such enterprises. While social media and other tech giants can survive off of advertising revenue, most websites refuse to advertise on pornographic websites, and must rely on content creators and site traffic to generate revenue.

OnlyFans is a site with a lot of good opportunities and a lot of issues, but is largely a symptom of an issue facing American creators and business owners not being able to break into creating spaces for sex work. Sex business needs support in this time where OnlyFans has all the power, because with no real competition, there is simply no incentive for OnlyFans to make any changes or protect its creators long-term.

Payment processors may one day view similar ventures to OnlyFans as an investment worth capitalizing on, and that when websites are in the right hands and showcase proper security measures, such processors may feel comfortable rebuffing the DoJ. I look forward to such a time America kicks prudishness to the curb to instead allow people to have bodily autonomy; until then, readers of this article seek out and support the ventures from Cindy Gallop, Cathay Reisenwitz, and other like-minded creators looking to make sex work better and safer.

To learn more about Cindy Gallop’s work, her website can be found here. To read more from Cathy Reisenwitz, subscribe to her substack here.

Image source: xoa king

Connor Leshner

Connor Leshner is a graduate student at the University of Victoria, studying how people connect both through and with technology. His work focuses on dating apps, sex technology, and relationships that break the status quo. Currently, he is researching how people may be interested in AI partners in the future, such as if people will want artificial friends, romance, or sex partners.

As an undergraduate at Arizona State University, Connor completed undergraduate degrees in Psychology, Sociology and a minor in Women & Gender Studies in 2018. He also graduated with honors, completing his thesis understanding how cosplay plays a role in relationship differences. For this thesis, he was awarded with his department’s award in applied social psychology, and his honor college’s gold standard research award.

As a graduate student, Connor has won awards for his research and excellence in presentation. He has given talks on speed-dating, hentai, and different groups such as bronies, furries, and anime fans. He has also written or co-written multiple papers, including papers comparing polyamory to dyadic relationships, how playing characters might affect one’s identity, and more.
Previous Article

Affording Pleasure: How Universal Basic Income Will ...

Next Article

Creating and Cultivating Intimacy at the Rainbows ...

Related articles More from author

  • Virtual Sex & EntertainmentImmersive Entertainment

    Virtual Sex Game Red Light Center Launches VR World

    November 23, 2016
    By M. Christian
  • Reddit Logo For BDMS
    Dating & RelationshipsVirtual Sex & Entertainment

    The Power of Letting Kinky Reddit Users Control Your Sex Toys

    October 30, 2020
    By Eleanor Hancock
  • VR PornSex TechVirtual Sex & EntertainmentVirtual Sex

    Sooner Than Tomorrow: Is Fully Immersive VR Sex Right Around the Corner?

    January 1, 2024
    By M. Christian
  • Virtual Sex & Entertainment

    Top Adult Talent Featured in X-Rated Interactive VR Demo

    September 12, 2019
    By M. Christian
  • A photo of a "love tester" machine.
    AugmentationVirtual Sex & EntertainmentImmersive Entertainment

    ‘Brainwave Love Checker’ Will Pick Your Ideal VR Girlfriend by Reading Your Mind

    September 22, 2016
    By M. Christian
  • Adult starlet August Ames on set with BaDoinkVR's new Virtual Sexology. (PRNewsFoto/BaDoinkVR)
    Virtual Sex & EntertainmentImmersive Entertainment

    BaDoinkVR Offers Sex Therapy in 8-Part VR Porn Series

    August 12, 2016
    By M. Christian

  • Money
    Sex Tech

    The State of Play in Sex Tech Part 2: Investing in a Good Time

  • Two astronauts in space suits looking out into the distance and holding hands.
    Sex Tech

    Why Do We Need to Research Sex in Space?

  • Sex Tech

    The REMOJI Review: Here’s What Happens When You Wear a Vibrator to a Music Festival

Virtual Lust is a 3D interactive sex game.
3DXChat
Discover the best virtual sex parties and 3D sex worlds.
  • TOP REVIEWS

  • Screenshot of FeelConnect app future of interactivity intimacy available on Apple and Google Store

    The Best Sex Game Apps for Couples [UPDATED]

  • Project QT is the most popular RPG sex game at hentai sex game portal Nutaku.

    The Best RPG Sex Games [UPDATED]

  • Multiplayer Online Sex Games

    Review of the Best Massively Multiplayer Online Sex Games

    0
  • Harmony ai sex doll from RealDoll

    State of the Sexbot Market: The World’s Best Sex Robot and AI Sex Doll Companies ...

  • Realistic Sex Games

    Review of the Best Sex Games and Most Realistic Sex Simulators [UPDATED]

    0
Fantasy sex game Dream Sex World lets you explore your wildest desires.
Multiplayer sex world Red Light Center continues to impress with its massive userbase and incredible sex graphics.
A blonde and light-skinned love doll face sppears next to the text Go now realdollxthe future is real.

Like Us on Facebook

Newsletter Subscription

Sign up for our monthly newsletter sharing the very best of the future of sex from our publication and others across the web.

DreamSexWorld offers a stunning XXX 3D world filled with incredibly interactive erotic experiences.

Like Us On Facebook

Facebook Pagelike Widget

RLC_ad_v2

Tweets by @FutureofSex
Future of Sex Report

Follow us

  • Home
  • About
  • ADVERTISE
  • Contribute
  • Story Ideas
  • Sitemap
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
© 2011 - 2022 Future Exploration Network
This website or its third-party tools use cookies to improve user experience and track affiliate sales. To learn more about why we need to use cookies, please refer to the Privacy Policy.

By clicking the agree button or continuing to browse through the website, you agree to the use of cookies. Accept Privacy Policy
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
SAVE & ACCEPT