OnlyFans confirms the porn ban in email to creators, updated terms

OnlyFans sent out an email to creators Friday evening confirming that as of October 1, all content showing ‘sexually explicit conduct’ would no longer be allowed on the platform.

That includes “actual or simulated sexual intercourse,” “actual or simulated masturbation,” “exhibition of the anus or genitals of any person which is extreme or offensive,” and “actual or simulated material depicting bodily fluids commonly secreted during sexual conduct,” per the new Acceptable Use Policy. In addition, all existing pornographic content uploaded to the site prior to the cutoff date must be taken down before December 1, OnlyFans said.

In a shallow — honestly, insulting — attempt to reassure creators, the email notes that “content containing nudity will continue to be allowed as long as it is consistent with the policy.” Which... is a real piece of work, to say the absolute least. The move has widely been received as a slap in the face to sex workers, who are more or less the only reason anyone even gives (*gave) a shit about OnlyFans in the first place.

The email also confirms the reason behind OnlyFans’ decision to screw over its most prominent users: appeasing the financial overlords. After introducing the upcoming policy changes, it states:

Why did the policy have to change? Due to the size and rapid growth of the OnlyFans platform, where creators have earned over $5 billion dollars since inception, we must increasingly rely on large banking institutions and payment processors to facilitate payments between fans and creators. The new rules are necessary to comply with the requirements of these financial institutions and are the only way to help ensure the long-term sustainability of OnlyFans.

Get your shit together — OnlyFans caused chaos Thursday into Friday after sending conflicting messages to the media and its site’s users, and then failing to clarify in a timely manner. After first telling Bloomberg it would be moving away from pornographic content and later confirming the move to Input and numerous other outlets, it continually declined to provide any additional information despite widespread confusion. OnlyFans also apparently didn’t loop in its own support team to, you know, the major overhaul to its policies, leading to support responding to concerned creators with messages reassuring them that nothing along these lines was going to happen... And instead of just addressing the concerns and request for clarification head-on, OnlyFans PR, when pressed, defaulted to saying any account casting doubt on the policy change was fake. Good job, y’all, definitely didn’t fuck this up!

Update (08/21/21): Realizing how much everyone hates it now, OnlyFans made its first public statement on Twitter Saturday afternoon, reiterating what the entire internet has been saying for days like some kind of humbling revelation: “Dear Sex Workers, The OnlyFans community would not be what it is today without you.” The company topped it off with a dash of groveling and the subtle zest of gaslighting, once again explaining that the change “was necessary to secure banking and payment services to support you” and assured, “We are working around the clock to come up with solutions.” As if the cringe weren’t painful enough, OnlyFans concluded: #SexWorkIsWork.

Now, if I really wanted to show someone I cared, I simply would not rip the rug out from under them for the sake of pandering to monopolistic financial services slumlords, or — if for some unthinkable reason I did go the betrayal route — I’d set up solutions to ensure no one was losing their livelihood before running my mouth about it to major publications. But that’s just me.

So anyway, moving on. I’ve heard of these interesting sites called AVN, ManyVids, Fansly...