Onlyfans will prohibit porn after allegedly profiting from illegal content

Onlyfans, a subscription website known for its large adoption by amateur adult entertainers, is about change. In the pandemic year, the website became a heaven for adult entertainers looking to sell sexual content to willing customers. Unfortunately, that haven will no longer welcome the users that made it flower.

Announced yesterday, Onlyfans will be banning sexual content on the service. This October, the service's flagship content will no longer be welcome on the website. Essentially, the service will be going the way of Tumblr.

Why is Onlyfans banning porn?

Onlyfans’ move to prohibit sexual content comes in the wake of a BBC investigation. In the report, the BBC explains that the subscription service has been publishing illegal content. The report “found prostitution services advertised, bestiality and material one moderator believed to be incest”.

Additionally, the BBC report found that the website has not been successful in stopping underage content. The website allegedly failed to stop teenagers from selling their own or appearing in others’ Onlyfans content.

According to the BBC, the website has not outright banned accounts found guilty of selling the aforementioned content. Reportedly, users have levels of “tolerance” that allow them sell illegal content. One moderator revealed to the BBC that they were over-moderating content involving public sexual content and other illegal videos.

Since February, Onlyfans gives three warnings for accounts that publish illegal content. Leaked internal documents from this year reveal there “should be at least five examples of "illegal" content on an account". Afterwards, offending accounts will be "'escalated' immediately to management”. Incredibly popular accounts even more.

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What will they do instead?

In recent months, the Onlyfans service has tried to push to more safe-for-work content. Just two days ago, the website launched OFTV, an application focusing entirely on safe-for-work creators. OFTV hosts free, original content by creators such as video essays or cooking tutorials.

The website will only be prohibiting outright sexual content. This will likely leave space for “lewd” content creators that aren't outright sexual. Essentially, the service will become a paid Instagram for models and cosplayers. Or just another Patreon.

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