OnlyFans bans 'sexually explicit conduct,' but nudity is still okay
The new policy starts in October following pressure from payment providers.
OnlyFans will ban users from uploading photos and videos "sexually explicit conduct" as of October 1st. Although the company will block depictions of sex acts, nudity is still allowed as long as creators stick by OnlyFans' Acceptable Use Policy. The changes follow pressure from payment providers and banking providers, as Bloomberg first reported.
“In order to ensure the long-term sustainability of our platform, and the continue to host an inclusive community of creators and fans, we must evolve our content guidelines,” OnlyFans told Engadget in a statement.
The company will share more details about the move in the coming days and it promised to "actively support and guide our creators through this change in content guidelines." Enforcing the new policy will likely be difficult, though all uploads to OnlyFans are checked by human moderators, according to the company.
OnlyFans allows its more than 2 million creators to share exclusive content with their paid subscribers. Many of the top creators on the platform, which has 130 million users, sell nude or sexually explicit photos and videos. Many sex workers have relied on revenue from the site over the last few years, especially as the pandemic took hold and it was more difficult for them to earn a living elsewhere.
Patreon similarly allows creators to share explicit nude images with their paid subscribers. However, it doesn't allow "pornographic material or sexual services."
Earlier this year, OnlyFans quietly released a mobile and TV app that features fitness, cooking, comedy, music and other types of content from its creators, but zero nudity. This week, the company started a promotional push for OFTV, underscoring its move to a more sanitized future.
