OnlyFans the U.K.-based content subscription service a few days ago said that it will no longer allow “sexually explicit” content as of Oct. 1. OnlyFans said the decision was taken to comply with requests from its banking and payment providers. In a statement, Only Fans said “In order to ensure the long-term sustainability of the platform and to continue to host an inclusive community of creators and fans, we must evolve our content guidelines,”
But now the OnlyFans stated on Wednesday that it had to “suspended” plans to ban pornography. It did this in a dramatic U-turn after a fierce backlash from its users.
Media was informed by a spokesperson for the online subscription site that the changes proposed were not necessary “due to assurances from banking partners that OnlyFans can support all types of creators.
OnlyFans posted a tweet Wednesday saying, “Thank you everyone for making their voices heard,”
Thank you to everyone for making your voices heard.
We have secured assurances necessary to support our diverse creator community and have suspended the planned October 1 policy change.
OnlyFans stands for inclusion and we will continue to provide a home for all creators.
— OnlyFans (@OnlyFans) August 25, 2021
OnlyFans officials said in a statement that “We have received assurances that we will support our diverse creator community. We have therefore suspended the planned October 1 policy changes.” “OnlyFans stands up for inclusion and we will continue providing a home to all creators,” said the firm. “An official communication to all creators will soon be emailed.”
OnlyFans’ decision not to allow explicit posts was swiftly condemned by sex workers who are largely responsible for the success of the platform and depend on it as a source of income. For subscription fees, the site allows adult performers to sell content that is “not safe for work”.
Founded in 2016, OnlyFans has become a social media powerhouse thanks to its looser approach to overtly sexual material. With more than 130 million users, 2 million content creators and a reported $150 million in free cash flow last year,
The company generated net revenue of $375 million last year, according to an Axios report Thursday, which cited an investor deck. OnlyFans expects to hit $1.2 billion in revenues this year, and $2.5 billion by 2022, Axios reported. OnlyFans has the kind of numbers many start-ups could only dream of.
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OnlyFans has tried to rebrand as a platform to support all kinds of creators recently claimed that it is used daily by musicians and chefs. Bella Thorne (Celebrity) has even joined the site to create. But still, porn remains the most searched category on the website.
OnlyFans founder and CEO Tim Stokely said in an interview with the Financial Times this week the firm was forced to ban such content after “unfair” treatment from banks.
Stokely pointed JPMorgan, BNY Mellon, and Britain’s Metro Bank among the lenders that made life difficult for OnlyFans as well as sex workers. But when the media reached out and asked all three banks they declined to comment.
There have been rumors that other factors could be at work. For instance, an Axios report said last week that the company was struggling to find external investment due to concerns with its hosting of adult content. Stokely denied that it was true, stating OnlyFans “didn’t make this policy modification to make it easier to locate investors.
Last December, Mastercard, and Visa all announced that they would suspend payments to Pornhub, one of the web’s largest porn sites, following allegations that the site had hosted child sexual abuse material. In response, Pornhub scrubbed its site of all videos that weren’t produced by verified partners and implemented a verification program that all users would need to undergo if they wanted to post adult content. Though Visa later agreed to restore service to some adult sites owned by Pornhub’s parent, MindGeek, Pornhub itself remains cut off from credit card processors.
But OnlyFans’ founder also slapped down these rumors that Mastercard may have been behind the ban. The payments network is set to bring in tougher rules for adult merchants from Oct. 1, the same day OnlyFans was due to prohibit sexually explicit content.
Stokely said the firm was already “fully compliant” with Mastercard’s new rules and they had “no bearing” on its policy change. A Mastercard spokesperson told CNBC the firm made no contact with OnlyFans related to its decision.
“They made this decision themselves,” the Mastercard spokesperson said.
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