OnlyFans reversed course Wednesday and halted plans to prohibit “sexually explicit” content from its popular user-generated, subscription-based service.
The about-face from OnlyFans, a digital platform started in 2016, came less than a week after it announced it would ban sexually explicit material starting Oct. 1, sparking an uproar among its many users.
“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,” said OnlyFans.
“OnlyFans stands for inclusion and we will continue to provide a home for all creators,” the London-based company said in a statement it shared on social media.
OnlyFans lets users sell and buy exclusive access to digital content, making it especially popular among sex workers who earn income from creating and uploading their own photos and videos.
Many of those adult-content creators feared for their futures after OnlyFans announced that it would start prohibiting sexually explicit material.
OnlyFans had said in its original announcement that it would ban sexually explicit content “to ensure the long-term sustainability of our platform,” citing pressure from payment and banking partners.
Tim Stokely, the founder and CEO of OnlyFans, later said his company “had no choice” but to start banning sexually explicit content in an interview published on the eve of the reversal being announced.
“JPMorgan Chase is particularly aggressive in closing accounts of sex workers or … any business that supports sex workers,” said Mr. Stokely, the Financial Times reported Tuesday. The bank declined to comment, the report said.
OnlyFans did not explain why it changed plans.
More than 150 million people are users of OnlyFans, including over 1.5 million content creators, according to the company. Those creators are paid a total of about $5 million annually.
• Andrew Blake can be reached at ablake@washingtontimes.com.
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