Update: OnlyFans Drops Plans to Ban Sexually Explicit Content This Fall
Updated Aug. 25 2021, 12:16 p.m. ET
Through the years that it has existed as a premium content subscription service, OnlyFans has struggled with its identity in the public eye. While the site has never billed itself directly as a medium for creators to post and sell sexually explicit content, OnlyFans has become largely known as the biggest platform for a certain kind of content online.
However, in August 2021, updates to OnlyFans' terms of use stated that sexually explicit content would be banned in fall 2021.
The internet went wild — and soon after, the decision was reversed.
Keep reading to find out about the original plans and why the company decided to drop the new rules.
OnlyFans was planning to ban sexually explicit content this fall. So, what happened?
The company released a statement on August 19, 2021, per Bloomberg, stating that come October 2021, it would no longer tolerate sexually explicit content. Given the fact that the site is largely known for being home to this type of content, the change presented a large switch-up for the platform.
According to the release, the company would still allow nudity, as long as it was consistent with their new terms of use policy.
But then, on Aug. 25, OnlyFans announced that the company had “secured assurances necessary” and would no longer be moving forward with a plan to ban creators from sharing sexually explicit content.
“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,” the company wrote in a tweet. “OnlyFans stands for inclusion and we will continue to provide a home for all creators.”
Why was OnlyFans planning to ban explicit content?
Back in June 2021, OnlyFans made it known that it was looking to reach a $1 billion valuation and, in so doing, was trying to shake off some of the reputation it had gained for hosting sexually explicit content. This next phase would allow the platform to take on advertisers and investors who were previously hesitant to work with OnlyFans.
And according to the statement OnlyFans released, the site had also faced pressure from banking partners to change its terms.
"Effective 1 October, 2021, OnlyFans will prohibit the posting of any content containing sexually explicit conduct. 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," a representative for the platform shared, per Complex.
The changes to their terms were highlighted as follows: "Creators will continue to be allowed to post content containing nudity as long as it is consistent with our Acceptable Use Policy. These changes are to comply with the requests of our banking partners and payout providers. We will be sharing more details in the coming days and we will actively support and guide our creators through this change in content guidelines."
The decision sparked mixed reactions on social media, with some hailing the company for speaking out against its public perception as a sexually explicit content provider, while others bashed it for deviating from its core user group in an attempt to be more family-friendly.
"For a company that doesn’t want to be associated with sex, it’s crazy how much you’re f-----g yourselves and the creators that built your platform," wrote one user, clearly upset with OnlyFans' decision.
On the other side of the argument, a user chimed in with, "As an OnlyFans content creator that doesn’t post explicit content, I’m loving the changes they’re making for the sake of potential business moving forward."
