For starters, forgive me for admitting that it is only today that I learn that OnlyFans is not a pornographic content website. This was the initial take on it, given it is this content that is rather popular on the platform. So, what in the world is OnlyFans for (if at all you also do not know)?
Well, OnlyFans is merely a content subscription service. On it, content creators can earn money from users who subscribe to their content as fans. The platform allows content creators to receive funding directly from these fans. It can be on a monthly basis as well as one-time tips and pay-per-view.
OnlyFans has become famous as a space for celebrities to interact with people on a personal level, as well as a place where sex workers can post and get paid in a relatively safe manner. It is with this kind of model that porn content creators found it easy to post and charge interested parties.
However, it seems that this is about to end. According to Bloomberg, the platform is getting out of the pornography business. The ban takes effect on October 1st.
Why OnlyFans is banning porn content on its platform
According to the company, the changes are needed because of mounting pressure from banking partners and payment providers. It is clear that so many banking platforms are against paying for porn content. Mastercard, for instance, recently stopped allowing its cards to be used on Pornhub.
This was in the wake of a New York Times opinion story alleging the platform was contributing to sex trafficking. Visa and Discover similarly cut off payments to the site.
However, even after the ban on porn content, OnlyFans states that posting nudity is OK if it’s “consistent” with the company’s policy. I have tried to find out what that policy is but failed to get a clear picture. The company says that it will be sharing more information in the “coming days” on the same.
In a bid to distance itself from nudity and pornographic content, OnlyFans recently introduced a new app that features many of its top creators called the OFTV streaming app. This is available for download from the major tech platforms and features content around categories like fitness, cooking, comedy, and music.
