PORN PROBLEMS
What is OnlyFans?
The platform almost shut down its adult content because of this massive controversy
ONLYFANS has become synonymous with online adult content, helping amateur models earn millions.
It has also drawn in celebrities such as Bella Thorne and Katie Price. Here’s what you need to know about the platform.
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Onlyfans is a wildly popular site to flog your more personal media
What is OnlyFans?
OnlyFans is a subscription content service based in London.
As of 2023, it is thought to have more than 220million registered users and over three million content creators.
Sex workers charge monthly fees for access to pictures, videos and more.
While popular for porn, the site isn't exclusively designed with that in mind - anyone who wants to build up a fan base and charge them for it can set one up.
"Whether you’re uploading tutorials, tips, behind-the-scenes footage or just endless selfies, a lot of your followers would be willing to pay for them," the company states.
For every subscription that's sold to a viewer, performers get 80 per cent of the cash while OnlyFans gets the rest.
It isn’t limited to adult content, as it has become popular with physical fitness experts and musicians.
Is adult content banned on OnlyFans?
OnlyFans announced a major change in August 2021 - sexually explicit videos would be banned, starting October 21.
More than 100 Republican and Democrat members of Congress urged the U.S. Department of Justice to look into the platform over its content involving the sexual abuse of children.
In a sent to Attorney General Merrick Garland, the members of Congress accused OnlyFans of being “a major marketplace for buying and selling Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) in the United States, as well as soliciting sexual activity with minors.”
I was so skint I’d shoplift for food and relied on charity handouts - now I’m a millionaire thanks to OnlyFans, says Kerry Katona
The letter cited research by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which found “a continuously increasing amount of CSAM and child exploitation on OnlyFans.”
The company cited that the upcoming changes are due to pressure from banking partners and payment providers.
“In order to ensure the long-term sustainability of our platform, and continue to host an inclusive community of creators and fans, we must evolve our content guidelines,” the company said at the time.
But after a huge backlash from users and creators, the site reversed the decision before it came into effect.
In June 2024, disgraced congress member George Santos announced that he's creating an OnlyFans account for his followers.
Santos put on his OnlyFans page that he will be sharing “exclusive never before seen content of the Congressional Icon and much more!”
Many people were not impressed with his new venture.
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The disgraced politician has made his debut on OnlyFans. Credit: Getty Images"I say again with conviction…yuck," one user wrote.
After receiving a wave of backlash he clarified that it would not feature X-rated content.
"Ok, y’all got your panties in a bunch… The OnlyFans is not adult content," he said on X.
Who founded OnlyFans?
The company was founded by Timothy Stokely in 2016.
“Uber is a bolt-on to your car just as OnlyFans is a bolt-on to your existing social media," he told .
Stokely, 38, is a graduate of Anglia Ruskin University with a degree in Property and Surveying, and was once referred to as "the king of homemade porn" by The Sunday Times.
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Tim Stokely started up OnlyFans in 2016. Credit: Instagram
Before founding OnlyFans, Stokely operated a softcore pornography site called GlamGirls and later established Customs4U, a platform where customers could order personalized videos from adult models.
Stokely then started the company with a £10,000 loan from his father, Guy, who declared, "Tim, this is going to be the last one."
His brother, Thomas Stokely, joined as the chief operating officer, and Guy took on the role of head of finance for OnlyFans.
Two years after its inception, Leonid Radvinsky, the owner of MyFreeCams, acquired a 75 per cent stake in Fenix International Limited, becoming a key director.
Following this acquisition, OnlyFans increasingly shifted its focus towards not safe for work (NSFW) content.
In December 2021, Stokely stepped down, handing the leadership to Amrapali Gan.
Keily Blair took over as CEO in July 2023.
What are OnlyFans accounts?
Adult entertainment workers post x-rated photos and videos to their accounts, which are protected by a paywall. Customers then pay to see the content.
Users can charge anywhere from $5 to $49.99 per month for subscriptions.
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Outside of subscriptions, OnlyFans creators can also receive tips and set up paid private messages.
If you want to become a creator, you must be at least 18 years old to create an account.
A valid government-issued ID to is also required to prove your age.
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