Users will no longer be able to post content including “sexually-explicit conduct” on the subscription site OnlyFans starting Oct. 1, the company announced Thursday.
“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 spokesperson said in a statement to The Hill.
Creators will still be able to post nudity as long as it complies with platform policy, the company noted. OnlyFans did not provide a definition of “sexually-explicit conduct” when asked.
Mary Moody, an online sex worker and founding board member at the Adult Industry Laborers & Artists Association, said that the shift will be “devastating” for the community that is still reeling from Mastercard and Visa cutting ties with Pornhub last fall.
“So many have worked for years now to build a reputation and clientele via this site, and now it appears that will be taken away,” she said.
Mastercard recently updated its requirements for banks that process payments for websites that sell adult content as well.
“What is very clear, is that all of this is the result of increased stigma and harm from financial institutions, especially MasterCard and Visa, who have long decided what is or isn’t allowed online,” Moody added.
OnlyFans, which allows users to post original content for subscribers, has been a lifeline for sex workers as the coronavirus pandemic has limited options for in-person work, giving them a consistent way to pull in revenue.
The company said it made the decision because of pressure from banking partners and payment processors.
The announcement follows closely on the heels of an Axios report alleging that leaked documents show the site has struggled to get new investors, despite mammoth profits on track to hit $12.5 billion next year.
Adult content creators have been among the most popular and lucrative on the platform.
Sex workers may now have to rebuild the followings they have accumulated on OnlyFans elsewhere.
Updated at 3:58 p.m.