OnlyFans backs down on ‘sexually-explicit’ content ban

The subscription-based site OnlyFans will no longer be banning “sexually-explicit” content starting Oct. 1st after a wave of backlash from the sex workers who brought the site to prominence.

The proposed “changes are no longer required due to banking partners’ assurances that OnlyFans can support all genres of creators,” an OnlyFans spokesperson told The Hill Wednesday.

The initial announcement of the ban last week left many questions for creators by specifying that nudity would still be allowed on the platform.

OnlyFans, which allows creators 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 initially said it was making the decision to limit sexual content on the platform because of pressure from banking partners and processors.

In an interview with the Financial Times on Tuesday, CEO Tim Stokely narrowed the problem to banking partners.

Many creators had assumed that upcoming changes to Mastercard’s payment rules were behind the change.

The retraction of the sexually explicit content ban leaves sex workers in precarious situation. They can continue to grow their subscriber bases on OnlyFans and risk the company doubling back again, or try to identify new platforms for posting content.