OnlyFans says it will ban sexually explicit material and social media erupts with outrage

OnlyFans said on Thursday that the company would ban sexually explicit material on its platform and supporters of sex work are condemning the website they accuse of betraying them.

The service had been used by sex workers to provided explicit content to subscribers who paid them in return. That practice will end in October according to a statement from the company.

"Effective 1 October, 2021, OnlyFans will prohibit the posting of any content containing sexually-explicit conduct," the statement read.

"Creators will continue to be allowed to post content containing nudity as long as it is consistent with our Acceptable Use Policy," they added. "These changes are to comply with the requests of our banking partners and payout providers."

The statement went on to say that 2 million creators had earned over $5 billion from 130 million users on their platform.

OnlyFans sex workers and their supporters took to social media to excoriate the service.

"Yes, the onlyfans change is f***ing terrifying, but at least the new rules are intentionally vague in a way that will leave sex workers constantly terrified that they're about to lose a huge chunk of income for doing something they didn't know wasn't allowed!!!" responded comedian Avery Edison.

"Sex Workers are constantly helping build up sites and then getting shafted, and It's f***ing disgusting," said another critic.

OnlyFans creator Darshelle Stevens said that sex workers would find other platforms.

Many accused the company of using sex workers to build the company only to stab them in the back.

"I can only imagine how many sex workers are feeling blindsided and terrified for their incomes right now. This is a slap in the face to those who made OnlyFans what it is today," replied Huffington Post reporter Jesselyn Cook.

"OnlyFans would be nothing without the sex workers whose labor built it up into a major platform. Now it's tossing them aside, and removing a vital source of income from a population of workers who are disproportionately marginalized and have no protections under U.S. labor law," responded Teen Vogue reporter Kim Kelly.

"Only fans banning porn is like McDonald's banning hamburgers," said one critic.

Law enforcement has warned that criminals are using platforms like OnlyFans to launder money and worse. In one case in June, a Florida man was accused of allegedly trying to force a woman onto OnlyFans in order to earn money for him.

Here's more about crime on OnlyFans:

The children selling explicit videos on OnlyFans - BBC Newswww.youtube.com