When OnlyFans entered the adult scene in 2016, they quickly became a household name. Until recently, the site acted as a haven for sex workers to post nude photos and sexually explicit videos, making thousands and thousands of dollars from clients.
However, recent news has brought OnlyFans’s status into question. Here’s what’s happening with the website, their current adult use policies, and some options for sex workers who want to break free from the platform.
OnlyFans’ current adult content policies
You might have heard that OnlyFans’ adult content policies have changed. However, as of right now, they’ve gone back to normal. What policies are laid out in their current Terms of Service?
First, in order to enroll with the site, you have to prove you are who you say you are. You’ll need to upload your ID and two pictures of yourself to prove that you have ownership of the content and that you’re at least 18 years old. They can also request additional identity verification at any time.
If your posts contain another person, you need to verify that they’re over 18, and have their written agreement to be posted on your site. If you don’t, the content could be taken down, or your entire page could be deleted.
Users cannot upload, post, display, or publish content to the platform that is any of the following:
- Illegal
- Fraudulent
- Defamatory
- Hateful
- Discriminatory
- Threatening
- Harassing
- Encourages or promotes violence or any illegal activity
There are other, more specific things that aren’t allowed on the platform. Some of them are pretty easy avoid, like not posting:
- Firearms
- Self-harm or suicide
- Bestiality
- Necrophilia
- Revenge porn
- Genital mutilation
- Sex trafficking
- Hate speech
However, sex workers should be aware of some other prohibited areas that might be allowed on other sites, such as:
- Drugs or drug paraphernalia (OnlyFans isn’t 420 or poppers friendly, apparently)
- Rape or lack of consent (even if it’s rape play)
- Incest (yes, that includes your step brother porn fantasy)
- Violence, torture, sadomasochistic abuse, or hardcore bondage (could have a big impact on BDSM sex workers)
- Hypnosis (there are erotic forms of this, which are not allowed)
- Extreme fisting (hard to say where they draw the line here)
- Urine (watersports is a big part of the sex work community, so this is limiting for kinky practitioners)
- Excrement-related material (again, there’s a kink for this)
- Escort services or prostitution (that means you can’t promote your IRL services)
While some of these prohibitions are limiting, they still allow for lots of sexual content from users. However, OnlyFans recently made a move that’s bringing all of their policies into question.
The decision to ban adult content on the site
On August 19 2021, OnlyFans announced that they would be banning “sexually explicit content” from their site going forward.
“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,” the company said in a statement.
“Sexually explicit content” is pretty vague, so OnlyFans released a list of rules for their creators, as follows:
“Do not upload, post, display, or publish Content on OnlyFans that:
- Shows, promotes, advertises or refers to “sexually explicit conduct”, which means:
- actual or simulated sexual intercourse, including genital-genital, oral-genital, anal-genital, or oral-anal, between persons of any sex;
- actual or simulated masturbation;
- any exhibition of the anus or genitals of any person which is extreme or offensive;
- actual or simulated material depicting bodily fluids commonly secreted during sexual conduct”
In addition to new content, any existing content that violates the rules was supposed to be removed by December 1, 2021.
As you can tell, these guidelines were incredibly strict, and very different from the site’s previous views on the matter. Creators are shocked by this move, and for good reason.
The website said that it would still allow creators to post nudity “as long as it is consistent with our Acceptable Use Policy,” which we laid out in the last section.
“We will actively support and guide our creators through this change in content guidelines,” the company said in its statement, but provided little information about how the change would affect sex workers.
Luckily, this ban has been suspended…for now. However, sex workers are worried that the policy could be put back into place in the future.
OnlyFans has 130 million users and two million creators, who almost exclusively work in the sex industry. Many wondered whether they could survive the ban, which could cause them to lose a large chunk of their income.
Then another news story came up on our feeds.
OnlyFans changed their decision…for now
On August 25 2021, just five days after the initial announcement that OnlyFans would ban pornography, the company changed its mind.
“Thank you to everyone for making your voices heard,” the company wrote in a tweet. “We have secured assurances necessary to support our diverse creator community and have suspended the planned October 1 policy change. OnlyFans stands for inclusion and we will continue to provide a home for all creators.”
This update is good news for many who depend on the platform for their income. However, many feel that it’s too late and that they should move to another site.
This decision is a suspension, not a cancellation. It’s still possible that the site could change its policies. What if OnlyFans changes their mind again?
The impact of the potential rule change on the sex work community
If OnlyFans were to ban sexually explicit content, it could have massive a massive impact on the sex workers who use the platform. Many would lose their incomes, especially since some work full-time for the site. A quick change could be devastating.
“I am going to make sure that I’m not in a position where, if something like this happens, I don’t feel like the rug was pulled out from under me,” a sex worker who goes by the name Taylor told Marketplace. “And I know a lot of other girls are thinking the same thing.”
A change to OnlyFans’ policies would also likely impact marginalized sex workers the most, like those who are part of the LGBTQ+ community or people of color. Sex work isn’t just a fun way to make money for them; it’s imperative to survival. It can be especially difficult for trans people to get traditional jobs when they can’t pass and are at risk of being constantly misgendered.
In addition, if these changes are made, many customers might remove their subscriptions and opt for more explicit porn options. Even if sex workers conformed to the possible new rules, they could lose their income.
Is OnlyFans unstable?
It’s hard to know whether OnlyFans will go back on their word and limit sexual content again. It would be bad for their public image, but if they want to break into mainstream culture and stop being known as a haven for sex workers, it might ultimately make the changes worth it for them.
Credit card providers could also crack down on their rules and make it impossible for OnlyFans to host this content, especially with more and more reports that the site is hosting illegal activity (which is mostly unfounded, as they have stricter rules than many other platforms).
Overall, it might be a good idea to do some research on alternatives to OnlyFans. Even if you don’t want to switch now, it might be necessary down the road.
Here are three sex work platforms where you can post sexually explicit content as much as you want. They’ve never wavered on their policies, and if you choose to join them, you could become the next big star!
Alternatives to OnlyFans
Fancentro
One of the fastest growing platforms for selling sexual photos and videos is Fancentro. Performers and models can sell access to their feeds of photos and images, as well as their private social media channels. This site is very similar to OnlyFans, and it’s where many people are turning during this time of uncertainty.
Fancentro is a popular site, regularly receiving over two million hits per month. It’s most well-known in North America and Europe, but also attracts subscribers and models from Latin America, Asia, and Oceania. No matter where in the world you are, you can make some extra income on the site.
Fancentro is also an inclusive site, so people of all genders can use it, including trans or nonbinary people. They host gay, straight, and bisexual content, as well as any queer content under the sun. This isn’t true of all sex work platforms, so it’s awesome that they’re willing to work with a variety of models.
There are almost 200,000 models on the platform, compared to 2 million on OnlyFans. While this is a big difference, this will allow you to get in on the ground floor of the site and become popular before it gets saturated. You might be more likely to be featured on their home page and find new subscribers organically on their platform.
Models take home 80% of their fees, while Fancentro keeps 20%. There are processing fees as well, which can bring your take home fee down. Luckily, getting paid is easy, and the site offers lots of features, so that hit to your paycheck might be worth it.
Signing up will take just 15-30 minutes. Once you’ve uploaded your basic information, you’ll create your feed. Here, you’ll post premium content for your subscribers, most of which you’ll probably set to be private from the rest of the site.
You get to choose your own subscription prices. Subscribers can pay either a monthly fee for your content, or a lifetime fee. You can also discount packages when customers choose to pay for several months up front.
In addition, you can run sales on your subscriptions whenever you want. You’ll be able to bring in new fans from Fancentro, as well as advertise the sales on your own social media. This gives you more control over your pricing and opens up tons of marketing possibilities.
Another option is to sell some items in your feed for an extra fee. Often, creators do this with more sexually explicit content and videos, while letting subscribers access posts that include nudity. Users can pay for private DMs with you, too, which is an extra way to make some cash.
There’s more to Fancentro than just your feed. You can sell subscriptions to your private Snapchat or Instagram accounts as well. When someone chooses this option, you’ll get a message from Fancentro with their username so you can add them to your private account. When someone cancels their account, you’ll get another message so you can remove them from your account. It’s that simple!
Here’s absolutely the coolest part of Fancentro for current OnlyFans users. You can work with them to migrate your existing clients over to the site. You’ll be able to transfer all of your previous content over as well. They don’t want you to lose any fans when you make the transition, which is a huge plus.
If you’re new to selling videos and photos online, the site has a service called Centro University that will walk you through each part of the job, step by step. Some topics covered in their on-demand lessons include:
- How to Set Up Photo and Video Shoots
- How to Protect Your Brand
- How to Manage Distribution
- How to Run Your Adult Business
Plus, they have success coaches that provide one-on-one assistance for their models to help them do a great job selling on Fancentro.
Fancentro even has a deal going on right now to draw in previous OnlyFans sellers. Through October 1, users will earn 100% payout on all of their earnings. While this is a fairly short time, if you’re able to migrate your previous users over, it could result in a lot of dough!
AVN Stars
Another place to sell your video clips and photos is AVN Stars. The platform was created by AVN, which puts out a prestigious porn magazine and runs an adult expo in Las Vegas. They know their adult content, and they took that knowledge to make a site where models can sell their sexually explicit material in an easy, profitable way.
Since the site is by the industry and for the industry, it’s very unlikely that it will stop accepting adult content any time soon. You don’t have to worry about them pulling the rug out from under you like OnlyFans might.
Anyone over the age of 18 can post on the platform, including people from the LGBTQ+ community. Subscribers of all types come to AVN Stars, so you’ll have the chance to make some money, no matter who you are.
Like Fancentro, you’ll be able to collect 80% of the proceeds you make from the website. This fee is fairly standard, and 20% is the amount OnlyFans takes as well.
AVN Stars does not have the brand name recognition of OnlyFans. However, with alternative platforms booming, it’s a great time to get in on the ground floor of a newer platform. You might become one of its breakout stars, featured on the homepage for everyone to see!
The main thing you can do on this site is sell clips and photos. However, there’s also the option to keep your feed free. Why would you do that?
Well, it gets you in front of a lot of eyes, and your content will be promoted on the site. If you’re a cam girl or sell intimate items as well, AVN Stars could serve as an advertisement for these services. However, don’t feel pressured to give away your content for free if you don’t want to.
Other ways to make money on the site include selling direct messages and getting subscribers for your fan club. These features are very similar to OnlyFans, so if you already have lots of knowledge about running your feed, it will be easy to transfer that know how to AVN Stars.
Payment is on demand, as long as you have at least $25 in your account. This flexibility allows you to pay your bills and stay afloat more easily than platforms that pay biweekly or monthly.
Conclusion
While OnlyFans has changed its mind about eliminating adult content, you never know when the site could go back on its word and change their policies one more time. If you’re worried about your income stream running out, consider signing up for one of the sites above…