Hearing about OnlyFans is no longer news: many criticize it, others defend it, but how many of us really know what it is? In this article, we will try to paint as clear a picture as possible of the now famous online platform that is the subject of so much discussion.
What is OnlyFans?
When we talk about OnlyFans, we are referring to the online platform created in 2016 by a London-based company where users can sell and/or buy content from other creators: it is therefore a ‘content delivery’ platform, which hosts a range of services, such as cooking tutorials or yoga classes, but also softcore and pornographic images and videos.
Originally founded on a ‘publish what you want’ policy, over time, due to criticism and concerns about the dissemination of illegal material, the platform has begun to tolerate only the uploading of images and videos that adhere to strict guidelines. Consequently, it is important to note that OnlyFans is not a dating platform or a site that advertises escort services, as these purposes are prohibited by the site’s terms and conditions.
The platform, which charges a 20% fee for content, has grown exponentially over the years to more than 200 million users. This boom, which has been a major economic benefit for both the company and creators, has certainly been facilitated by OnlyFans’ liberal policy, which has paved the way for the publication of sexually explicit content.
Why is OnlyFans so popular?
The question that naturally arises is why OnlyFans has become so popular when there are already numerous free pornography sites? What drives people to pay, sometimes even considerable sums, to access the platform’s content?
The key to this platform’s success lies in its interactive formula, which provides an erotic experience that is not only visual but also relational: on OnlyFans, users can communicate directly with creators, receiving personalized content and enjoying a more intimate and engaging experience than traditional adult sites, where the experience is consumed passively. In such a unique context, being more suggestive than explicit has proven to be a winning strategy for maintaining curiosity and user loyalty.
We are all aware of the stigma that still surrounds the world of sex work today, and the “variant” of online sex work is no exception. However, OnlyFans aims to redistribute power within the sex industry, giving sex workers back economic and creative control over their business: the platform allows creators to freely set the price of their content and decide independently what material to publish or remove, ensuring direct management of their profile and digital image.
The problem of minors
When discussing OnlyFans, one of the most controversial topics concerns the concern that young people under the age of 18, attracted by the financial rewards, were able to post their own content on the platform by circumventing the age verification measures in place on the site.
A BBC documentary entitled ‘Nudes For Sale’ showed how easy it was for a minor to sell explicit material on OnlyFans: the report tells the story of a 16-year-old girl who, thanks to the use of an adult friend’s ID card, was able to create her own OnlyFans profile and earn around £20,000 per month.
It is therefore clear that there is still much room for improvement on OnlyFans’ part in blocking minors who attempt to upload their own content to the platform.
Furthermore, the worrying increase in the number of minors sharing their content on the platform is a factor that may also be influenced by Disney actors, such as Bella Thorne, and pop artists, such as Cardi B, whose presence on this platform has the effect of obscuring the dangers that could arise from this activity from young people.
The risks of OnlyFansÂ
One of the greatest dangers associated with the use of these platforms is what is known as ‘sextortion’, i.e. the threat of disseminating an explicit image or video in order to force the person concerned to do something. The natural consequences of the stress and distress experienced by victims of sextortion can lead to serious problems in the transition to adulthood, such as depression, drug addiction, and alcoholism.
While the site has succeeded in positively changing the working environment for sex workers, it is important to remember that millions of explicit images have been stolen from the platform, not because OnlyFans was hacked, but because the material was transferred by customers of the platform who share it on cloud storage sites, using a tool called a ‘scraper’ that can be used by anyone.
In particular, these users take advantage of free trial periods to transfer as much content as possible to other sites, knowing that once the explicit material has been illegally sold, it is almost impossible to stop its circulation, and it could even be sold to the largest free pornography platforms, such as Pornhub and YouPorn. The consequences are therefore not limited to sex workers not receiving money for their content, but also include the fact that when scraping occurs, personal information such as identity documents and home addresses are also stolen along with their material, seriously endangering their personal safety.
Although these issues are serious and real, it is fair to look at the situation objectively and recognize that child pornography and sextortion existed even before the creation of this social platform. That said, OnlyFans undoubtedly has a duty to implement anti-scraping measures to ensure that sex creators can use the platform more safely and confidently.
What does the future hold for OnlyFans?
Looking to the future of the platform, sex workers continue to express their fears about the phenomenon of digital gentrification of the site, namely the danger that tech companies will use sex workers’ content to attract more visitors and, once they have attracted enough visitors, marginalize the creators from the site.
This fear is based on the fact that similar platforms, such as Tumblr and Patreon, have acted in this way in the past and, of course, on the stigma that softcore and pornographic content brings to the platform. Although OnlyFans, along with other explicit content platforms, still has a long way to go in terms of protecting creators and sex workers, it should also be noted that it is not the sites that do the scraping, but the customers: this is clear evidence of the stigma surrounding the sex work profession, the consequence of which is social exclusion.
There really needs to be a change in people’s perception of sex work, how content can be consumed, and how sex workers are viewed. They should not be seen as victims or criminals, but as workers who deserve protection.