ONLYFANS is suspending its plan to ban sexually explicit photographs and videos on its platform later this year.
The online subscription service, which is popular among sex workers, recently announced new rules coming into effect in October that prohibit “any content containing sexually explicit conduct”, though non-sexual nudity will still be permitted.
Today, it appeared to reverse the decision with a statement on its Twitter page. It is not clear if the ban is permanent or temporary.
The statement said: “Thank you to everyone for making your voices heard.
“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.
“An official communication to creators will be emailed shortly.”
The social media platform is predominantly used by sex workers but a number of celebrities, musicians and comedians also use it for non-sexual content.
Creators receive 80% commission on their earnings, while the remaining 20% goes to the London-based firm, covering “referral payments, payment processing, hosting, support, and all other services”.
Some users of the platform criticised the policy change when it was first announced, with some stating that they intended to look elsewhere following the announcement, while others were anxious about what the future holds.
Initially, the company said the move was being introduced due to pressure from financial partners, leading some to assume payment processors Mastercard and Visa were behind it.
However, chief executive Tim Stokely later said in an interview it was “unfair” banks had prompted the change over concerns about “reputational risk”.
A spokesperson for OnlyFans said: “The proposed October 1, 2021 changes are no longer required due to banking partners’ assurances that OnlyFans can support all genres of creators.”
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