OnlyFans’ sudden decision to start banning sexually explicit content shocked the internet on Thursday. After all, the site is best known for helping users sell nudes and porn videos. But a BBC investigation suggests OnlyFans is instituting the ban over fears that underage pornography and prostitution lurking on the site risked its online credit card support.
Prior to the ban’s announcement, the BBC was preparing a story that claimed OnlyFans did not automatically shut down creator accounts circulating illegal content
The same investigation found the presence of prostitution on the site through advertised escort services. An OnlyFans content moderator also told the BBC that underage users often attempt to create accounts on the site to sell explicit pictures of themselves. Although OnlyFans has systems in place to take down the illegal content, accounts created in foreign languages can still slip through.
The story was to be a follow-up to the BBC’s previous investigation back in May about how OnlyFans was allegedly failing to stop underage users from selling and appearing in sexually explicit videos on the site.
OnlyFans didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. But the content subscription platform may have announced the porn ban to avoid the same fate that befell another popular adult content site: Pornhub.
Last December, a columnist for The New York Times documented how thousands of pornography clips containing rape or abuse of underage users could circulate over Pornhub despite its content moderation systems. The investigation sparked Visa and Mastercard to shut down their credit card services with the site, forcing Pornhub to process payments via cryptocurrency and bank transfers.
Hence, the claims from the BBC’s investigation on OnlyFans could have permanently damaged the platform’s business. In April, Mastercard also announced strict rules requiring adult content sites to document the identities and ages for all people featured in pornographic content. The same content also must be reviewed prior to being published.
