OnlyFans reverses course, won’t impose ban on sexually explicit content

OnlyFans was feeling the pressure from both ends.

What you need to know

• OnlyFans has decided not to ban sexually explicit content from the site.
• The move comes days after the company announced its ban.
• OnlyFans cites financial assurances as to the reason for the reversal.

Following backlash from content creators and users alike, OnlyFans has announced on Wednesday that it will not impose its ban on sexually explicit content.

The announcement comes not even a week after the site declared that it would move to prohibit the kind of content that ultimately made it so popular. It was to go into effect on October 1, only allowing nude photos but nothing that depicted sexual acts.

The company originally cited pressure from banking entities as the reason for the change, but it appears that has been worked out.

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.

— OnlyFans (@OnlyFans) August 25, 2021

When pressed for additional details around the decision, OnlyFans told Android Central that the decision to reverse course was due to “banking partners’ assurances that OnlyFans can support all genres of creators.”

OnlyFans naturally received plenty of backlash over the ban, mirroring a similar move made by Tumblr several years ago. The ban received criticism from users, particularly from content creators that helped the site reportedly gain around $2B in sales last year alone, which could explain why baking partners seemed to have come around. Competing site JustForFans also called out OnlyFans for “mainstreaming” and abandoning its users.

Meanwhile, the company has recently pushed its OFTV app for iOS, Android, and the best streaming devices as a more safe-for-work version of the site, focused on content from fitness, cooking, photography, and more. However, given how quickly OnlyFans was willing to abandon its content creators, it’s unclear whether they’ll be willing to stick around or jump ship to a competing platform.