Will They, Won’t They?
When my boss asks why I haven't done any work during COVID...
What a Tease
Last week OnlyFans announced that they will be banning sexually explicit content starting on October 1st. Then they changed their minds...kind of.
The decision came as a shock considering that sex is the OnlyThing the app is known for. People joked that it would be like McDonald's deciding not to sell burgers. What's the point of a having a porn-based platform if you take away the sex?
To be fair, the app wasn't always intended to be X-rated. OnlyFans runs on a subscription model where fans can pay for extra content and personal messages from creators. Since users can house their content behind a paywall, the app immediately become a magnet for sex workers.
If you build it, they will cum.
With a more wholesome future on the horizon, the app hopes users like designers, chefs, and celebrities will garner enough attention for fans to subscribe. The idea is cute in theory, but the majority of business has always come from sex-related content. And business is booming. In 2020 OnlyFans saw a gross revenue of $2.2 billion.
Eliminating sexual content is a huge pivot, and one they say they’re being forced into to "comply with the requests of our banking partners and payout providers". The credit cards are on a porn crusade.
Recently Visa and Mastercard both cut ties with Pornhub after allegations of child sexual abuse material being hosted on the site. The separation forced Pornhub to implement a new verification program and scrub its content, but for now the site is still only using bank transfers and crypto.
OnlyFans tried to appease the credit card gods with their policy change, but they really only succeeded in pissing off their current user base. Their abrupt announcement saw major backlash, and OnlyFans quickly agreed to “suspend” the policy for now. They tweeted:
We have secured assurances necessary to support our diverse creator community and have suspended the planned 1 October policy change. OnlyFans stands for inclusion and we will continue to provide a home for all creators.
Who knows when this on-again, off-again decision will be permanently on.
Don’t worry too much though. Nude photos will still be entirely kosher whenever the policy change is made. They just might come from DIY influencers and foodies... Yum.
This is who taught me how to walk in heels
Platforms Against Platform Heels
During COVID OnlyFans saw a huge boost in numbers. They went from 7.5 million users to over 120 million subscribers by 2021, many using the app as another income stream.
In the uncertainty of the pandemic, others have had a similar idea. One website called Overemployed helps remote employees navigate multiple jobs. Why be good at one, when you can be competent - and get paid - for two? The whole forum is dedicated to showing people how to “achieve financial freedom”, safeguard against layoffs, and push for severance instead of quitting.
My favourite article is called “How To Set Low Expectations At Your Two Remote Jobs.”
Some workers haven't been able to secure one gig, let alone two or three.
Most sex workers don’t qualify for the government relief funds that got many people through the early parts of the pandemic. Even in paces where prostitution is legal or decriminalized, sex workers have been left to fend for themselves. In the UK, for instance, workers were only be able to receive grants had they been previously registered as self-employed,
As a predominantly in-person industry, sex workers had to get creative. Animal Crossing became a hub for the dominatrix world, VR games became brothel hotspots, and OnlyFans became famous for customizable porn.
The phenomenon is nothing new. People love porn and will seek it out wherever it’s available. Sex workers, by extension, have spearheaded the majority of platforms we use today. It's also standard practice for these sites to implement harsh regulation updates after they’ve developed large user bases. From the first pop-up adds, to chat rooms, to Tumblr, sex workers have carved out our digital spaces only to be forced off platforms in favour of cleaner content.
It's a cycle of digital gentrification that spans the history of the internet.
User-generated platforms like social media and OnlyFans have an inherent dilemma: they need people's contributions to stay afloat, but people post terrible things. The quickest way to achieve accountability, as we know from the Super Nanny, is to threaten consequences.
Not all decisions come from the platforms themselves. Legislation like Trump’s FOSTA-SESTA bill and the EARN IT Act are trying to prevent huge platforms from ignoring illegal material on their sites. The premise being that, if you’re hosting, you’re responsible for your guests.
The problem with regulations is that they target platforms that are also the safest for promoting sex work. Companies like Craigslist started banning any post that may get them in legal trouble, forcing sex workers to find new avenues to market their services. Unfortunately, this led many to the street.
As far as social media is concerned, censorship is also a huge challenge in building a brand. Any activity that is reported by other users can lead to account suspension, meaning all your hard work can be lost with one nip-slip. Pj Sage, a cam model, says, “[y]ou have to treat your Instagram account like one of those burner phones,” which is a huge inconvenience when trying to market your services.
Creators are rightfully angry at OnlyFans’ looming policy change. They created a name for themselves and the entire platform by posting content, and now they’re being cast out.
And the cycle continues.
Make it rain
BTC In The Waistband
Sex is risky business. You never know when someone is going to cross a line, post something illegal, or cause a stir. As a platform, sex only sells to a point. Once you’re a billion dollar business, it becomes a liability.
The pressure from banking partners comes after a BBC investigation found that illegal content has been slipping through the cracks on OnlyFans. They unveiled that the app’s moderators have been giving multiple warnings to users who post illegal content before closing the account. In some cases they are more lenient towards users with large followings.
Imagine taking that approach with physical crimes. You raped someone? Don't worry, you get five more chances before any consequences come your way. Even more if you have a lot of money and influence.
How ridiculous would that be. Right? RIGHT?!? RIGHT!!?!
I digress...
Some illegal content found on OnlyFans includes sexual services being advertised for sale (no duh), bestiality, spy cams, guns, drugs, and incest. In one instance a moderator found a man who was paying homeless people to have sex with him on camera. BBC reports that account has since been removed - thank god.
There’s also a problem with age limits and exploitation on the site. An agent from US Homeland Security told reporters that he finds around 20-30 child abuse images a week that originate from OnlyFans.
A moderator explained that, while OnlyFans does have instructions for dealing with banned content, they have no requirements for moderators to report exploitation concerns. Hopefully they DO have large mental health benefits packages, because holy crap imagine having that job.
While I firmly believe we need safe spaces for sex workers to conduct business, who in their right mind would take the risk of all the illegal content that comes with it?
Crypto is once again here to save the day. More specifically, a service called OnlyCoins has committed to support sex workers via crypto subscriptions. The project is a multi-crypto asset endeavour that allows creators to earn in various coins. Bitcoin, Ethereum, Dogecoin, and Dash are all accepted.
More importantly, the platform takes a smaller commission cut than the 20% required by OnlyFans.
Crypto lives and breathes a motto of decentralization and "fuck the system" that is generally annoying to hear about from crypt-bros. That said, if anyone were going to take care of the sex work community, it's these companies. Crypto is filling the void of prudish-credit cards that want to eliminate porn. They also understand that the sex industry will always exist. Ignoring it doesn't make it go away, it just makes it more dangerous for those involved.
Guilty as charged
Put Your Clothes On
OnlyFan’s decision to suspend their other decision seems like win for the sex work community, but it’s never that simple. Eventually the policy will change and users will have to flee to greener, sexier pastures.
Sex work is the oldest and most adaptable industry out there. It outlasted the Roman empire, horse carriages, and MySpace, so you can bet it will be around long after OnlyFans. Sadly, the stigma has stuck with it for just as long.
Dr Lauren Rosewarne says it best.
“There has never been a time in human history where we haven’t had sex work. So we have had an awful lot of time to get used to it, but we still haven’t.”
Sex work is work. Simple as that.
