OnlyFans ‘suspends’ decision to ban explicit content

OnlyFans has suspended its decision to ban sexually explicit content after it received widespread backlash over the planned policy change. Although Onlyfans was not created specifically for porn, the content has become the platform’s most visible use case.

“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,” the company said in a tweet on Wednesday. “OnlyFans stands for inclusion and we will continue to provide a home for all creators.”

OnlyFans hasn’t elaborated on the specific “assurances” it has secured. The company did not immediately respond to TechCrunch’s inquiry about the matter. However, the statement indicates OnlyFans may have been able to resolve its issues with its banking partners by going public about the matter. The company previously noted it had to make the policy change to comply with the requests of its “banking partners and payout providers.” The company indicated the pressure it faced from these partners and providers led to its decision to no longer permit sexually explicit content on its platform.

It’s worth noting OnlyFans’ statement says the decision has been “suspended,” which indicates the policy may not have been cancelled altogether.

In a follow-up tweet to the original announcement, OnlyFans noted that “an official communication to creators will be emailed shortly.”

The decision to ban sexually explicit content had frustrated sex workers who relied on the platform to financially support themselves. In response to the planned policy change, some creators had already deleted their OnlyFans accounts and moved to alternate services. With this recent reversal, creators will have to decide between returning to the platform or leaving it altogether for a rival service.

OnlyFans was founded in 2016 and claims to have over 130 million registered users and more than 2 million creators. The platform managed to attract several celebrities including Bella Thorne, Cardi B and Bhad Bhabie.