OnlyFans, a content subscription platform popularised by sex workers recently announced that it would ban creators on the site from posting sexually explicit content starting October 1st.
The company through its CEO Tim Stokely said that the decision was made following pressure from banks like Bank of New York Mellon and JPMorgan who wanted the site to ban porn if they wanted to remain partners with the financial institutions.
Speaking to Financial Times[Paywalled], Tim said that the banks created obstacles for OnlyFans to pay content creators – which is another harsh reminder of how stigmatised sex work is.
“JPMorgan Chase is particularly aggressive in closing accounts of sex workers or…any business that supports sex workers,” Stokely added.
OnlyFans received widespread backlash especially from sex workers who built and popularised the platform.
“This is despicable that they have used our content to make billions in revenue and now that they can’t ‘secure’ more, they are quite literally cutting off the hand that feeds them,” said Lizzi Downs, an adult content creator on the site.
OnlyFans has now reversed that decision.
“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,” the company posted on Twitter.
