In a sudden
volte-face, OnlyFans, a subscription-based content creation platform, announced
that it will not ban sexually explicit content. Just a few days ago, the
platform had decided to ban sexually-explicit content from its feed. The policy
was scheduled to go into effect from October 1. But a tremendous backlash from
sex workers, whose sharing of nudes and sexually explicit content catapulted
OnlyFans to fame, has forced the platform to reverse its decision.

The
OnlyFans Twitter handle tweeted on Wednesday, “Thank you everyone for making
your voices heard. We have secured assurances necessary to support our diverse
creator community and suspended the planned October 1 policy change. OnlyFans
stands for inclusion and will continue to provide a home to all creators.”

OnlyFans
CEO Tim Stokely said that the obstruction to featuring sexually explicit content
primarily came from banks supporting the platform. “JPMorgan Chase is particularly
aggressive in closing accounts of sex workers or…any business that supports sex
workers,” Stokely told The Financial Times.

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While the
policy has been reversed, the modalities of the reversal remain unclear. It’s
not known if OnlyFans reached a deal with the banks associated with the
platform in order to allow sexually explicit content to remain on the site. The
initial decision of OnlyFans to outlaw sexually explicit content was met with widespread
criticism, condemnation and disappointment.  

Founded in
2016, OnlyFans claims to have 130 million paid subscribers. The platform only
allows paid subscribers to post content. The site became popular with sex
workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The company claims that it has two
million creators and has paid out $5 billion to models and performers.

The
reversal has come as good news for sex workers who were in a limbo over the
decision. Several LGBTQ OnlyFans creators had said that banning sexually
explicit content would take away their primary source of income during the
coronavirus pandemic, reported NBC.