Is OnlyFans shutting down? Why the latest #pornban news has everyone confused

It's been a big question rumbling about this past week: Is OnlyFans shutting down?

After the content subscription service announced on Thursday, August 19 that it would cease to host “sexually explicit” content on its platform as of October 1, 2021, due to pressures from the company's banking and payment providers, users went into an uproar.

After all, pornography from both adult performers and sex workers is what turned OnlyFans into a household name—well before folks like Bella Thorne, Blac Chyna, DJ Khaled and Fat Joe, and other celebs on OnlyFans started flocking to the platform in their latest cash-grabbing scheme. "They know that fans of OnlyFans are only fans of one thing, right?" The Late Show host Stephen Colbert joked about the news. 

Though the site clarified that it would still allow posts that feature nudity—so long as they adhere to its "Acceptable Use Policy"—OnlyFans would go the way of Tumblr and formally remove all explicit porn content. 

“In order to ensure the long-term sustainability of the platform, and to continue to host an inclusive community of creators and fans, we must evolve our content guidelines,” OnlyFans said in a statement.

But now OnlyFans might be changing its tune. Is OnlyFans shutting down? Is porn coming back to the platform? Here's everything you need to know. 

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Is OnlyFans shutting down?

Good news: No. Better news? Porn is back, baby! Less than a week after the #pornban announcement, OnlyFans walked back on their decision following significant blowback by both users of the subscription service as well as on-camera talent and content creators. 

OnlyFans posted a statement to their social media accounts on Tuesday, August 25: "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 statement continued. 

The reversal of the OnlyFans ban is a relief to adult content creators on the platform, who rely on subscriptions for income support, as well as view OnlyFans as a safe space for their sex work. 

The UK-based United Sex Workers reacted on Twitter to the OnlyFans news, writing: "Never underestimate the power of community, together we demanded our voices were heard. 'Suspended' is not canceled, and Onlyfans is not to be trusted, but now more than ever, it is time we come together and fight for our rights at work."

What is OnlyFans? 

If you haven't explored OnlyFans yet, it is an online platform founded in London in 2016 that allows "fans" to pay a subscription fee to access exclusive content from celebrities, adult-film stars, sex workers, influencers, and more. Though features like cooking classes and fitness instruction are available on the site, sexually explicit content has far and wide been the most popular subscription category on OnlyFans. 

Subscriptions range from $4.99 per month to $49.99 per month—and it's been a successful business model, to say the least, with OnlyFans generating net revenue of $375 million last year, according to an Axios report (opens in new tab). The platform boasts 130 million users and two million content creators, 300 of which earn at least $1 million annually from their work on the site, reports CNBC (opens in new tab).  

It's no surprise that the platform saw a boost during the COVID-19 pandemic when sex workers were unable to do in-person work and traditional porn productions were shut down due to restrictions, not to mention many people were stuck in their homes without anyone to offer physical relief. Thankfully, even if another lockdown is upon us (fingers crossed that that's not the case!), we still have OnlyFans and its porn to keep us company.