Reversing A Planned Ban, OnlyFans Will Allow Pornography On Its Site After All

NPR | By Joe Hernandez

Published August 25, 2021 at 11:26 AM EDT

OnlyFans reversed its proposed ban after content creators, many of whom have come to rely on the site during the pandemic, pushed back.

The website OnlyFans is reversing a planned ban on pornography and other sexually explicit content.

Just days ago, the London-based company said that starting in October, it would block sexually explicit material, in response to concerns from banks and other financial services companies that enable transactions on the subscription service. It did not name the companies.

But on Wednesday, OnlyFans said it would be able to continue allowing adult content, which is a large part of its business, after all.

"We have secured assurances necessary to support our diverse creator community and have suspended the planned October 1 policy change," the company tweeted Wednesday morning. "OnlyFans stands for inclusion and we will continue to provide a home for all creators."

The reversal came after pushback from content creators on OnlyFans, some of whom lost work during the pandemic and now earn an income through the site.

Morgan Music, a single mom from Washington state who sells explicit photos and videos on OnlyFans as a side hustle, told NPR that the money she earns on the website has helped reduce her anxiety.

"To have that lifted because I have, like, a savings account for the first time and have a good credit score for the first time in my life, I think it's hard to really convey how much that means to a person's quality of life," Music said.

OnlyFans previously tweeted that the company would "not be what it is today" without sex workers and that the policy change was "necessary to secure banking and payment services to support you."

This story originally appeared on the Morning Edition live blog.