'Greedy celebrities ruined OnlyFans': Sex workers say platform was their 'lifeline' and blame stars like Megan Barton-Hanson as pornography is banned amid pressure from financial backers
Sex workers have slammed celebrities for ruining a platform they called their 'lifeline' after OnlyFans announced it was banning sexually explicit content following pressure from financial backers.
Furious users blasted the site after it announced the changes to be brought in from October.
Some threatened to move to other platforms while others said they were still figuring out how to deal with the cash hit.
The platform has seen a boom in popularity in recent months after being used by celebrities such as British model and former Love Island star Megan Barton Hanson.
However, some turned their anger on such stars today, blaming them for the changes coming into force.
One user wrote: 'Celebs really came through and ruined only fans for those who were actually using it to make a living smh.'
Another said: 'I always thought celebs having onlyfans was weird they lowkey ruined the platform being greedy.'
A third added: 'Only fans banning sexual content is a slap in the face to the ones who really built the site and shoutout to all the celebs who ruined the safe space for sex workers.'
British model Megan Barton Hanson is also on Only Fans. She previously expressed her delight in shooting racy content for the X-rated subscription platform, admitting it makes her feel 'sassy and glamorous'
Last year, actress and rapper Cardi B announced that she had joined OnlyFans
Meet OnlyFans' top 10 highest earners: How celebrities like Bella Thorne and Blac Chyna rake in MILLIONS a month on the site
OnlyFans has become a hugely lucrative endeavor for many of its users - particularly celebrities like Blac Chyna, Bella Thorne, and Mia Khalifa who are among its highest-earning creators.
According to Influencer Marketing Hub, these A-listers rake in millions of dollars a month, with Blac Chyna topping the list of the site's biggest earners with an estimated monthly income of $20 million.
Here, FEMAIL reveals the site's top 10 earners - and their estimated monthly incomes:
1. Blac Chyna: $20 MILLION
2. Bella Thorne: $11 MILLION
3. Cardi B: $9.34 MILLION
4. Tyga: $7.69 MILLION
5. Mia Khalifa: $6.43 MILLION
6. Erica Mena: $4.49 MILLION
7. Pia Mia: $2.22 MILLION
8. Safaree Samuels: $1.91 MILLION
9. Megan Barton Hanson: $1.06 MILLION
10. Jem Wolfie: $900,000
OnlyFans, which has become the go-to place for creators to post explicit photos and videos, will implement the ban from October 1.
The move, announced Thursday, is part of the UK-based company's changes 'to comply with the requests of our banking partners and payout providers'.
OnlyFans says creators can continue to share content with nudity 'as long as it is consistent with our Acceptable Use Policy'.
These prohibit specific explicit content such as rape, torture, revenge porn and sex trafficking.
Barton Hanson herself slammed the decision today, telling the BBC: 'For years women have been used for music videos or the sexy person in a James Bond film or worked for big corporations making porn.
'This is a way for a woman at home, struggling with the pandemic, to put out her own content at her own prices and make a taxable income.
'Now we're being penalised for that so it's really sad and a shame the banks wouldn't want to accept money from women or men who are just consenting adults who want to put that media out there. It's weird.'
She added: 'I definitely think it's so empowering. Big corporations and porn companies have made so much money from exploiting women and this puts all the power back in the creator's hands.
'So many friends of mine used to work for glamour magazines which aren't around anymore and they're making so much money doing this.
'For me and my friends it's not affecting us but for people who put more explicit content out there, I think it's such a shame.
'What's the issue with people using their bodies to make ? It's 2021, if people are consenting, it's a site for adults, I think that should be fine.
'I don't know why still in this year there's a stigma around sex work and people profiting from their body.'
Sydney-based sex worker Tilly Lawless, who wrote Nothing But My Body, was also among those blasting the changes today.
She told the Today programme: 'Obviously I think it's awful because it's going to put a lot of sex workers out of income unless they can quickly pivot to another platform.
'But I think it's part of a wider issue which is like censorship of adult content and sex work online. Only Fans is not the first platform to do this.
'Tumblr's done it, AirBnb doesn't allow sex workers, Instagram and Facebook don't allow sex workers.
'A lot of this is about the banking intuitions behind this. So for example Visa and Mastercard put a lot of pressure on these websites to clean up their act.
'Mastercard actually has new guidelines coming in to effect in the next few months about adult content being purchasing.'
Backlash: Sex workers and models have slammed OnlyFans' decision to ban sexually explicit content from October 1 - with US-based user Camila Elle accusing the site of 'using them'
Under fire: Some social media users have blamed former Disney star Bella Thorne for 'ruining' OnlyFans after she sparked furious controversy last year by joining the site
Sydney-based sex worker Tilly Lawless , who wrote Nothing But My Body, was among those blasting the changes today
Financial gain: Bella Thorne earned an incredible $1million in just one day from her subscription only OnlyFans account
Lottie Moss, the sister of supermodel Kate Moss, is also on OnlyFans, Above: An image which the star posted on her Instagram account
It has also become a safe haven for sex workers who could generate an income without meeting a client in person. However, the ban on pornography changes how these individuals conduct business and may even push them back to their 'unsafe underground conditions'
She continued: 'I can understand why they're doing it from a financial perspective, they now have the platform they wanted.
'They can kick sex workers off, they've got influencers on it, celebrities on it, they've got fitness people on it, they can make money that way.
'They don't need sex workers like they did when they started. But I can't understand it from a wiping out trafficking perspective because getting rid of platforms... none of that actually stops people in dangerous scenarios.
'It actually just makes it harder for sex workers who are using those platforms to work safely.'
She told how she started using the site to make money during lockdown last year and called it a 'lifesaver'.
She said: 'I used Only Fans during lockdown last year and obviously it was a lifesaver.
'I'm a brothel worker, brothels were closed in lockdown and I felt incredibly grateful to be able to keep earning money.
'But it was also always precarious for me because Only Fans has never been welcoming of sex workers who also do in person sex work.
'So at any time my account could have been deleted or my money confiscated from me because I'm also an in person sex worker.
The move, announced Thursday, is part of the UK-based company's changes 'to comply with the requests of our banking partners and payout providers'
'They don't want to be tied to anything that can be seen as silver sitting or prostitution or anything that can seemed as sex trafficking.
'So to separate themselves from that they don't like creators who also off advertise in person services.'
Meanwhile, the CARE charity has warned that the site may be fueling commercial sexual exploitation.
Its human trafficking officer, Lauren Agnew, said: 'We cautiously welcome this announcement by OnlyFans. Current rules provide bad actors with a legal means of extorting money from women.
'Vulnerable users are at risk of falling victim to human traffickers seeking to groom and exploit them.
'A curb of sexually explicit content could reduce the likelihood of exploitation by making explicit and pornographic content unprofitable. We await further detail from OnlyFans on the substance of new rules.'
Ms Agnew added: 'It is also positive that OnlyFans is being pushed by financial partners to verify the age of users.
'We believe all platforms that host sexually explicit content, including social media platforms and porn sites, should verify the age and consent of users or face penalties. We call again on Ministers to enact these safeguards.'
OnlyFans has 130million users, two million creators who have earned over $5billion since its inception in 2016, but is struggling to raise money from outside investors, according to an Axios report.
However, the company has not disclosed how much of its revenue is generated from pornography and adult content shared by creators.
But a spokesman said last night: 'In order to ensure the long-term sustainability of our platform, and the continue to host an inclusive community of creators and fans, we must evolve our content guidelines.'
The bump in the road comes from the company's reputation as an adult content website and has landed itself on the 'no fly' zone of many venture capital firms that have rules against investing in such apps and sites.
OnlyFans was launched four years ago by Timothy Stokely who is, in his own words, a 'British entrepreneur in the adult entertainment industry'.
It is a subscription-based site that allows creators to earn a living by sharing original videos on the platform.
Fans pay creators for access to their content via a monthly subscription, which can range from $4.99 to $49.99. OnlyFans takes a 20 percent cut of all payments.
The platform's slick PR team insists it was set up for all creators, 'from fitness, dancing, DJs to music', on the premise that if fans of influencers were really fans, they'd pay a subscription fee to see the content their idols produced.
However, much of OnlyFans' popularity stems from its adult content that has attracted millions and even celebrities.
It has also become a safe haven for sex workers who could generate an income without meeting a client in person.
However, the ban on pornography changes how these individuals conduct business and may even push them back to their 'unsafe underground conditions,' The National Center for Lesbian Rights shared in a tweet.
Thursday's announcement comes just a day after OnlyFans launched a new 'suitable for work' app that allows people to share nudity-free content about topics such as fitness, wellness and cooking.
Called OFTV, the free app has a library of more than 800 videos, including ones with its biggest stars such as Mia Khalifa, Bella Thorne and Holly Madison.
There are also clips from chefs, Pilates instructors and podcasters, as well as meditation videos and instructions for how to make tasty cocktails.
OFTV is available for free on all major devices, including iOS, Amazon Fire and Roku. It was launched in January but only now has the company started to promote it.
'OFTV provides a super convenient way for fans to watch content from favorite creators,' Stokely told Bloomberg.
'There's no adult content on OFTV. Because it's not being monetized and there's no direct impact on creators' earnings, we are able to be in the app store.'
OnlyFans is planning to use OFTV as a marketing tool to attract a different audience. It doesn't plan to make any profit from it, at least to begin with, and the app won't include advertising.
OnlyFans 'used us' and 'betrayed us', say sex workers and models
Backlash: Sex workers and models have slammed OnlyFans' decision to ban sexually explicit content from October 1 - with US-based user Camila Elle accusing the site of 'using them'
Sex workers and models who have built their livelihoods on OnlyFans have spoken out to slam the website for 'using them' and then 'betraying them' after the company announced it will ban all 'sexually explicit' content from October 1.
The website, which is primarily known for hosting X-rated content that can generate millions of dollars in income for its most popular users, announced on Thursday that it is 'evolving its content guidelines' after facing pressure from its financial backers.
Its decision has prompted bitter backlash from its content creators - with some threatening to boycott the site altogether, while others have lashed out at OnlyFans for ruining their sole source of income.
One US-based creator, Camila Elle, 21, accused the site of 'using' its explicit creators to promote it on social media and draw in users - noting that many, including herself, have turned OnlyFans into a full-time career, abandoning other professional opportunities in order to dedicate themselves to creating the kind of risque images and videos that will soon be banned.
'I feel betrayed by OnlyFans, I made it my entire livelihood, and quit my dreams of becoming a doctor to pursue a full time career on the site,' the college student said.
'Sex workers built this platform, it's a business to us. We were the ones who promoted OnlyFans across social media.
'They used us to build the site and now they're throwing us away.'
Her comments come amid growing outrage against the increasing number of celebrities who have joined the website - and now rake in millions of dollars a month from their subscribers, with many charging top prices for images that are much more tame than the sexually explicit content many sex workers offer on the site.
OnlyFans creator Satine Doll, who lives in New York and charges $10 a month for her online subscriptions, took to Twitter to blast the site for 'using sex workers' to increase its popularity, before hanging them out to dry when 'celebs got on board'.
Warning: New York-based OnlyFans star Ona Artist said that it is 'suicide' for the site to ban sexually explicit content, insisting sex workers will find another platform
New York-based OnlyFans star Ona Artist warned that the explicit content ban could mark the end of the site's success because many of its creators will simply find another platform on which to sell their risque images and videos.
'If OnlyFans does go ahead with this it's suicide,' she said. 'They might claim it's because of payment processors rules but those companies put through porn purchases all over the web.
'Models will always find a way to share sexual content with those who want it.'
Colorado-based user Nita Marie, 45, a Christian model who rakes in an average $1.8 million a year from her nearly-one-million subscribers, also warned that the site's explicit content ban could put sex workers at risk - because it will leave them without a 'safe and legal' forum through which to earn money.
'OnlyFans helps reduce sex trafficking and illegal sex work as it's down to the creators who choose to post content,' she said.
'Online sex work is verified, safe and legal and OnlyFans also offers an opportunity for the user to interact with the creator in a safe environment.
'Changing their conditions could cause huge issues for people.'
The move is part of the UK-based company's changes 'to comply with the requests of our banking partners and payout providers'.
OnlyFans says creators can continue to share content with nudity 'as long as it is consistent with our Acceptable Use Policy'.
These prohibit specific explicit content such as rape, torture, revenge porn and sex trafficking.
Concern: Colorado-based user Nita Marie , 45, a Christian model who rakes in an average $1.8 million a year, also warned that the site's explicit content ban could put sex workers at risk
OnlyFans, which has 130 million users, has become synonymous with explicit and nude content, particularly during the pandemic, when many sex workers and porn stars began using the site to make money after the adult film industry shut down over fears about COVID safety.
As a result, the site's membership has skyrocketed over the past 18 months and it now boasts more than two million creators, who have earned more than $5 billion since OnlyFans was launched in 2016.
However, the company has not disclosed how much of its revenue is generated from pornography and adult content shared by creators.
The increased popularity of the site also saw it draw in multiple celebrity creators, including Blac Chyna, Bella Thorne, Cardi B, Tyga, and Mia Khalifa - all of whom are among the top ten highest earning members of the site.
However their involvement in the site has sparked furious controversy, with many accusing OnlyFans' A-list creators of 'taking money away' from the sex workers who use it as their primary source of income.
Thorne in particular has found herself at the center of a bitter backlash - with dozens of social media users now blaming her for the explicit content ban.
OnlyFans' announcement comes one year after the former Disney star sparked outrage by joining the site and charging $200 for a single 'naked' image in which she wasn't actually nude.
The 23-year-old earned $1 million on her first day on the site, a figure that she then doubled in just 48 hours - prompting OnlyFans to implement a controversial payment cap for all of its creators.
Following the backlash over Thorne's 'nude' image - which she later claimed was a falsified offer that was circulated around the internet by someone other than herself - OnlyFans announced that it would be initiating a $50-per-image cap, down from its previous limit of $200, while also implementing a $100 cap on any tips.
The company also enacted a hold on payments that would make some international creators wait 30 days to receive their money – without any warning.
Following the backlash, Thorne issued an apology to sex workers, insisting in a series of tweets that she had only ever intended to normalize sex work, not financially harm those who work within the industry.
Thorne has yet to comment on the explicit content ban, however she was quickly drawn into the bitter backlash against the site on Twitter, where dozens of users accused her of 'ruining' the site by launching her own account in 2020.
'I blame the OnlyFans thing on Bella Thorne,' one person posted, while another said: 'Bella Thorne started it all. She proved that Only Fans could make money millions off just thong shots. There was no reason to have sexual content on it.