It's not just state censorship rules that control adult companies, but there are also rules imposed by other organisations for their own reasons. And in this case it is the banking industry that is controlling adult content. Video sharing site
OnlyFans, best known for its creators' adult videos and photos, will prohibit sexually explicit content starting October 1st. The company says it is making the changes because of pressure from its banking and payment providers.
OnlyFans said in a
statement emailed to The Verge:
In order to ensure the long-term sustainability of our platform, and to continue to host an inclusive community of creators and fans, we must evolve our content guidelines,.
Creators on the platform will still be allowed to post nude images as long as they comply with the site's acceptable use policy. More information will be available in the coming days. OnlyFans remains committed to the highest levels
of safety and content moderation of any social platform.
Update: Will OnlyFans censorship pave the way for Bitcoin to become the coinage of online porn
22nd August 2021. See article from newsweek.com
OnlyFans has been effectively banned by moralistic
bankers, so will this in turn be an opportunity for the crypto industry to capitalise by offering platforms that are not held to ransom by financial institutions.
Crypto analyst Christina Rud told Newsweek: What's
essentially happening here is that you have payment providers deciding what's right or wrong which is really scary, and definitely not the kind of society that would champion democratic values.
Rud explains that using
blockchain-enabled technology is the way forward for the porn industry because content cannot be censored. The technology also has no central entity controlling it. Therefore crypto-led pornography platforms would be immune to the moralizing whims of
boardroom politics.
The porn industry has already begun embracing the blockchain. Pornhub first announced it would be accepting cryptocurrency payments in 2018. Then, after it was axed by Visa and Mastercard in 2020, the platform moved to only
accepting cryptocurrency for its premium service.
Update: Naming names of the disgraceful bankers
24th August 2021. See
article from variety.com
The OnlyFans CEO names names of the disgraceful bankers that sought to impose their morality on their customers and have trashed the livelihoods of so many. OnlyFans founder and chief exec Tim Stokely placed the blame for the U.K. company's move to
ban sexually explicit content as of Oct. 1, announced last week, on several major banks in an interview with the Financial Times published Tuesday. He said:
The change in policy, we had no choice -- the short answer is
banks, Stokely said. Banks including JP Morgan Chase, Bank of New York Mellon and the U.K.'s Metro Bank cite reputational risk and refuse our business
We pay over 1 million creators over $300 million every month, and making sure
that these funds get to creators involves using the banking sector. Because several banks have cut off OnlyFans from making wire transfers, that has made it difficult to pay creators, he said.
Stokely also said that OnlyFans is fully
compliant with new Mastercard rules, so that had no bearing on the decision to ban porn. He also said the change was not made to appease investors.
Update: A change of heart
24th August 2021. See
article from tmz.com
OnlyFans has reversed course and will no longer be banning sexually explicit content on its platform starting October 1 ... after outcry from its creators and the general public. OnlyFans announced:
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.
As we reported ... OnlyFans blamed its planned porn ban
on conflicts with banking partners and payout providers -- suggesting they'd no longer do business with the site due to the sexual content -- but it seems those issues have been resolved.
Update: Mastercard censorship rules
28th August 2021. See
article from mastercard.com
Mastercard updated its censorship
rules for their customers in April 2021. Mastercard wrote:
Enhancing requirements for adult content, preventing anonymous content
This month, we are extending our existing Specialty Merchant Registration requirements. The banks that connect merchants to our network will need to certify that the seller of adult content has effective controls in place to monitor, block and, where
necessary, take down all illegal content.
Now, our requirements address the risks associated with this activity. And that starts with strong content control measures and clear, unambiguous and documented consent.
Other updated requirements include:
Documented age and identity verification for all people depicted and those uploading the content
Content review process prior to publication
Complaint resolution process
that addresses illegal or nonconsensual content within seven business days
Appeals process allowing for any person depicted to request their content be removed
Update: A good summary from the Guardian
28th August 2021. See
article from theguardian.com
Why OnlyFans had second thoughts on banning sexually explicit content. Homegrown adult content site announced last week it was suspending adult content, only to quickly change its mind
