OnlyFans is an internet content subscription service based in London , England. Content on the platform is user-generated and monetized via monthly subscriptions, tips, and pay-per-view. The company launched a free safe-for-work streaming platform, OFTV, in The website grew in popularity during the COVID pandemic ; as of May , OnlyFans had more than three million registered creators and million registered users.
The company has been criticised for insufficiently preventing child sexual abuse material from circulating on the platform. In August , a campaign to investigate OnlyFans began in the United States Congress , and it was reported that from October onward OnlyFans would no longer allow sexually explicit material, [ 4 ] due to pressure from banks that OnlyFans used for user payments.
However, this decision was reversed six days later due to backlash from users and creators alike. OnlyFans is a British subscription-based video on demand service and social media network. OnlyFans is mainly used by pornographic creators, [ 3 ] [ 4 ] [ 12 ] both amateur and professional, but it also has a market with other content creatorsβincluding chefs, fitness trainers, and musicians.
As of May , OnlyFans had 3 million registered creators and million registered consumers. In November , Tim Stokely founded OnlyFans as a platform for performers to "directly monetize their content and interactions. He had previously founded the websites GlamGirls and Customs4U. Initially, OnlyFans banned explicit content on its platform [ 27 ] and sought to attract musicians and influencers.
In December , Tim Stokely announced that he would be stepping down and Amrapali Gan would be taking over from him. Amateur and professional sex workers drove OnlyFans' early growth, a process further accelerated by the COVID pandemic and the recession it caused. Sky News reported that OnlyFans had not paid value-added tax for three years and could face heavy penalties from tax authorities; it began charging value-added tax in July after "discussions" with HM Revenue and Customs.
