Enough is Enough Calls OnlyFans Ban Reversal 'A Step Backwards'

Enough is Enough, a self-professed non-partisan, non-profit organization "who has led the fight to make the internet safer for children and families since 1994" has stated that OnlyFans' decision to reverse its ban of sexually explicit content is "a step backward."

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"OnlyFans announced today it would suspend its proposed ban on sexually explicit content, citing they have 'secured assurances necessary to support our diverse creator community,'" EIE wrote in a statement. "As the sexual exploitation of children on the internet is at an all-time high, there is no logical scenario in which 'assurances' can be made as long as reports of sex trafficking and predatory content continue, including filmed child sex abuse and non-consensually recorded sex acts."

The New York Post reported that "Kids are using fraudulent personal details to sell explicit videos and imagery on OnlyFans."

A BBC News investigation brought to light multiple situations in which minors have created OF accounts .

"The BBC uncovered reports of kids on the site as young as 12 years old," The Post reported. "In one case, a 14-year-old used their grandmother’s passport to gain access to the site. And a 17-year-old in Nevada was featured in graphic videos posted to a legitimate adult account — his 18-year-old girlfriend’s — putting the account owner in violation of OnlyFans’ terms and conditions."

OnlyFans does have a team of moderators that work around the clock to prevent underage users from creating accounts, "rare breaches occur."

“In 2019, there were around a dozen children known to be missing being linked with content on OnlyFans,” said Staca Shehan, vice president of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). “Last year, the number of those cases nearly tripled.”

Alexis, a local content creator who has had an OnlyFans page for close to a year, says that preventing instances of child pornography being shared should be of the utmost concern, but that OnlyFans does a good job of monitoring the content that is shared on the site.

"The constant worry of child pornography and non-consensual sexual acts should always come first and above all matters," she said. "OnlyFans has shut down many accounts as a result of child pornography, as they're making it their top priority. In order to be a creator on the platform, you are required to verify your personal information, do face recognition, and verify your drivers license. If, at any point, there is content such as child pornography, the site deletes your account and reports you."

Still, during the BBC Investigation, reporters were able to create a "fake account," for a 17-year-old (the child never actually had access to the account) using her sister's ID.

OnlyFans insists that they go to great lengths to prevent situations like this from occuring.

Last week, OnlyFans announced that they were banning sexually explicit material from their website, choosing instead to focus on home and health content, like exercise videos, cooking shows, and more.

The outcry from legal, of-age, content creators was enough to force OnlyFans to reverse course on the ban.

Enough is Enough said they were disappointed, but not surprised with the decision.

"Today's announcement by OnlyFans is yet another example of Big Tech's desire to put profit over human dignity and safety. While Enough Is Enough is disappointed in OnlyFans' short-lived announcement to ban sexually explicit material, its decision comes as no surprise. Enough Is Enough joins calls by bi-partisan Congressional Members and coalition partners in asking the Department of Justice to immediately investigate OnlyFans for child exploitation. The reckless endangerment of our most vulnerable must be stopped."

Enough is Enough says they are "focused on combating Internet pornography, child pornography, sexual predation, sex trafficking, and cyberbullying by incorporating a three-pronged prevention strategy with shared responsibilities between the public, Corporate America, and the legal community."

Alexis says that OnlyFans features "legal pornography," and that its ban was effecting its legal, of-age creators the most.

"I believe [OnlyFans] does an excellent job at monitoring their site," she said. "They just cracked down on the monitoring of child pornography to ensure that they're doing their part in preventing such content from being made. Secondly, the individuals that the site affected by stating they were going to limit pornography were the the people who do just that - make legal pornography. Many people have made a living on the site, so to say that it should be taken down for such activity is drawing a fine line between what is actually known about the site, and this group's beliefs."