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Just days after OnlyFans announced that it would ban sexually explicit content on the site, the company has reversed its decision.
On August 19, the platform announced it would ban sexually explicit content on the site starting on October 1, 2021. The backlash was immediate. Some sex workers left the site as soon as the announcement was made in order to find alternative places to work.Sex workers and activists said the ban put their lives — and livelihoods — in very real danger. And that massive break in trust isn't likely to smooth over quickly.
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OnlyFans said the ban was because, while there are plenty of users and creators on the app, they could not pull in enough investors. But, just a few days later in a Wednesday morning tweet, the company said it "secured assurances necessary to support our diverse creator community."
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When Mashable asked OnlyFans what kind of agreement they made with the banks, or which banks are down for paying a site with sexually-explicit content on it, the platform declined to comment. They did respond in an email saying: "The proposed October 1, 2021 changes are no longer required due to banking partners' assurances that OnlyFans can support all genres of creators." As Variety reported, this resolution could have come exactly because it went so public with the issue of garnering funding while its workers produced explicit content despite being one of the largest and most financially successful platforms for creatorsthat continues to grow.
It's unclear if OnlyFans will bring sexually explicit content back for good, as it said it "suspended" the ban. The platform did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Mashable on the timeline or specifics of this change.
In response to the change, sex workers aren't celebrating yet. Many of the creators on OnlyFans left last week when the ban was first announced, and some of them say they're staying off the platform. Some are also planning to protest banking and platform discrimination on September 1.
"Keep the banks and platforms feet to the fire everyone," one tweet in support of the protest read. "This isn’t a win yet, but it isn’t a loss yet either!"
UPDATE: Aug. 25, 2021, 11:12 a.m. EDT This article has been updated with more context.