If the name ‘Andrew Tate’ fills you with disgust, then it will come as no surprise to you that toxic masculinity’s poster boy is tied to allegations of forcing women to produce explicit material for the adults-only platform, OnlyFans. His charges haven’t been proven yet, but the Romanian women who have accused him aren’t the only ones who say they’ve been exploited by bad actors. Numerous women have come forward, saying they’ve been made to perform sex acts on camera for OnlyFans by a man in their life, only to see none of the profits while their abuser pockets the money made from their exploitation.
On the surface, OnlyFans is a lucrative platform and a space that promotes empowerment for its content creators—the very people keeping it in business. But, like most good things, evil people have found a way to abuse the system for their own benefit. Will this trend of women being exploited by abusers finally force OnlyFans to get more serious about its ongoing security problems?
Recently, more and more reports of women being coerced and manipulated into creating content on OnlyFans have come to light. There are even allegations of human trafficking tied to these complaints. These aren’t minor issues. The psychological toll of being sexually exploited—whether or not it’s in front of a camera—is well-documented. Victims often spend the rest of their lives trying to overcome what was done to them without their consent. Now imagine having the worst moments of your life filmed and shared with paid subscribers. On top of that horror, imagine not even being able to reap the financial benefits of your own exploitation.
Think this is being blown out of proportion? Numbers don’t lie. Here are a few stats for you:
- A 2024 report by the Social Research Lab at the University of Northern Colorado analyzed case studies where traffickers profited significantly by coercing victims into creating content on OnlyFans.
- In March 2024, Reuters identified over 140 police complaints in the U.S. and U.K. regarding non-consensual pornography on OnlyFans, indicating a pattern of exploitation.
- Perhaps worst of all, in March 2024, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) reported that OnlyFans submitted 18 reports concerning child sexual abuse material.
So how does exploitation have such a foothold on OnlyFans? Despite having a verification process for content creators, critics say it isn’t strict enough to catch when someone is being forced into content creation against their will. The content moderation—while it does exist—isn’t strong enough to notice when a creator’s material is being made and promoted without her consent. Anonymous accounts make it possible for predators to hide in plain sight while they continue to exploit their victims. There is also a very real power imbalance between exploited content creators and the managers, partners, and—yes, this is really happening—human traffickers who force women into what is essentially sexual slavery.
OnlyFans owes it to its content creators to do better. As a billion-dollar platform, they certainly have the financial resources to create and implement better safeguards for those producing the content that keeps them rolling in cash. Enhanced verification processes for creators and users are crucial, as is real-time monitoring and flagging of exploitative behavior. A stronger collaboration with law enforcement is also necessary so that justice can move faster than its current pace—which resembles cold molasses.
If OnlyFans doesn’t act, the unchecked exploitation of content creators will cause significant harm to the platform’s reputation. If creators can’t trust the place where they’re making their money, they’ll find another avenue to make that cash. The potential for lawsuits or even government intervention is also a very real threat to the platform’s existence if they don’t step in to protect their content creators. OnlyFans has become an industry leader in the adult entertainment space; it would be prudent for them to continue leading by setting a firm example of what it means to be committed to creator safety.
How can you help? If you’re an OnlyFans subscriber: if you see something, say something. Report suspicious behavior when you notice it; don’t write it off as innocuous. When giving feedback to the platform, encourage OnlyFans to invest more time and resources into creating robust safety measures to actively protect its creators’ well-being.
OnlyFans has the potential to continue being a bastion of empowerment and fulfillment for those who choose to create content there. But that’s the key point: choice. The platform must act to prevent further exploitation of vulnerable people coerced into creating explicit content without their consent. In the end, you can only sustain a billion-dollar industry for so long if you don’t protect the people bringing in the profit.
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