The ISPCC says Childline receives more than 10 calls a year from children and teenagers who are sharing content on the adult subscription app.
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Irish teenagers are using OnlyFans as an “easy” way to make money, a children’s charity has warned.
The Irish Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Children (ISPCC) says Childline receives more than 10 calls a year from children and teenagers who are sharing content on the adult subscription app.
There are a number of reasons why young people may consider using OnlyFans to make quick cash, according to ISPCC spokesperson Fiona Jennings.
“It is very few that we’ve had contact with in the last couple of months or so in relation to this,” she told Newstalk Breakfast.
“How they’re presenting is, they might be annoyed with their parents (and) they don’t have enough money themselves to buy whatever goods they’re looking for.
“So they’re telling us then they’re seeing other ways that are perhaps easier to get the money that they’re looking for, for these particular things”.
Ms Jennings added that she has “no doubt” that more children are using OnlyFans than the number being reported to the ISPCC.
“Part of what we do with the helpline is offer support and a listening ear to children and young people,” she said.
“Another part of it as well is that we try to monitor these emerging trends – and I suppose sometimes we’re often the first people to hear about the different apps that children and young people are using.
“They are only a tiny few that are coming to us”.
She said that part of the problem is OnlyFans’ “self-verification” feature, which makes it easy for an underage person to join the platform without proof of age.
“If you go to the app store and you’re looking to download it, it will have a 17+ age on it,” she said.
“But the age is a self-verification – so it’s basically tick the box to say that you’re over the particular age.
“When we do see something that is 17+, already that’s indicative that it’ll be adult content… and it won’t necessarily have the safeguard in place for children and young people”.
Research from the Inhope Association of Internet Hotlines states that OnlyFans is an app “that can lure children and young people in to create this type of content”, Ms Jennings added, explaining that while OnlyFans has certain safeguards in place for young people, children can still “bypass them quite easily”.
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