IRISH teenagers are using adult content creation site OnlyFans to make money a children’s charity has revealed.
The ISPCC explained that Childline get about 10 phone calls every year from under-18s using the site.
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ISPCC Head of policy and public affairs Fiona Jennings told Newstalk Breakfast there’s many reasons young people would turn to the site to make easy money.
She said: “How they’re presenting is, they might be annoyed with their parents.
“They don’t have enough money themselves to buy whatever particular goods they’re looking for.
“Or their parents aren’t giving them the money that they need to buy these particular goods.
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“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”.
The charity admitted there’s “no doubt” that the number of children using the site is likely higher than the number who have called them and admitted to it.
Ms Jennings explained that the charity aims to “monitor these emerging trends”.
She said: “I suppose sometimes we’re often the first people to hear about the different apps that children and young people are using. So they are only a tiny few that are coming to us”.
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While the app is marketed to adults, Ms Jennings discussed how the sign up is a “self-verification” process.
She said: “If you go to the app store and you’re looking to download it it will have a 17+ age on it.”
Ms Jennings discussed research by the Inhope Association of Internet Hotlines.
She said: “They’ve done some investigation into it as well around the potential hazards and risks that children young people are exposed to it.”
She acknowledged the app has “certain safeguards in place” but they can be bypassed.
This makes it easier for an underage person to join the platform.
Ms Jennings advised parents to familiarise themselves with the site and talk to their children.
An OnlyFans spokesperson told Newstalk: “OnlyFans is strictly for 18s and over and we require all creators to provide nine pieces of identity information to create an account – including a valid government photo ID.
“Anyone trying to circumvent our controls is removed and banned from the platform”.
Anyone affected by these issues can contact Childline on 1800 66 66 66 or Teenline at 1800 833 634.
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