OnlyFans, a subscriber-only social media platform that allows people to sell pornographic content of themselves, is portrayed as a great way for young women to make money, and a better, safer option than traditional prostitution. In reality, it puts women at risk and leaves them vulnerable to exploitation. An increasing number of young female content creators report degrading and violent requests, abusive and predatory treatment, as well as doxxing, image-based abuse and stalking.
We published a piece by a woman named Victoria, a former recruiter for OnlyFans, who revealed that women who were prepared to do the most degrading acts were glorified on the platform. Victoria wrote:
“I have seen young girls in the most intimate of positions. I have even seen them defecate on themselves and it was encouraged by the agency, as the more intense the act, the more money you could make. The more the girl would do, the better for us.
“I had people ask for the girls to be tied up, write ‘slut’ on her stomach, play with sex toys on camera while saying the man’s name, moaning and other sexual acts. ‘Age play’ was huge! The girls who looked the youngest were the most in demand and made the most money so you’d promote them that way.”
In 2023 we joined a coalition of thousands of advocates calling on the US Attorney General to investigate OnlyFans for facilitating sex trafficking, child sexual abuse material, and image-based sexual abuse. The women who have alleged rape and sex trafficking by Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan reported they were forced to make pornography that was shared on OnlyFans.
Our joint research with the Coalition Against Trafficking in Women Australia (CATWA) found that during the first year of the pandemic, Australian media actively promoted OnlyFans to young women.
See also:
‘Side Hustles and Sexual Exploitation: Australian news media reporting and commentary on the sex industry during the Covid-19 pandemic,’ CATWA/Collective Shout
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