SNS OnlyFans, which was able to directly sell adult content due to relatively loose content restrictions, announced that it will partially regulate sexual content from October 1, 2021. Behind this policy shift, it reminds us of the Pornhub case, which seems to reflect the intentions of banks and credit card companies.
Onrefance, which started its service in 2016, is an SNS that takes advantage of the fact that creators can easily sell content directly. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of users has continued to increase at a rate of 150,000 a day while refraining from going out around the world, causing a hot topic. Onlyfans also drew attention as a service that allows adult actors and strippers who have lost their jobs due to COVID-19 to directly sell adult content.
As piracy is rampant, it becomes difficult to sell paid adult content online. In addition to relatively loose regulations on adult content, OnlyFence, which focuses on security enhancement and illegal copying, is emerging as a direct sales outlet for adult content. Although adult content has become an axis in this service, On August 20, 2021 (local time), Onlyfans announced that it would ban sexually explicit content.
The amended terms and conditions define sexually explicit acts and prohibit the disclosure, publicity, or mention of such acts from October 1, 2021. Sexually explicit acts refer to descriptions and expressions of intention that are direct or imitated.
It is said that the intention of banks and credit card companies was reflected in the background of a major policy change amid the growing popularity of Adult Movies. According to the report, Onrefence implemented this amendment to the terms and conditions at the request of its banking partners and payment providers. Although it is unclear who specifically applied the pressure, it can be seen that only these companies exerted pressure because they are partnering with credit card companies such as Visa and Mastercard, and Stripe, a payment service that supports financial institutions such as banks. have.
The situation in which these payment services are putting pressure on services that provide adult content is similar to PhoneHub that occurred in 2020. PhoneHub was the world’s largest adult site at the time in 2020, but Visa and Mastercard stop paying, claiming that they make money from children’s and revenge. PhoneHub revised the terms of use and deleted 10 million videos, or 80% of all videos, uploaded by unauthorized users with suspicious backgrounds.
There are discussions that the PhoneHub incident should not give strength to the censorship of payment services, and that the regulation of adult content may lead to deprivation in related occupations. The PhoneHub case became an example of how large companies can enforce certain terms and conditions if they take action to suspend payments. This case of ONLYFENCE has a similar flow, but Mastercard first learned about the revision of the ONLYFENCE Terms of Use through a media report, and took the position that it was its own decision and had nothing to do with the company. In addition, regarding PhoneHub, it said that it focused on preventing unauthorized and illegal adult content in places where its products are accepted, and that it has no impact on legal content and activities. Related information can be found here.