Online content subscription firm OnlyFans backtracked Wednesday on its decision to ban “sexually explicit” content, amid protests by adult content creators who rely on the company for their livelihoods.
“Thank you to everyone for making your voices heard,” the company said. “OnlyFans stands for inclusion and we will continue to provide a home for all creators.”
The platform announced last Thursday that it would be banning pornography from its platform from October 1 to “comply with the requests of our banking partners and payout providers.†It has since come under fire for cutting loose the adult content creators that made the platform popular.
“Dear Sex Workers, The OnlyFans community would not be what it is today without you,” the company tweeted on Saturday. “We are working around the clock to come up with solutions.”
The company’s founder and chief executive Tim Stokely subsequently blamed the banking sector, which he said would “cite reputational risk and refuse our business.” He singled out banks BNY Mellon, Metro Bank and JPMorgan as being particularly difficult.
Twitter users have expressed caution in responding to the announcement. “Do you honestly think that this is going to bring everyone back? [Because] you’re wrong,” tweeted one. “If you are thinking about returning to OF, think hard about that. They took our hard work, built their notoriety, and then threw us to the curb. No [thank you].”
OnlyFans did not immediately respond to POLITICO’s request for comment.
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