OnlyFans reporting an increase in sign-ups since early March 2020, it’s a platform you may have heard about. However, there are concerns about the dark side of OnlyFans. More underage young people are using this platform to sell sexually explicit content of themselves for money.
What is OnlyFans?
OnlyFans is an online platform and app created in 2016. With it, people can pay for content (photos, videos and live streams) via a monthly membership. Content is mainly created by YouTubers, fitness trainers, models, content creators and public figures in order to monetise their profession.
It is also popular with adult content creators. Minimum age requirements According to the OnlyFans Terms of Service users must be 18 years of age or older to register as a User and open a Fan account. Concerns about OnlyFans The British-based site became increasingly popular for people who were unemployed or working from home during the coronavirus pandemic.
However, it is also increasingly popular among sex workers. The BBC documentary, Nudes4Sale, investigated the rise of under-18s selling explicit adult content online. The documentary found as many as a third of Twitter users who advertised explicit images were under 18. Additionally, a large number of underage creators use social media to sell nudes in exchange for money and gifts.
X (formerly Twitter) says it has “zero tolerance for any material that features or promotes child sexual exploitation.” They asked for more information about the accounts featured in the documentary. In an article from the BBC, Snapchat said, “We strictly prohibit accounts that promote or distribute pornographic content.
We do not scan the content of private accounts, but we continually look for ways to find and remove these accounts, including discussions with other platforms like Twitter.” OnlyFans is also a subscription service. This means to access a Creator’s content, users must pay for it. If a young person has access to a credit card or other form of payment, they may subscribe to someone’s content without a parent knowing.
What does UK law say?
UK law states that you must be 18 or older to sell or distribute explicit content. However, there currently is no legal requirement for online platforms to monitor explicit content that could have originated from underage users. This means the creator of the content and the person that buys it would face criminal liability if any action were taken.
New laws under the Online Safety Act says companies could be fined ₤ 18m or 10% of their global turnover if they fail to keep children safe on their platforms.
Does OnlyFans have any safety measures?
In May 2019, OnlyFans introduced a new account verification process. A Creator now must provide a ‘selfie’ along with their ID in the image to prove their identity. Yet, research showed that underage users used other people’s IDs, creating accounts without a problem. Online safety regulator, Ofcom, opened an investigation into OnlyFans in May 2024.
The regulator looked into the platform’s requirement to implement age assurance measures that “protect under 18s from restricted material, including pornographic material.” However, in February 2025, Ofcom closed their investigation into this specific issue. They said, “We are making no findings on these issues and should further information come to light, reserve our right to re-open this investigation.” Ofcom continued the investigation into requests of information from OnlyFans owner, Fenix International Limited though.
In April 2025, the company was ordered to pay a fine of ₤ 1.05 million for providing Ofcom with false information. Why would teens want an OnlyFans account? Teens may want to join as an ‘easy’ way to make money. Reportedly, some Creators can make as much as ₤ 30,000 a month. However, teens don’t understand that this is a very small percentage. Although OnlyFans is closely linked to adult content, other content does not require nudity or sexual acts to make money. Teens may see this as an opportunity for them.
