The OnlyFans social network, which has been very popular since confinement, is based on an atypical business model: making the content posted by its creators exclusive. Taking advantage of the lightness of its regulatory policy, many sex workers have joined it.
OnlyFans, what is it?
It's a social network... not very "social", at least not in the sense in which it is usually understood. Launched in 2016 in the United Kingdom, it has enjoyed renewed interest thanks to the containment(s) caused by the coronavirus pandemic since the beginning of the year. Although it is sometimes presented as the
"Porn Instagram", this nickname does not fully reflect the way it works because, unlike Facebook's subsidiary, it is based on a clear distinction between content creators, who publish photos and videos, and those who view them, known as "fans".
What is its business model?
So OnlyFans is more like the principle of YouTube channels and their subscribers... with two differences. The first one is that fans have to pay to follow the publications of their favorite personalities. Only then can they access their content and have the possibility to send them a private message. This principle of direct payment is the very foundation of OnlyFans' business model, which describes itself as "a subscription service that allows content creators to monetize their influence. »
« There has been a real exodus to OnlyFans, the cream of the crop of cam sites are now on the platform. »
Count between $4.99 and $49.99 per month to keep track of an account, depending on the amount set by the creator himself ("tip" and "pay-per-view" features are also available). According to the site's own generator, an account with 20,000 subscribers and a $5 paywall could earn "between $1,000 and $5,000 per month" because the company estimates that "between 1% and 5%" of subscribers are ready to move to the payment stage (there is no charge for "subscribing", but the content is inaccessible). For each payment, the company pays 80% of the fees collected to the content creator and retains the remaining 20%.
The second major difference with other social networks is that OnlyFans has a very flexible content restriction policy. Since it does not censor nudity, the platform has quickly become very much used by creators of pornographic videos, whether they are amateurs or professionals. On this point, the presentation of the site is much more discreet: it only promises that "anyone can generate revenue" as long as they post "tutorials, advice, backstage access or selfies. »
What is OnlyFans accused of?
Beyond the company's promises and its seemingly simple business model, OnlyFans is seen by some experts on the subject as a further step in the uberization of sex work. A comparison with the American VTC company that OnlyFans CEO Tim Stokely fully assumes: "Just as Uber has allowed anyone to monetize their own car, OnlyFans allows anyone to monetize their own content and subscriptions," he told Vice in 2019. Uber is a complement to your car, just as OnlyFans is a complement to your social networks. »
On OnlyFans, although the conditions of use theoretically require that users be "18 years of age or older", some surveys, including this one by the BBC, have shown that young users, sometimes minors, ask for "advice" from professional sex workers in order to better monetize their content. As is often the case, this involves "identity verification" procedures that are very easy to circumvent at the time of registration.
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