England’s Children’s Commisioner says more needs to be done to stop underage usage of OnlyFans.
An investigation by BBC news found people under the age of 18 were selling explicit videos. They use fake ID’s to set up profiles, with some users as young as 14.
OnlyFans is a social media site that allows users to share videos, photos and messages with subscribers for a monthly fee or ‘tips’. OnlyFans keeps up to 20% of the payments made through the site.
However, it an investigation by the BBC found children under the age of 18 selling explicit videos and images. A unnamed 17 year old sold videos of herself playing with sex toys. Upon questioning, she revealed that a fake driving licences allowed her to set up a profile.
BBC News attempted to set up an underage profile and, whilst a fake ID did not work, the ID of a 26 year old did. In response to the results of the investigation, OnlyFans have deleted the accounts found to be breaching their terms and conditions.
However, they deny allegations that the identification process is flawed. The claim their age verification systems “exceed regulatory requirements” and continue to evolve. They will increase the technology as it becomes available to “stop under 18 OnlyFan users”.
OnlyFans given a boost by Covid-19
The pandemic proved to be a positive for the OnlyFans organisation. The website was the big winner, its popularity increasing nearly 10 fold in the lockdown. It currently has over 120 million users, some of which have become millionaires.
The sites popularity, in part, is down to the celebrity endorsement it receives. The site registered a surge in cases following a mention in Beyoncé’s hit song Savage last June.
Celebrities such as Bella Thorne and Tana Mongeau top up their earnings using the site. Bella makes approximately a million in a week while Tana boasted on Instagram about making three million in a single month. It is reported that celebrities only make a fraction of users. The main users of the site are housewives, students and married couples.
Between November 2019 and December 2020, OnlyFans reports a spike of over 7.5 million users.
Chief constable Simon Bailey says it is “increasingly clear” children are being exploited on the website. He goes on to criticise the opportunity to “generate money” at the expense of protecting children.
Previously, in an interview with Parentology, OnlyFans explains that ID and a selfie of the person holding the ID is a basic requirement for a profile. A special team verify this, along with social media accounts, GEO IP addresses and other information to help spot inconsistencies.
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