Content-sharing platform OnlyFans is facing severe backlash following a Reuters investigation that revealed the presence of explicit material involving minors on the site.
What Happened: A recent Reuters investigation found that OnlyFans, which asserts a thorough vetting of all users and content, has been hosting explicit material involving minors. The investigation, which included a review of U.S. police and court records, discovered hundreds of explicit videos and images of minors on the platform.
Between December 2019 and June 2024, Reuters documented 30 complaints of child sexual abuse material on the site. The case files referenced over 200 explicit videos and images of children, with some involving adults engaging in sexual acts with toddlers.
More than half of the 30 cases resulted in arrests, and at least three led to criminal convictions. Many cases involved adults exploiting minors to produce explicit content for sale on the site. In some cases, minors managed to bypass OnlyFans’ vetting process to distribute their own explicit material.
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In response to the investigation, an OnlyFans spokesperson stated that the company has “rigorous safety controls” and reports all suspected cases of child sexual abuse material to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC).
The victims have been severely impacted, with one expressing fear of being recognized in public after his explicit video was sold on OnlyFans. Parents have also expressed outrage, demanding accountability from the platform.
Why It Matters: This scandal follows a series of controversies surrounding OnlyFans. Earlier in March, another Reuters investigation revealed that OnlyFans faced over 120 police complaints about non-consensual content sharing, including instances as severe as rape.
This comes at a time when OnlyFans’ CEO, Keily Blair, has been trying to distance the platform from its adult content image. In an interview with Financial Times, Blair emphasized that OnlyFans is not a porn site and hosts non-adult content such as messaging, chats, and discussions on various topics.
Image via Shutterstock
This story was generated using Benzinga Neuro and edited by Pooja Rajkumari
© 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
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