The Truth About OnlyFans

Sex TraffickingPornography
Written By Courtney Furlong

1. The average monthly income on OnlyFans is much lower than anticipated.

The average monthly income is only $277.77.

According to OnlyFans' own data, the average monthly income for content creators (the term used to refer to those who have monetized profiles on OnlyFans) is only $277.77 (Silverman, Dec 2022)! But, even for those who spend a minimum of 40 hours a week (full-time) preparing content, cross-marketing on social media, and communicating with content consumers (or buyers), the average monthly income is still only $1,111.00 (Avery Center, 2022). That is an average annual income of $13,332.00, which is below the poverty line and less than minimum wage in the United States (Healthcare.gov, 2022).

2. OnlyFans does not protect individuals from in-person exploitation.

For many, OnlyFans is viewed as an "off-ramp" out of in-person exploitation, a safer option during the COVID-19 pandemic. Approximately 38% of content creators had been previously arrested on prostitution-related charges. However, 36% of content creators left OnlyFans to continue in-person sex acts because it was more profitable (Avery Center, 2022). In fact, many content creators discussed how buyers encouraged them to meet in person, suggesting that OnlyFans is actually an “on-ramp” into in-person exploitation.

Sex Trafficking Victimization

69% of content creators are victims of sex trafficking.

3. Most content creators on OnlyFans are victims of sex trafficking.

Roughly 69% of individuals exploited through OnlyFans are under third-party control (Avery Center, 2022). This means that the majority of those on OnlyFans are victims of sex trafficking according to the U.S. federal definition (22 U.S.C. §§ 7102).

4. Content creators on OnlyFans are enticed into trafficking their friends.

Content creators are encouraged to recruit their friends, stating that they will get a percentage of their recruits' revenue up to one year. A previous policy allowed recruiters to receive a percentage of their recruits' revenue into perpetuity (Silverman, Dec 2022). Essentially, these policies lure young people into a multi-level pimping (i.e., trafficking) pyramid scheme (Avery Center, 2022). And the ones who benefit the most from these recruitment strategies are OnlyFans executives (or, rather, traffickers).

  

References

  • Avery Center. (2022). OnlyFans: A case study of exploitation in the digital age. Author. https://theaverycenter.org/intelligently-end-exploitation/onlyfans/

  • Healthcare.gov. (2022). Federal poverty level. Author. https://www.healthcare.gov/glossary/federal-poverty-level-fpl/

  • Silverman, E. (2022, December 6). OnlyFans: The new digital bridge between porn and prostitution [Conference presentation]. Pornography and Prostitution: Connecting the Dots. Culture Reframed.  

  • Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, 22 U.S.C. §§ 7101–7113 (2000).

Courtney Furlong

Courtney Furlong, MS, MEd, LPC, CRC, is a native of Atlanta, GA and a graduate of Auburn University with a Master of Science in Human Development and Family Science and a Master of Education in Rehabilitation Counseling. Furlong has spent over 20 years working with victims of commercial sexual exploitation from ten countries covering Asia, Africa, Europe, and North America. She is currently pursuing a doctorate in Human Development and Family Science at Auburn University. Courtney focuses her research on sex trafficking, sexual assault, and gender violence.

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