The UK’s anti-slavery commissioner has called for a public inquiry into alleged “exploitation” linked to OnlyFans.
Eleanor Lyons said “meaningful change” is urgently needed to address “exploitation, trafficking, or economic control” exercised by third parties hiding behind apparently independent profiles on the platform.
It comes after a BBC investigation uncovered a string of agents self-styled as ‘OnlyFans Managers’ (OFMs). Their documentary OnlyFans: Inside the Machine exposed how these OFMs initially approach individual creators, promising growth and support, but, according to the BBC, are sometimes exploitative and threatening.
The BBC infiltrated an online chat of OFMs, where it found discussions between OFMs about signing creators, taking control of their accounts, and profiting from them in what one called the “pimping method”.
It said OnlyFans had been aware of concerns about exploitative managers for four years.
OnlyFans said it does not “endorse or have relationships with any management agencies” and immediately restricts accounts when concerns are raised.
Writing to the chair of the science, innovation and technology committee Dame Chi Onwurah, Ms Lyons said the “serious allegations and evidence” demand “robust parliamentary scrutiny” to determine whether existing protections are working effectively and whether further action is required.
Alongside the chair of the all-parliamentary group on commercial sexual exploitation Tonia Antoniazzi MP, she called for any inquiry to investigate a string of questions. These include the “extent and nature of exploitation” occurring on or through OnlyFans, the effectiveness of the platform’s systems and processes for identifying and responding to indicators of trafficking and abuse, and whether additional regulatory, legislative or enforcement measures are required to strengthen accountability and safeguard users.
“The recently released BBC documentary OnlyFans: Inside the Machine exposes deeply troubling evidence of coercion, exploitation, violence, financial control and indicators of human trafficking being reported to OnlyFans and occurring on the platform itself,” she wrote.
“The harms uncovered are not simply about online content. They concern real-world abuse and exploitation taking place offline against vulnerable individuals, many of them young women. Of particular concern was the documentary’s evidence relating to so-called ‘OnlyFans Managers’ and agencies exercising extensive third-party control over individuals’ accounts, finances, communications and lives.”
She added: “The investigation demonstrated patterns strongly suggestive of coercion and exploitation, including the withholding of earnings, intimidation, account control, surveillance, pressure to produce degrading or harmful content and violence.”
Government ministers have the ability to initiate a public inquiry into matters of major public concern or controversial policy across the country.
Ms Lyons said an inquiry would “provide an opportunity to establish the scale of the problem, assess the effectiveness of current safeguards and make recommendations to strengthen protections against exploitation and abuse”.
An OnlyFans spokesperson said: “OnlyFans was designed to empower creators to control and monetise their content. We take the safety of our users seriously and invest heavily in measures to protect our community, including strict onboarding processes, payment controls and ongoing account moderation, as well as collaborating closely with charities, expert groups and law enforcement to continuously evolve our safety features and support investigations.
“While some creators choose to work with third parties to help manage their online presence, OnlyFans does not endorse or have relationships with management agencies, and cannot review or influence any contractual agreements creators choose to enter into outside the platform as we are not party to them. If anyone raises a concern about a creator’s account, we will immediately restrict the account, conduct an investigation and take action to ensure the creator is in control of their OnlyFans account.
“Despite repeated requests, the BBC refused to share account details of any OnlyFans users or the agencies that they claimed formed the basis of their reporting.”
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