tech
The Guardian view on OnlyFans: revelations of abusive middlemen merit MPs’ attention
Reports of agents taking 50% of women’s earnings undermine the company’s rhetoric of empowerment
TL;DR
- Middlemen on OnlyFans are reportedly taking 50% of women creators' earnings, contradicting the platform's image of empowerment.
- Investigations reveal agencies pressuring women for explicit content, with instances of coercion and abuse, including physical attacks.
- Practices on OnlyFans echo sex trafficking, with women as commodities and managers selling performer contracts.
- A Labour MP and the anti-slavery commissioner have called for a select committee inquiry into OnlyFans.
- Concerns are raised about the platform's impact on young men's ability to form relationships and very young women monetizing access to their bodies.
- The tech industry's increasing influence on human sexuality and relationships is highlighted, alongside calls for a legal definition of technologically-enabled violence against women.