OnlyFans app is a British based app that was created in 2016. It is a pay per view social media platform that allows content creators to make extra money.
The Onlyfans app is mainly used by content creators to share photos and videos. Users then pay to watch the content in the app.
The majority of the app users include YouTubers, models, social media influencers, and many other professions.
It is also highly popular among sex workers and in the adult entertainment industry.
In this blog, we go through what Onlyfans app is, the safety concerns around the app, and steps you can take if your teen wants to use this app.
What is OnlyFans app?
- Pay per view social media app that allows content creators to get paid for the content they share on the app
- Followers also are known as “fans” will subscribe to their favorite content creator and pay them for creating content (videos and photos mainly)
- The payment given by the fans can be a subscription-based or one-off payment
- It currently has over 30 million users and 450,000 registered users.
- The app is popular especially among YouTubers who would like to diversify their income stream.
- A content creator on this app that has over 10,000 subscribers can earn between $499 and $2,495 a month, according to the company.
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Age limit for onlyfans app :
The app is for anyone above the age of 18 years old. This app is not made for children or even preteens. There is plenty of harmful content for a younger audience.
How to sign up for this app?
Since the app is only for anyone above the age of 18 years old, proof of government ID needs to be submitted to sign up for this app.
Is Onlyfans app free to use?
No, Onlyfans is a subscription-based social media platform.
It has a monthly subscription price of $4.99 per month and a maximum limit of $49.99 per month.
How does Onlyfans work?
It is popular among YouTubers because of the ease of use of the platform.
Also, the content in the app is largely not moderated and people can freely share their photos or videos..
Many celebrities are using this app to raise money for charities. Some would share “private” photos to fans in exchange for money.
Beyonce, even mentioned this app in her latest song.
Did @Beyonce just mention #OnlyFans in her latest song #savageremix 😎 We cool! pic.twitter.com/tY67zmPXwY
— OnlyFans (@OnlyFans) April 30, 2020
This app has particularly surged in popularity since the start of the pandemic.
Workers in the adult entertainment industry who can’t go out due to the lockdown are using this app to make an income.
According to a New York Times article in 2019, it has changed how the “adult” worker industry works.
Is onlyFans safe?
The creators of this app targets adult as its primary audience, hence a government ID proof is needed to sign up to this app.
Also, to secure data and credit card details, the company uses a third-party payment provider so your credit card details are not stored on their website.
They have clearly thought about privacy and age issue with regard to this app.
However, in early January 2020, more than 1.6TB of videos from this app was leaked online,
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Why should parents care about OnlyFans app?
This app has gained in popularity since the start of the Corona lockdown. It is mainly used by workers in the “adult” industry.
A documentary by BBC found that there is an increase in users below the age of 18 years old. They were using this app to sell “explicit” images on themselves.
Besides OnlyFans, younger children were using the Snapchat premium account and Twitter to sell their images online.
The hashtags being used to sell their images are #nude4sale or “#buymynudes.
The documentary found that many children below the age of 18 years old were doing in exchange for easy and money
When asked by the BBC, Snapchat stated that “We strictly prohibit accounts that promote or distribute pornographic content”. And Twitter also had a similar response.
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OnlyFans privacy policy update:
In May 2019, this app required all users to provide a selfie along with ID proof to verify the account holder’s age and information.
However, the BBC found that young users used other people’s ID to create an account and have not occurred any problems in doing so.
This shows that the age-verification system by the app is not enough to protect young users from accessing the app.
The documentary also found that a 17-year-old signed up as a 16-year-old girl, and manage to create the account after several attempts being shut down.
She used the ID of an older friend and created different profiles for a few months.
Can people actually make money using OnlyFans?
It is claimed that people can make quick money using this app and not necessarily by selling “explicit” or “adult” images.
Creators on YouTube have claimed to make up to £30,000 a month using this app.
Hence, the appeal to use the app can be high among teenagers.
What to do if your child wants to use this app?
The nature of this app is not made for any children, even teenagers.
It has many content used by “adult” workers to promote their work and get close to their clients in a virtual world.
It is not a place you want your teen or child to hang out.
Here are some tips to talk to your child:
- Honest conversation: talk to your child about the dangers of sharing explicit images online
- Let them also know about the dangers of sexting
- If you have younger children then don’t forget to install a parental control app into their phone.
- If your teen wants to use it then download the app yourself first and see it first hand how the app works. You can then decide if your teen is mature enough to have this app and not be tempted to sell their photos online.
Conclusion:
We would not recommend this app for any teenagers or children. The content on the app is made specifically for adults.
The best thing you can do with your teen is to have honest and open communication with them about some of the dangers of sharing images and private information online.
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