The OnlyFans Debate: Myths, Margins, and Moral Battles
OnlyFans has become one of the most controversial platforms in the digital economy, widely known for hosting pornography and allowing creators to monetize it through direct subscriptions. While often framed as a tool for empowerment or entrepreneurship, many commentators now describe OnlyFans as a form of online prostitution.
Millions Earning Pennies
A viral claim recently circulated that “over 2 million women showed their naked bodies on OnlyFans for less than $50/month.” While the exact figure is difficult to confirm, it reflects a broader, well-documented reality: most creators on the platform earn very little.
OnlyFans has more than 2 million registered creators. The vast majority of the platform’s most active and visible users are women. Furthermore, the platform is overwhelmingly associated with pornography. Independent reports and public platform behavior confirm that explicit material drives the bulk of its traffic and revenue.
OnlyFans itself does not release detailed earnings breakdowns, but available data from third-party analysts and leaked financials indicate a steep drop-off in income beyond the top 1 to 5 percent of earners. Many creators in the bottom 80 to 90 percent earn well under $100/month after the platform takes its 20 percent commission. In this context, the claim that a large portion of women expose themselves online for minimal financial return is supported by broad trends.
China’s Rejection
While Western debates focus on exploitation versus empowerment, China has taken a firm stance against OnlyFans on moral and ideological grounds. In 2024, the Chinese government formalized a complete ban on the platform, labeling it a “corrupt Western disease” and reinforcing its long-standing policy against pornography and sexual commerce.
Though OnlyFans was already functionally blocked by the Great Firewall, Chinese authorities have moved to close remaining loopholes, targeting VPN access and overseas payment systems used by Chinese nationals to engage with the platform.
The government’s framing is explicit. OnlyFans is not merely a digital service, but a vehicle for Western values they view as corrosive to the socialist moral fabric. In banning it, they aim to protect cultural integrity, suppress perceived decadence, and maintain ideological discipline.
Cultural Mirror
These two developments, one rooted in economic criticism, the other in concern over social cohesion, underscore the polarized narratives surrounding OnlyFans.
In the West, it represents both opportunity and precarity. Millions seek quick income by producing pornography, yet most earn next to nothing and risk long-term reputational consequences. In China, the platform is not tolerated at all, dismissed wholesale as a symbol of cultural decline and foreign subversion.
OnlyFans stands at the intersection of capitalism, pornography, and ideology. Whether viewed as freedom, exploitation, or moral threat, it reflects the values of those examining it and the systems they inhabit.