How
content
creators
and
subscribers
can
embrace
the
social
media
platform
without
(overly)
exposing
themselves
to
the
potentially
toxic
brew
of
NSFW
content
and
privacy
threats
By
now
you’ve
most
probably
heard
of,
or
possibly
even
use,
OnlyFans.
Launched
in
2016,
this
subscription
service
for
content
creators
gained
momentum
over
the
course
of
the
pandemic
and
now
boasts
a
user
base
of
more
than
170
million
people,
2.1
million
of
which
are
registered
content
creators.
While
the
site
offers
a
home
for
all
kinds
of
content,
it
is
largely
associated
with
NSFW
material.
When
it
comes
to
online
privacy
and
security,
this
alone
raises
the
stakes
significantly
–
as
laid
bare,
for
example,
by
the
hack
of
the
infidelity
website
Ashley
Madison
in
2015
that
still
haunted
many
victims
years
later.
Indeed,
remember
that
in
the
absence
of
proper
precautionary
measures,
adult
entertainment
and
online
privacy
don’t
make
for
good
‘bedfellows’.
The
threats
that
stem
from
their
potentially
toxic
‘relationship’
run
the
gamut,
from
relatively
run-of-the-mill
content
piracy
all
the
way
to
revenge
porn
and
large-scale
data
leaks
and
breaches.
Naturally,
OnlyFans
and
its
users
aren’t
exempt
from
these
risks.
Many
content
producers
have
already
expressed
concern
over
leaked
content,
hacked
accounts,
the
uploading
of
revenge
porn,
and
even
the
theft
of
content
that’s
downloaded
by
paying
subscribers
and
then
redistributed
–
often
for
a
fee
–
on
other
social
media
and
messaging
platforms.
Needless
to
say,
if
content
creators
are
at
risk,
subscribers
are
at
risk,
too.
As
a
corollary,
ensuring
the
safety
and
privacy
of
those
working
in
this
industry
–
and
their
fans
–
requires
utmost
caution
and
attention.
That’s
why
it
is
vital
for
users
to
be
cautious
when
sharing
personal
information
online,
and
to
be
wary
of
stalkers,
scammers
and
other
ill-intentioned
individuals.
What
to
look
out
for
Each
OnlyFans
creator
offers
their
own
subscription
plan
in
exchange
for
letting
users
access
their
exclusive
content.
Some
even
allow
users
to
subscribe
for
free.
But
there’s
a
catch:
Whether
you’re
signing
up
for
a
paid
or
free
plan,
the
site
requests
that
you
register
and
enter
your
payment
card.
At
this
point,
the
hardest
part
of
the
registration
process
is
completed.
Note
that
OnlyFans
does
not
have
an
app
—
not
on
Android
or
on
iOS.
It
can
only
be
accessed
through
a
web
browser,
such
as
Chrome
or
Safari.
While
most
pages
have
a
monthly
fee,
free
OnlyFans
pages
can
gather
large
audiences,
and
creators
can
still
make
a
lot
of
money
by
adding
special
one-time
pay-per-view
content
that
a
lot
of
users
will
be
willing
to
pay
for.
-
OnlyFans
creators
need
to
provide
personal
information
to
set
up
an
account,
including
legal
name
and
bank
account
details.
It
will
also
be
required
to
provide
verification
documents,
such
as
a
photo
of
a
government-issued
identification
and
a
selfie
holding
the
same
ID.
These
steps
are
necessary
both
for
tax
purposes
and
to
ensure
that
creators
are
paid
legally.
It
is
important
to
note
that
OnlyFans
knows
the
identity
of
all
creators
on
the
platform. -
OnlyFans
subscribers
will
need
to
provide
an
email
address
–
and,
regardless
of
whether
they
want
to
subscribe
to
a
paid
or
free
account,
not
adding
a
payment
card
is
not
an
option.
In
late
2021,
it
was
reported
that
former
OnlyFans
employees
still
had
access
to
personal
information
of
both
creators
and
subscribers
who
required
technical
support.
And
what
information
might
be
available
to
such
employees?
In
its
Privacy
Policy,
OnlyFans
is
very
clear:
While
the
app
does
not
receive
“the
fan’s”
full
payment
card
details,
“If
you
are
required
to
provide
your
name
and
email
address
to
the
payment
provider,
then
they
also
provide
us
with
that
information.”
Moreover,
in
order
to
run
the
verification
process,
creators
must
provide
handles
to
their
social
media
profiles
and
might
be
asked
to
make
public
posts
related
to
their
new
account.
Fans
might
also
be
requested
to
provide
additional
personal
information
details,
depending
on
where
they
are
located.
So
how
can
you
keep
yourself
safe
on
OnlyFans?
Content
creators
OnlyFans
creators
will
have
to
provide
their
real
banking
details,
name
and
ID
–
not
only
for
the
verification
process,
but
also
to
get
paid.
So,
you
can’t
be
fully
anonymous
–
but
you
can
try
to
keep
some
anonymity
on
your
profile
by
using
secondary
social
media
accounts
that
are
not
linked
to
any
of
your
close
contacts.
You
might
also
choose
to
hide
your
face
and
avoid
showing
your
location
on
the
site.
We
also
recommended
using
a
burner
email
address
for
setting
up
your
account
in
case
there
is
ever
a
breach
of
personal
data
at
OnlyFans.
Likewise,
you
can
also
use
disposable
payment
cards
for
online
use.
Be
aware,
however,
that
a
vicious
attacker
could
attempt
to
hack
your
OnlyFans
account
through
clever
social
engineering
or
even
cyberbullying
techniques,
leading
to
users
simply
handing
over
their
passwords
and
other
login
data.
It
is,
therefore,
vital
that
you
remain
cautious
about
responding
with
private
information
to
any
unsolicited
communication.
If
a
bad
actor
were
able
to
gain
unauthorized
access
to
a
creator’s
account,
he
or
she
could
potentially
engage
in
a
number
of
malicious
activities,
such
as:
-
Viewing
the
subscription-based
content
that
the
account
owner
has
posted -
Changing
the
account
owner’s
password
and
locking
them
out
of
their
own
account -
Posting
new
content
to
the
account -
Deleting
content
from
the
account -
Changing
the
account
settings -
Adding
new
banking
details
for
withdrawing
funds -
Viewing
the
account
owner’s
personal
information
(such
as
his
or
her
name,
email
address,
and
payment
information) -
Using
the
account
to
send
fraudulent
messages
to
other
OnlyFans
users
Content
creators
and
subscribers
Regardless
of
whether
you’re
a
content
producer
or
a
subscriber,
there
are
a
few
simple
but
effective
steps
you
can
take
to
secure
your
account
and
stay
out
of
harm’s
way.
Most
importantly,
you
should:
Two-factor
authentication
is
an
extra
layer
of
security
that
is
designed
to
protect
online
accounts
from
unauthorized
access
and
is
offered
to
all
OnlyFans
accounts.
It
requires
that
a
code
sent
to
a
phone
or
generated
by
an
authentication
app
be
entered
in
addition
to
the
account
password
before
access
to
the
account
is
granted.
This
makes
it
much
more
difficult
for
attackers
to
gain
access
to
an
account,
even
if
they
have
the
password.
However,
should
you
forget
your
password,
the
way
to
recover
it
is
by
requesting
a
code
to
your
email.
So,
an
attacker
who
has
access
to
your
email
account
could
access
the
email
generated
for
password
recovery
and
then
take
over
your
OnlyFans
account.
Moreover,
it
is
important
to
note
that
while
OnlyFans
prevents
account
images
from
being
stolen
from
Android
devices
(i.e.,
by
not
allowing
screenshots
on
such
devices),
this
is
unfortunately
not
the
case
on
Apple’s
iOS,
which
still
allows
for
screenshots
–
such
as
the
ones
displayed
in
this
blogpost.
Report
any
suspicious
activity
There
is
always
a
risk
of
stalking,
sextortion
and
doxing
when
sharing
personal
information
online,
and
the
risk
is
especially
high
when
using
a
platform
like
OnlyFans.
Both
creators
and
fans
need
to
do
their
part
by
reporting
unintended
activity
or
any
suspicious
event
(for
example,
a
third
party
requesting
a
link
for
password
recovery,
or
engaging
in
any
kind
of
bullying).
Sites
like
PimEyes
which
use
powerful
facial
recognition
software
are
making
it
very
easy
for
stalkers
to
find
out
information
on
content
creators,
so
it
is
vital
that
you
only
ever
show
your
face
if
you
know
the
risks.
OnlyFans
allows
you
to
Block
or
Restrict
a
profile.
While
blocking
will
fully
stop
a
specific
profile
from
viewing
yours,
restricting
will
only
stop
that
profile
from
sending
private
messages
or
replying
to
posts.
Finally,
if
you
see
harmful
content
or
suspect
a
specific
video
or
photo
has
been
stolen
or
posted
without
the
consent
of
one
or
more
of
the
people
involved,
you
can
also
report
a
profile.
Is
OnlyFans
safe?
The
fact
that
many
people
use
OnlyFans
to
monetize
their
saucy
content
raises
the
stakes
significantly
–
and
not
just
for
content
creators.
It
is,
therefore,
important
to
know
what
you
may
be
getting
yourself
into
and
how
to
shield
yourself
from
the
privacy
and
security
risks
this
may
entail.
Indeed,
and
as
with
many
other
social
media
platforms
and
online
services,
the
key
to
staying
safe
is
being
aware
of
the
threats,
managing
the
security
and
privacy
settings
on
your
accounts
and
applying
cyber-hygiene
basics
to
minimize
the
risks.
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