OnlyFans ‘temporarily pauses’ accounts of Russian creators due to Ukraine invasion

OnlyFans has announced it has "temporarily paused" Russian creators from using their accounts amid the ongoing Russian invasion in Ukraine.

In a statement to Motherboard, the social media platform known for monetizing adult content noted the reason behind the move was the current sanctions implemented on the country.

“OnlyFans is a creator first business. Over the past few months we have explored several options to continue providing our services to creators impacted by the Russia / Ukraine war," the company said.

"However due to a further tightening of payment restrictions to and from Russia, OnlyFans can no longer properly serve our Russian creator community.

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"As a result, we are taking steps to temporarily pause accounts where payments are received in Russia.

"We have asked impacted creators to contact support@onlyfans.com who can help address any queries regarding their accounts," it added.

It's not the first time there have been account restrictions since OnlyFans blocked Russian content creators from accessing their accounts or payments back in February when President Vladimir Putin's forces first began to invade Ukraine.

Several creators told Rolling Stone they were unable to purchase essential items due to being unable to access payments and said they received the following message from the company: "Please be informed that your country is not supported for payouts, therefore we are unable to assist you regarding that matter at this time."

However, this issue was resolved and payments were resumed for creators.

"We are disheartened by the recent tragic events in Ukraine. As a global business, OnlyFans stands by our creators and understand that they are not responsible for these heinous acts," said a spokesperson for OnlyFans.

"After experiencing financial restrictions, we have been able to restore account activity for creators in all countries. Their accounts will have full functionalities as long as we continue to have payment methods to support them. We were not terminating or suspending any creator accounts based on the creator’s location, and we are doing everything we can to support our community.”

But now it appears the company has U-turned again as the ban has been reinstated.

OnlyFans joins hundreds of other companies that have pulled out of Russia since the invasion into Ukraine began, namely Facebook, Apple, Microsoft, McDonald's, Coca-Cola, Netflix, Disney, Sony, Visa, and Mastercard, to name a few.

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