The following is a deep-dive into OnlyFans to determine how safe it is to use, how vulnerable it might be to hackers, and ways to keep yourself safe when using it.
Table of Contents
What is OnlyFans?
OnlyFans is a platform for sharing content that allows content creators to share their content with followers/subscribers (fans) and set their own subscription price. It was launched in 2016, which means that it is still a relatively new platform, but today it is already home to more than 450,000 content creators as well as more than 30 million fans.
Who Uses OnlyFans?
OnlyFans is used by both content makers and fans/subscribers. While the platform is primarily used by both professional and amateur adult performers, just about anyone and everyone, including fitness specialists are free to sign up and share their content.
The types of content makers include influencers, artists, chefs, writers, fitness trainers, models, adult performers, and more. The reason why OnlyFans is so popular with adult performers as well as their fans is that it is the only social media content sharing platform that allows explicit content unlike Instagram, for example.
While it is generally considered a no-brainer, when you are capturing images and video footage to post on your OnlyFans account, you need to keep both your location and identity anonymous. Ensure that there’s nothing in the background of your images that can help people identify your location and track you down.
The vast majority of people should respect your personal privacy, but you can never really know who may become overly obsessive. While rare, online content creators have faced threats and stalking in their real life. This is particularly true for attractive women who are also sex workers, so always be very careful to keep your location and personal identity anonymous.
OnlyFans Safety Tips for Models and Creators – How to Stay Safe!
OnlyFans is a platform that’s quite safe to use as we have seen. However, there’s a caveat. No website is ever completely safe, and hackers are always looking for ways to access accounts for their own nefarious reasons. Fortunately, you can improve your chances of staying safe on the platform by following these tips:
Use an Anonymous Email Address/Account
OnlyFans requires you to use a valid email address to authenticate your account. However, you aren’t obligated to use your current email address, but can instead create a new one specifically for using on OnlyFans.
It is really advisable to use an anonymous email service, such as ProtonMail, which does not ask for any personal information when signing up. This means that if there’s ever a data breach, your personal information won’t be compromised.
When creating a new email address, ensure that you use an assumed name so that nobody suspects it’s you.
Use 2-Step Authentication
2-step authentication is a feature that a large number of OnlyFans users typically don’t use.
What is it?
2-step authentication is a security feature that requires you to sign in to your account in 2 steps every time. For example, you will first be asked to input your password. You will then be asked to verify your identity by entering a code sent to your mobile number.
The greatest advantage of using 2-step authentication is that it adds an extra layer of security to your account. Even if a hacker was successful in guessing your password correctly, they would still be required to enter a code sent to your mobile device.
Use a Strong Password
OnlyFans accounts can and do get hacked. However, the reason why they are hacked is hardly ever down to OnlyFans’ security measures. Instead, they are usually hacked because the user has not chosen a password that’s strong enough.
When choosing a strong password for your OnlyFans account, there are general rules of thumb you need to follow:
- Use a password generator tool
- Never write down your password
- Use both uppercase and lowercase letters, symbols, and numbers
- Never share your password with anybody
- Choose something unrelated and obscure
- Never use a password that you have already used for other logins.
Block Problematic Users
If you suspect that somebody is somewhat shady and likely to cause you trouble, OnlyFans allows you to block users based on their IP addresses. This is a brilliant feature to have for when you are looking to block individual subscribers.
It is also important to mention that it is actually possible to block entire countries. This is a feature that comes in handy if, for example, you don’t want people in your own country to access your OnlyFans profile.
Use an Assumed Name
We have, thus far, focused on safety and security on OnlyFans from the perspective of online hacks and attacks. Still, it is also important to mention that creators also need to protect themselves from real life stalkers.
If you have any personal safety concerns and are worried about attracting stalkers by creating an OnlyFans account, it can be a good idea to use a pen name (a name that is not your real one). Also remember that you can edit your public profile so that certain information is unavailable to everyone. Check out our tips to stay anonymous
Selling feet pics can be a good way to stay safe and anonymous.
Is OnlyFans Safe for Subscribers?
Whenever you sign up to a website that you haven’t used previously, it is natural to err on the side of caution. After all, if you are subscribing to something online, you will have to provide your payment details, which can be enough to make anybody nervous.
Furthermore, OnlyFans does not give you the option of adding an eWallet as a subscription payment method. Instead, you are required to use either your debit or credit card.
Fortunately, OnlyFans has a 3D secure checkout for ensuring that your cards are perfectly safe and cannot be accessed by another person. Whenever you create an account and add a new card, OnlyFans will ask you to verify it via SMS code or another type of verification code.
What Risks Are Faced by OnlyFans Creators?
OnlyFans tries keeping user accounts as secure as possible, but there’s always a slight risk of scenarios such as data breaches that can expose personal information.
The last thing that most OnlyFans users want is for their personal information or images to become available on the Internet. It is therefore important for all users to take a number of precautions to protect their accounts along with their personal information.
Account Hacking
The possibility always exists that an online account can get hacked – this applies to both OnlyFans creators and subscribers. Your account is at greater risk, however, if someone besides the user has access to emails or a common password is used. Oversights like this, unfortunately, can lead to identity fraud, and even fraud.
If your OnlyFans account is hacked, the email address associated with it can be changed and the hacker can pose as the owner of the account. As a result, sensitive content may be accessed and finances associated with the account can be managed.
While this is a significant danger that content creators face, it is equally alarming for subscribers, since it means that hackers can access and spend money associated with their account.
Data Breaches
No major data breaches that affect the OnlyFans platform have been officially reported, but in 2021, Vice reported that there were risks to OnlyFans systems. This came amidst claims that the company’s former employees were able to access the personal information of content creators on OnlyFans, including images as well as password details.
Stolen Content
Taking a screenshot of content on OnlyFans is against the platform’s rules. However, that may not necessarily prevent users from taking images of their laptop screen using other devices. Stolen content is a massive risk on OnlyFans, but the platform generally takes it very seriously.
While OnlyFans is able to help creators take some measures against copyright infringement, after content is shared publicly on the Internet, it can be incredibly difficult if not impossible to erase all traces of it.
The vast majority of U.S. states also have laws that target incidents such as revenge porn, prohibiting people from sharing explicit content without someone’s permission. The implication of this is that, in such instances, content creators could have the option to sue users that steal their content. Here is a good guide to taking care of stolen OnlyFans content
Harassment
Harassment, along with other serious issues such as stalking, go against Only Fans’ policies, but such violations can be incredibly challenging to police.
However, OnlyFans not only employs a moderation service that’s capable of detecting when offensive phrases are used against a particular account, but also creators have the option of reporting and blocking accounts that are harassing them. If there are any repeat offenders, they are removed from the platform completely.
Few Legal Protections
Nothing is illegal about an OnlyFans account, if you are over 18 and follow the platform’s terms and guidelines. However, since a social media platform of this type is still relatively new, there are still not sufficient clear-cut legal protections in place.
In fact, there is a patchwork of state laws dealing with explicit content and protections in the face of incidences such as revenge porn are constantly evolving.
What you should also keep in mind is that due to explicit content on the platform, maintaining an OnlyFans account usually comes with a stigma attached.
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