OnlyFans Removes, Then Restores, Russian Accounts

Related | Russia Is Invading Ukraine: Here's What We Know

OnlyFans initially shared a statement with the Daily Beast, saying the site “complies with all applicable laws and regulations,” and thus, had to lock access to some accounts. What one creator wanted to make clear, though, is that they aren’t at fault for what’s happening between the countries — and OnlyFans agrees. “I have taken part in several protests since I moved to Moscow when I was 18,” OnlyFans star @kitty told the outlet. “We are not Putin! All my prayers for peace and the Ukraine people.”

Along with removing accounts from the site, OnlyFans admitted that payments are limited because of Vladimir Putin’s call for war disrupting worldwide finances. However, the company maintains that “any available balances will remain secure and pending until such time that they may be withdrawn again.” But for creators who rely on these paychecks, that simply isn’t good enough.

The discussion on Twitter over what was happening got heated, with some OnlyFans supporters saying they could still see Russian creators’ accounts. Others chimed in saying that accounts were still visible but withdrawing the money was blocked. But the subscription service told Rolling Stone that accounts were being unlocked, though creations of new accounts based in Russia or Belarus seems to be spotty. And some creators are reporting that their accounts still aren’t fully functional. In a new statement about the incident, OnlyFans told the Daily Beast, “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.”

The Daily Beast points out that the root of the issue with UK-based OnlyFans limiting money withdrawal is the actual system used to do it. “After the United Kingdom agreed to block Russia from the SWIFT network, it has become difficult to process payments to anyone living in Russia. While Belarus is not yet blocked from SWIFT, many of those affected are fiscally registered in Russia.”

Stay tuned for updates as the events between Russia and Ukraine continue to unfold.

Photo via Getty/ Pavlo Gonchar/ SOPA Images/ LightRocket