OnlyFans Non-Consensual Content Lawsuit

If pictures or videos of you have been published on OnlyFans without your permission or consent, you may be able to bring a lawsuit against OnlyFans and the credit card companies (e.g., Visa, MasterCard) and get financial compensation. Our firm is currently seeking clients for a class action lawsuit against OnlyFans and its credit card processors for knowingly allowing unauthorized content to be posted without consent.

This page looks at the legal allegations in the OnlyFans non-consent lawsuits we expect to be filed soon and who might be eligible to become a plaintiff.

If you or your child had non-consensual sexual content posted on OnlyFans, you may qualify for what would be a new OnlyFans class action lawsuit against OnlyFans, and perhaps credit card companies like Visa and Mastercard. Call us today at 800-553-8082 or contact us online.

About OnlyFans

OnlyFans is a subscription-based content platform where creators can monetize their content by charging users (subscribers) for access. Believe it or not, OnlyFans was originally designed and intended to be a platform for all types of creators, like fitness trainers and artists. That seems like a very distant memory now because OnlyFans is now notoriously known for and associated with sexual content – i.e. porn. The name “OnlyFans” is basically synonymous with online porn.

The platform allows creators to publish their own exclusive photos and videos and then make that content available to subscribers who pay a monthly fee. Many creators offer personalized content, private messaging, and pay-per-view posts, making OnlyFans distinct from traditional adult entertainment sites by emphasizing direct creator-fan interactions.

OnlyFans operates on a revenue-sharing model, where creators earn money through subscriptions, tips, and paid content, while the platform takes a percentage of their earnings. All of the sales, tips, subscriptions, and pay-per-view transactions on OnlyFans are processed through major credit card companies like Visa and MasterCard.

The Dark Side of OnlyFans

The rise of OnlyFans has been framed as a story of financial empowerment, particularly for women looking to monetize adult content. But beneath its surface lies a darker and sicker reality: the platform has also become a tool for exploitation and abuse. Our lawyers have been investigating potential lawsuits and we have found numerous reports of girls and women were forced, coerced, or trafficked into producing content for OnlyFans, often by intimate partners, traffickers, or manipulative figures promising financial security.

Some cases involve women who were physically abused, isolated, and threatened by boyfriends or fiancés who turned them into unwilling performers. Others were lured by social media influencers or traffickers operating organized rings, using deception, violence, or coercion to control them. Prosecutors have pointed to the platform’s structure—where content is hidden behind a paywall and earnings are sometimes wildly lucrative—as a means by which traffickers can operate with relative secrecy.

While OnlyFans promotes itself as a safe and empowering platform, an OnlyFans lawsuit will argue that its oversight has been lacking, with past policies allowing content to be posted without immediate verification of consent. Survivors describe feeling trapped—both by their abusers and by the stigma of having their images permanently online. Some have pursued legal action against OnlyFans, alleging the company profited from their exploitation, but legal protections for platforms make holding them accountable difficult.

Content On OnlyFans Posted Without Consent

What makes OnlyFans unique in the world of online porn is that it doesn’t actually create buy any of the actual content that gets sold on its platform. All of the content on OnlyFans is created and published by OnlyFans “creators,” who are mostly amateurs. So its basically homemade videos and pictures posted by the person who made the video or took the picture.

The fundamental issue with this model is that is creates a very obvious risk that some of the subjects in videos and pictures may not have consented to having their image and videos posted and sold on the platform. Non-consensual content on OnlyFans is a huge issue and it generally falls into one of three categories.

Consent For Video But Not For Posting Online

The first and most common type of non-consensual content on OnlyFans is content in which the subject consented to the video or picture being taken, but did NOT consent to those videos or pictures being posted and sold online. The classic example of this is where a boyfriend or husband takes makes a homemade sex video. The wife or girlfriend may have given her consent to take the video, but she never consented to having it posted and sold online. She gave her consent on the condition that it be kept private.

In order for content to be legally posted and sold on OnlyFans, all of the subjects in the video or pictures must be of legal age and they must have consented not only to the video being taking, but to the video being posted on OnlyFans. Allowing a boyfriend to take sex videos does NOT mean you are consenting to those videos being published online and sold on OnlyFans.

Underage Content

Another type of non-consensual content on OnlyFans is content featuring subjects who are minors (under the age of 18). Legally, anyone under the age of majority in their state lacks the legal capacity to give consent. So even if a person gives their consent to having a video taken, and consents to it being posted on OnlyFans, if that person is underage then the content is non-consensual. In many cases non-consensual underage content on OnlyFans may actually be posted by the subject themselves. Even in that scenario the content is still considered non-consensual and illegal because if the subject is not an adult they cannot legally give consent.

Rape and Sexual Assault Content

The third, and fortunately least common, type of non-consensual content on OnlyFans involves videos or pictures in which one of the subjects did not consent to the sexual act shown in the video. In other words, the video shows someone being raped or sexually assaulted.

This somewhat obviously qualifies as non-consensual content because if the subject did not consent to the sexual contact, they obviously did not consent to it being recorded and posted online.

Lawsuits For Non-Consensual Content On OnlyFans

Anyone who had videos or pictures of themselves posted and sold on OnlyFans without their consent can potentially bring a lawsuit against OnlyFans and other parties and seek financial compensation.

The non-consensual content lawsuits against OnlyFans would be based on negligence claims. Plaintiffs in these cases would be alleging that OnlyFans negligently allowed the non-consensual content to be posted by failing to adopt and implement adequate policies and procedures.

OnlyFans has policies which require content creators to provide verification of the age and identity of individuals shown in all content, but there are major loopholes in this system. For starters, if the creator can upload a picture of the person’s driver’s license all they have to do is check the consent box themselves. This is very easy for a boyfriend or husband to do.

9 FAQs About the OnlyFans Non-Consent Lawsuit

1. What is the basis for the lawsuit against OnlyFans?

The lawsuit against OnlyFans centers on the platform’s failure to prevent and remove non-consensual content, which can take multiple forms. If you appeared in content posted on OnlyFans without your explicit and voluntary consent, you may have legal grounds to seek justice. Below are some of the most common ways individuals become non-consensual content creators on the platform:

Trafficking or Exploitation: OnlyFans sex traffickers or criminal enterprises use coercion, deception, or force to make victims produce content, often under false promises of money or security.
Social Media Recruitment: Predators posing as influencers or industry professionals lure individuals into filming content, later revealing their true exploitative intent.
Minors: A minor is tricked or coerced into making content by someone they trust, who later uploads it to OnlyFans.
Intimate Partner Coercion: A boyfriend, husband, or partner pressures or forces someone into filming explicit content under threat of harm, abandonment, or financial dependence.
Unknown Content Creation: A sex trafficker or abuser uploads content featuring a minor, profiting from it without the victim’s knowledge or control.

So no one is saying OnlyFans is not legal. But the key is the agreement of consenting adults. In these types of cases, the victims never truly consented to the creation of the content, even if they were physically present during filming.

2. Can I sue OnlyFans if my images or videos were posted without my consent?

Yes. If your private images or videos were uploaded to OnlyFans without your explicit consent, you may have legal claims against the platform. This includes cases where an ex-partner, trafficker, or other third party uploaded content without permission. Depending on your situation, you may also have claims against payment processors that facilitated financial transactions for this content. Our lawyers are not focused on these claims at the present time.

3. How are credit card companies like Visa and Mastercard involved?

The lawsuit would seek to hold Visa and Mastercard accountable for knowingly facilitating payments for non-consensual content on OnlyFans. These claims are a little complicated and we flush out the nuances more below.

In a nutshell, our lawyers’ OnlyFans investigation leads us to believe these financial institutions may have processed transactions despite being aware that some content on the platform involved coercion, underage individuals, or sex trafficking victims. There is apparently a whistleblower who makes this allegation. This legal claim would follow the precedent set in cases against MindGeek (Pornhub’s parent company), where Visa was accused of knowingly enabling financial transactions related to illegal content.

4. What legal claims are being made against OnlyFans and its payment processors?

The lawsuit may include claims based on:

Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA) – Holding third parties liable for financially benefiting from sex trafficking or coercion.
Negligence – Arguing that OnlyFans and payment processors failed to implement reasonable safeguards to prevent the monetization of non-consensual content.
RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act) – Alleging that OnlyFans and its financial partners operated an enterprise that profited from unlawful activity.
Unfair and Deceptive Business Practices – Claiming that OnlyFans misrepresented its platform as safe while profiting from illegal content.

5. How do I know if I qualify to join the lawsuit?

You may qualify if:

Your images or videos were uploaded to OnlyFans without your consent.
You were coerced, manipulated, or forced into creating content that was later posted on OnlyFans.
You were underage at the time of the content’s creation, even if you uploaded it yourself.
You attempted to have your content removed but faced obstacles or inaction from OnlyFans.

6. What compensation can victims receive?

Potential damages may include:

Financial compensation for the harm suffered, including emotional distress.
Statutory damages under federal and state laws protecting victims of sexual exploitation.
Punitive damages to hold OnlyFans and payment processors accountable.
Court-ordered measures requiring OnlyFans to improve safeguards against non-consensual content.

7. Does Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act protect OnlyFans from liability?

While Section 230 shields online platforms from being held liable for user-generated content in many cases, it does not provide immunity if a company actively facilitates or profits from illegal activity. If plaintiffs can show that OnlyFans directly benefited from non-consensual content or failed to act despite knowing about it, the company may not be protected by Section 230.

8. Will my identity be protected if I join the lawsuit?

Yes. We understand the privacy concerns victims have as they seek settlement compensation in claims like this. In cases involving sensitive personal content, courts generally allow plaintiffs to file anonymously (e.g., using initials instead of full names) to protect their privacy. Our law firm will take all necessary steps to keep your identity confidential.

9. How do I get involved in the lawsuit?

If you believe you have a claim, contact our legal team for a free, confidential case evaluation. You can call us at 800-553-8082 or fill out our online contact form to discuss your legal options.

Holding Credit Companies Liable

In addition to bring lawsuits against OnlyFans for non-consensual content, new evidence has opened the possibility of bringing claims against credit card companies like Visa and MasterCard. In January 2023, a high ranking compliance executive in the banking and credit card industry filed a whistleblower complaint accusing Visa and MasterCard of knowingly facilitating transactions involving non-consensual sexual content.

The details of the whistleblower complaint, which was filed with the U.S. Treasury Department, suggests that both Visa and Mastercard knew that they were processing transactions on OnlyFans that might be for child porn or non-consensual content. The companies might have had this knowledge as early as 2021. The legal allegations behind the whistleblower complaint are based on violations of the Bank Secrecy Act by knowingly laundering proceeds from illegal activities.

This information about the knowledge that Visa and Mastercard may have had regarding non-consensual or illegal content being sold on OnlyFans will form the basis of a class action lawsuit.

How Would an OnlyFans Lawsuit Against the Credit Card Companies Work?

One of the strongest potential claims against Visa and MasterCard falls under the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA). This federal law allows trafficking survivors to sue not just the individuals who trafficked them but also any third parties that financially benefited from the exploitation. If a credit card company continued processing payments for OnlyFans despite warnings or reports of coerced content—and it appears we have that— it could be held liable for benefiting from human trafficking. Courts have already allowed similar claims to proceed against financial institutions in cases involving adult content websites like PornHub.

Another possible legal argument is negligence and reckless disregard. Credit card companies are subject to anti-money laundering (AML) regulations and risk monitoring requirements. So they have a legal obligation to investigate red flags associated with transactions. If a pattern of complaints, law enforcement alerts, or internal investigations suggested that OnlyFans hosted non-consensual content, yet these companies continued processing transactions, they could be found negligent. This is similar to recent cases where credit card processors faced scrutiny for failing to act on clear warning signs of illicit activity.

A third legal avenue could involve unfair and deceptive business practices under consumer protection laws. If OnlyFans users, including trafficking victims, were coerced into making content and Visa or MasterCard knowingly facilitated payments for such content, they could be accused of participating in deceptive or unfair trade practices. This claim would focus on whether these financial institutions engaged in business practices that directly or indirectly contributed to consumer harm.

Finally, there could bea Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) claim. That sounds crazy to many because they are used to RICO involving the mafia. But civilly, plaintiffs’ lawyers can argue that OnlyFans, along with payment processors or third-party facilitators, operated an enterprise that profited from unlawful conduct. Plaintiffs would need to demonstrate:

A pattern of illegal activity (e.g., knowingly processing payments for trafficking-related content).
A coordinated effort among OnlyFans, financial institutions, and potentially other parties to maximize profit from such content.
Financial gain as a direct result of the alleged misconduct.

Where the Battle Would Lie in OnlyFans Lawsuits Against Credit Card Companies?

These cases will not be a walk in the park to a jury verdict, which is why you have not seen anyone file an OnlyFans lawsuit making these clams yet. Visa and MasterCard are likely to argue that Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act shields them from liability because they do not control or create user-generated content on OnlyFans. They may also claim they are merely neutral financial intermediaries with no direct involvement in what happens on the platform. Another potential defense is the layered structure of payment processing, as OnlyFans uses third-party processors like Paxum and Epoch, which may complicate proving direct financial benefit or knowledge.

That said, we think OnlyFans sex abuse lawsuits can succeed. Litigation against credit card companies has succeeded in the past. Again, the model would be the lawsuits against Pornhub’s parent company, MindGeek, where Visa was accused of knowingly processing payments for illegal content, including child exploitation and non-consensual videos. Courts have allowed claims to proceed, finding that Visa may have played a role in facilitating financial transactions despite evidence of illegal content. The outcome of these cases could set an important precedent for how financial institutions are held accountable in the OnlyFans lawsuits.

As for the Section 230 argument, there is not immunity if a platform is found to have actively participated in or financially benefitted from illegal activity, such as trafficking.If plaintiffs can show that OnlyFans had direct involvement (e.g., promoting content, financially incentivizing certain creators, or failing to act on known reports of exploitation), they may overcome Section 230 defenses. Prior cases have argued that platforms do more than simply host content—they may engage in moderation policies that selectively allow problematic content to remain while profiting from it.

So for plaintiffs, this means that lawsuits against credit card companies could provide another avenue for justice, particularly if they can uncover evidence that Visa or MasterCard knew or should have known that OnlyFans was hosting coerced content. These cases may result in significant settlement payout and, just as important in the big picture, regulatory and internal changes, reinforcing the obligation of financial institutions to prevent their systems from being used for exploitation.

Timeline of Abuse Allegations Involving OnlyFans

2019 – Early Signs of Coercion in Content Creation

Reports begin surfacing that some individuals, particularly women in vulnerable financial situations, are being coerced by intimate partners or acquaintances into creating adult content for websites like OnlyFans.
Anti-trafficking organizations start tracking cases where victims claim they were deceived or pressured into making content on various platforms
Online forums and advocacy groups begin raising concerns about a lack of verification procedures on sexually explicit platforms.

2020 – Lockdowns, Increased Exploitation, and Organized Coercion

Pandemic Impact: The COVID-19 pandemic leads to widespread unemployment, creating a boon in OnlyFans signups from bored COVID shut-ins. Quickly, some exploiters take advantage of the financial desperation of victims.
Emergence of ‘Manager’ Exploitation: Influencers and self-proclaimed “content managers” advertise services promising to handle OnlyFans accounts but are later accused by victims of seizing control of accounts and withholding earnings.
Fears of Coerced Creation; Reports emerge of law enforcement investigating cases of coerced content creation, with some allegations involving content later appearing on OnlyFans.

2021 – First Major Trafficking Lawsuits & Growing Law Enforcement Scrutiny

Legal Action Begins: The first civil lawsuits emerge against individuals accused of coercing women into creating content against their will. Some victims claim they were drugged or physically abused.
Federal Investigations Opened: U.S. federal agencies and international law enforcement begin investigating adult content websites for potentially profiting from coerced content.
Verification Loopholes: Reports indicate that while OnlyFans requires ID verification for creators, many traffickers bypass this by using stolen IDs or forcing victims to submit documents.
Coerced Content Monetization: Victims report that abusers actively manage accounts, taking 100% of the profits while holding them captive or under psychological duress.

2022 – High-Profile Cases Expose the Dark Side of OnlyFans

Influencers Arrested: A well-known social media figure is arrested for allegedly recruiting young women under false pretenses, coercing them into OnlyFans content, and taking all their earnings.
International Networks Uncovered: Law enforcement in multiple countries, including the UK, U.S., and Romania, begins dismantling organized sex-trafficking rings using adult websites to generate revenue (we assume OnlyFans was involved).

2023 – Growing Legal & Financial Pressure on OnlyFans

Banking Industry Scrutiny: A whistleblower from the financial sector alleges that Visa and Mastercard knowingly processed payments for content suspected to involve trafficking victims.
Policy Changes (But Too Late?): OnlyFans updates its content verification policies, requiring consent documentation for all participants. However, anti-sex trafficking groups argue the changes are inadequate and come too late for many victims.

2024-25 – Expanding Legal Battles & More Victims Speak Out

- Class Action Discussions Begin: Attorneys explore legal action against both OnlyFans and credit card companies, alleging complicity in profiting from coerced content.
- Survivors Speak Publicly: Advocacy groups share testimonies from women who describe years of abuse, manipulation, and coercion while their abusers profited through the platform.
- Platform Reputation Shift: OnlyFans struggles to distance itself from sex trafficking allegations, while major banks and advertisers reevaluate their association with adult content websites.

OnlyFans Non-Consensual Content Class Action Lawsuit

Our law firm is currently seeking plaintiffs to serve as class representatives in a new class action lawsuit against Visa and Mastercard for financing the purchase of non-consensual content on OnlyFans. The lawsuit will allege that these credit card companies knew or should have known that some of the content being sold on OnlyFans was non-consensual, either because it involved minors, rape, or subjects who did not consent to publication.

These financial institutions could face liability for their role in processing payments for content that includes coerced or trafficked individuals. This legal theory builds on past cases where credit card companies were sued for knowingly facilitating payments for platforms accused of profiting from sexual exploitation.

The class action lawsuit will develop detailed allegations that Visa and Mastercard failed to develop and enforce proper policies and procedures to ensure that their payment processing networks were not being used for the sale of non-consensual content. These allegations could be based on failures to comply with certain federal laws and regulations, such as the Bank Secrecy Act.

Contact Us About Lawsuits for Non-Consensual Content on OnlyFans

If you (or your child) had non-consensual sexual content posted and sold on OnlyFans, you may qualify to serve as one of the named plaintiffs in a new class action lawsuit against Visa and Mastercard. If you are interested in this, call us today at 800-553-8082 or contact us online.