Two anti-sex-work groups are urging TikTok to hide content they deem “related” to the industry after they determined that the platform funnels teenage girls toward OnlyFans.
The report, The TikTok to OnlyFans Pipeline: How TikTok Is Promoting, Normalizing and Glamourizing the Sex Industry, was first previewed by The Guardian on November 7, before its official 26-page global launch by authors Melinda Tankard Reist and Dr. Elly Hanson on Monday, November 9. It comes from the Centre to End All Sexual Exploitation (Cease) in the UK and Collective Shout in Australia, two groups aiming to abolish the sex industry, not just regulate it.
The Report: Adult ‘References’ and ‘Related’ Recommendations
Researchers spent about a year watching non-explicit TikToks posted by popular young OnlyFans creators then followed what TikTok’s algorithm recommended next. They say that ultimately, many creators slip adult references into ordinary lifestyle videos, including shopping hauls, baking, pets, skincare and “get ready with me” clips.
TikTok bans mentioning or linking to OnlyFans but the report says creators get around the ban with euphemisms, emojis and gestures. Its best-known example is “corn” in place of “porn,” sometimes shown as a corn emoji next to a star. The groups also say that posts showing cash, houses, private jets and cars entice teens into the adult world. And while this type of brag posting come from all types of creators, they point to quotes such as: “how it feels knowing I own all of this at 23 thanks to 250,000 men.”
The report argues that these posts promote a lifestyle of financial freedom and glamour, highlighting creators like Sophie Rain, Ari Kytsya, and groups such as the Miami Bop House, alongside big brand deals scored by adult creators. While OnlyFans data shows top earners pulling in over $1 million, researchers note the average annual income across its five million creators is only about a $1,000. The study also warns of recruitment practices targeting girls ahead of their 18th birthday, noting that in Australia—which leads globally in per-capita creators at 140,000—about 20% of creators are aged 18 to 25.
Measures Already in Place
Both platforms defend their safety measures. TikTok bans sexual content, deploys advanced tech to enforce guidelines, and blocks age-inappropriate material from minors. OnlyFans maintains strict 18 and older guidelines, utilizing mandatory age and identity verification.
The demand to restrict content “related” to the sex industry arrives amid heightened scrutiny. In the UK, Ofcom launched a formal Section 12 probe under the Online Safety Act in July 2026 to evaluate TikTok’s age-inference tools and algorithmic protections, carrying potential fines up to £18 million or 10% of global revenue. In the U.S., unsealed October 2026 depositions revealed internal warnings regarding child safety gaps and skipped age surveys.
For regulators, enforcing a broad ban on “related” SFW lifestyle content poses a complex challenge of policing creators’ external careers rather than explicitly prohibited posts, and it it likely to impose overreaching censorship on creators in general. Indeed, if the proposal is adopted, it is sure to extend beyond explicit material (judging what material deserves that label is subjective, especially when social media uses automated filters to determine them) and into safe-for-work accounts that creators use for marketing their brands.
