Gumroad, an e-commerce company for creators, updated its rules to more strictly limit NSFW content, citing restrictions from payment processors like Stripe and PayPal.
For creators who sell adult artwork, such as explicit comic books or explicit cosplay photos, this sudden policy change could be detrimental, resulting in an unexpected loss of revenue.
Sleepingirl, a kinky educator and author, told TechCrunch: “I am concerned on many levels about the livelihoods and livelihoods of all types of creators in my field: artists, writers, sex workers, content creators of all kinds,” he said. “This is certainly far from the first site to bow to pressure from payment processors, and it won’t be the last, but this is the first time my content (primarily academic and educational) appears to be under threat.”
Adult creators are taught to expect this kind of deplatforming. This happened on Patreon, which was much more lax about NSFW content, and it almost happened on OnlyFans as well. However, this does not make these policy changes any less impactful. If creators have to transfer followers to a new platform or direct fans to another web store to purchase products, friction can result in lost revenue.
“We have been asked to enforce ToS more strictly and we must comply,” Gumroad founder Sahil Lavingia told TechCrunch. He declined to say which companies had asked Gumroad to implement stricter rules. He said, “Obviously it sucks to do something like this. We don’t take lightly the fact that so many creators depend on Gumroad for their livelihood, and we pass that on to our partners whenever and wherever we can,” he said. “We have been around since 2011 and this is not a new fight. “It is currently in progress.”
This decision won't be good for Gumroad's business either. The platform takes a 10% cut of all sales and adult content is popular on the platform. Competitors like Just For Fans are already jump at the opportunity To bring these displaced creators on board.
It's becoming increasingly difficult to monetize sexual work online. In 2021, OnlyFans announced that it would no longer host adult content, which was embarrassing. That's because the site is almost synonymous with sex (OnlyFans has tried to provide a safe service for the workplace, with little success). The site received so much backlash that it changed direction. OnlyFans can now accept credit card payments from Visa/Mastercard as it complies with the payment processor's recent stricter adult content policies. People who appear in porn on OnlyFans must verify their identity through legal documents and biometric scans, and all models must sign a form confirming that they have consented to be recorded.
These heightened restrictions have extended to artists who neither actually perform in pornography nor represent real people at all in their work.
“Gumroad’s inclusion of ‘sexual coaching services or explicit educational content’ as prohibited content makes me concerned not only about my income, but about the entire discussion about safe sex and kinky practices,” Sleeping Girl said.
Patreon also updated its adult content guidelines this week to more precisely define what is acceptable on the site. Adult creators don't see this timing as a coincidence.
“I personally don’t know what to do next with my content,” said Sleepingirl. “I'm trying to plan my next steps, but Gumroad has been the ideal free store for ebooks, instructional videos, and all kinds of other digital content like the one I sell. Almost all other services charge hefty monthly fees and already have terms of service that do not allow adult content.”
For Gumroad, Lavingia is wondering what the company should do next.
“Should Gumroad hire a lobbyist?” he asked TechCrunch in an email.