OnlyFans said it can no longer serve its Russian creators because of payment restrictions

• OnlyFans said it is temporarily pausing Russian creators' accounts amid the ongoing war in Ukraine.
• The platform said it faced ongoing payment restrictions.

OnlyFans said it is pausing Russian creators' accounts amid the ongoing war in Ukraine.

The subscription-based platform known for its adult content said it could "no longer properly serve our Russian creator community" in a statement to Motherboard on Thursday.

The platform said it had to "temporarily pause accounts where payments are received in Russia" because of ongoing restrictions to and from Russia.

Complimentary Tech Event

Transform talent with learning that works

Capability development is critical for businesses who want to push the envelope of innovation.Discover how business leaders are strategizing around building talent capabilities and empowering employee transformation.Know More

"Over the past few months, we have explored several options to continue providing our services to creators impacted by the Russia/Ukraine war," the statement to Motherboard said.

"However, due to a further tightening of payment restrictions to and from Russia, OnlyFans can no longer properly serve our Russian creator community."

When Russia began its invasion of Ukraine on February 24, OnlyFans temporarily blocked Russian creators' accounts, citing "worldwide financial restrictions."

However, days later, the platform said it had reinstated the accounts of Russian creators.

The pause to accounts caused panic among Russian creators who said they relied on the platform for their livelihood and felt they were being unfairly punished for their governments' actions.

"I have been working as a content creator on OnlyFans for more than two years and have never been involved in politics," one Russian creator wrote in an email to Insider during the first account pause.

"I am an ordinary girl who has family and bills to pay! With all the situation in the world, I could not even think that the OnlyFans, whom I trusted, who received a commission from my earnings (20%), will betray me just because I am Russian!"

At the time, an OnlyFans spokesperson told Insider's Madeline Berg that the accounts were paused because the company was afraid creators would not be able to access their earnings.

"Things are paused because we don't want them to amass money," an OnlyFans spokesperson told Insider during the hold. "We are afraid they won't be able to get it out."

The company, which Ukrainian-American businessman Leonid Radvinsky owns, has donated over $5 million to Ukraine relief efforts, according to CoinDesk.