China banned OnlyFans nationwide, calling it a "corrupt Western disease" that threatens social harmony and traditional values.

Thousands of Chinese content creators who earned thousands of dollars monthly suddenly lost access to their content, fans, and income.

The Cyberspace Administration of China announced the ban on July 21, representing Beijing's strongest action against what state media calls "spiritual pollution from the West."

The ban came after a brief window in late 2024 when OnlyFans became unexpectedly accessible without VPNs.

Advanced Technology Blocks VPN Workarounds

Internet service providers were instructed to deploy advanced deep packet inspection technology to identify and block OnlyFans traffic, freeze financial transactions linked to the platform, and increase penalties for VPN providers.

The Cyberspace Administration referred to OnlyFans as part of a "wave of Western platforms that promote moral decay and erode socialist values" with access blocked through technology that disabled VPN workarounds.

Economic Impact on Creators

When OnlyFans became temporarily accessible in November 2024, users on Weibo quipped that it could "revitalize the economy" or provide "career options for college students" amid youth unemployment at 17.6% for ages 16-24.

One Weibo user suggested it could "alleviate sexual repression, release social pressure, and reduce friction and conflict."

Creators who previously earned income through OnlyFans must pivot to domestic platforms like WeChat or Bilibili, which are heavily moderated and less lucrative for adult content.

Part of Broader Internet Cleanup

The ban fits into China's broader 2024 campaign to "clean up" the internet, including investigations into 13 major platforms like WeChat for hosting inappropriate content.

The Golden Shield Project, initiated in 1998, forms the backbone of China's censorship system with over 60 online restrictions enforced by provincial ISPs and tech firms.

OnlyFans joins a list of platforms banned in multiple countries including Sweden, Dubai, Thailand, and Russia.

Thousands of key opinion leaders who used OnlyFans via workarounds to earn from global audiences now face a future limited to heavily moderated domestic platforms with far less earning potential.