Back in late 2019, hundreds (purportedly over 1,300) of sex workers, porn stars, cammers, and other adult content creators had their Instagram accounts deleted.
During this time, they noted they were seemingly held to a different standard than mainstream celebrities, and claimed they were deleted by the platform’s content moderators for ‘community standards violations’, even though they didn’t show any nudity or sex acts.
Welcome de-platforming, a not-new phenomenon in the social media world.
X, Instagram, OnlyFans, cam sites — you name it, they’ve deplatformed adult content creators. While it may seem counterintuitive (for the last two especially), it’s a relatively common occurrence. And run-of-the-mill social media platforms are the most ban-happy.
What Is De-Platforming?
De-platforming is when a site deletes or bans certain accounts, preventing them from being active on the site. In essence, they’re taking the platform from the account holder. Hence, the term “de-platformed” was coined.
On the surface, it may appear harmless — what’s the worst that can happen from suffering an account ban?
But for adult content creators like us, it can wreak havoc on our business, especially if we rely on one platform alone. For example, if you sell content on OnlyFans and they de-platform you (for whatever reason), you won’t be able to access your account or receive payments. Not ideal.
There’s also the major issue of building a following on one platform and then losing it overnight.
For creators, platforms like Instagram, Twitter, or TikTok are essential for fan engagement. A single account ban can sever your connection to thousands (or even hundreds of thousands) of fans. If your primary platform gets wiped out:
- No more DM interactions. Fans might not know where else to find you.
- No more content promotion. How will they know about your latest cam shows, clips, or subscription site updates?
- No visibility for new fans. Social media algorithms are critical for growth; losing your account means losing discoverability.
Unfortunately, adult performers are more likely to suffer account bans than anybody else.
You’re by no means the only people to feel its negative effects, but it’s something you must think about more often (and more seriously) than others. Sadly, there’s a much higher chance of being singled out and getting deleted for something users outside the adult industry can and do post.
As Alana Evans, AVN Hall of Famer, rightly says, “They discriminate against us because they don’t like what we do for a living.”
How to Reduce the Risks of Getting De-Platformed
We certainly don’t think it’s fair that sex workers, cammers, and other adult performers have to abide by seemingly different standards than other users, but it appears to be the world we still live in (yes, even though it’s 2024).
Despite X officially allowing adult content earlier this year, other channels are not following suit.
Just five months ago, a cammer on Reddit posted, “Managing social media for the NSFW community is 100% not the same as doing so for a civilian. There’s a much larger chance of being singled out and being deleted for something other people post. Just because you see nipples on someone’s account or a famous person do this or that, it absolutely does not mean everyone will get away with it.”
OK, so granted, we’ve been very doom and gloom so far, but we promise you aren’t destined for account bans just because of your career.
Following the tips below will help mitigate the risks.
#1 Diversify Platforms
The hardest way, but the smartest…
If you’ve been in the erotic content creation game for a while, you’ve probably earned a strong presence on one or two social media/streaming platforms.
However, the risks of getting de-platformed are too great (i.e., account and income loss) to stand by and let yourself be beholden to a single third-party platform. Diversification, meaning expanding your presence across multiple platforms, can provide more streams of income so you don’t lose everything if one account receives less-than-desirable news.
That said, there are downsides to diversification in the adult content creation space.
But let’s focus on the positives to start with:
- Brand expansion — Different platforms attract different demographics. By putting yourself on more than one social media platform, you’re potentially reaching new audiences. This may not be so prevalent if you’re a fetish creator. Depending on your niche, you may not find the same success on other platforms. However, many models argue it’s worth a shot — you won’t know if you don’t try.
- Reach more people — Similarly to the above, diversification helps you reach a larger audience, connecting with new people who wouldn’t have discovered you otherwise. Check out Linktree of the top adult creators and you’ll often find they are active on many different platforms, even if their paid content is confined to just one.
- Reduce reliance — As we’ve already stated, relying on a single platform can be risky due to de-platforming, policy changes, and algorithm adaptations. You can protect yourself from total financial wipeout by having your finger in multiple pies and different sources of revenue.
- Hone skills — Every social media platform is different. It comes with a unique set of features, best practices, and marketing strategies. Therefore, opening an account on a site you’ve never tried before can be a great opportunity to develop new skills and expertise. Such knowledge can help you during your adult content career and beyond. You may even uncover new ways to increase your reach on platforms you’ve used for years!
- Strengthened rapport — Being available on a wide platform selection builds trust and rapport with your fans. If you’re reachable on the social media they know and love, they’ll start associating you with their everyday lives, ensuring you achieve a level of interactivity and accessibility that other performers may not reach.
Now for the other side of the coin:
- Risk of dilution — If you’re thinking that diversification is as simple as re-posting the same content on each platform, think again. While we wish this would work, it will only dilute your content’s value, reducing engagement with your audience. Each algorithm responds differently, and the reality is that it takes a personalised approach to get the most out of any new platform.
- Risk of burnout — Maintaining a presence on multiple platforms adds extra overhead in the form of managing them all. And this pressure can lead to less-than-pleasant mental health side effects, eventually causing burnout.
- Takes time — Remember how long it took you to grow your current following? It may take just as long to build a fanbase on other sites. And the battle doesn’t stop there. Once you’ve garnered an audience, you have to keep it by posting consistent high-quality content. That said, your current followers may find you on other platforms, helping kickstart your diversification.
- Cost increase — Depending on the channels you diversify into, you may need to invest in additional resources (think software and equipment) to craft engaging content tailored to each platform. As you add platforms to your repertoire, you might need to hire a social media manager. While those worth their salt pay off in the end, they’re a costly business expense that many adult models would rather do without.
In today’s world, we believe the risk of de-platforming is too great not to diversify.
You don’t have to split your time and revenue 50/50 across two competing platforms. We all have our favorites, after all. But a rule of thumb we follow at SIXTY6 is to never iinvest more than 80% of our time/resources in to ONE platform.
#2 Use Niche Hashtags
Whether you decide to diversify or not, use hashtags relevant to the type of adult content you make — fetish or otherwise.
Generic hashtags won’t attract the right audience, leading to somebody reporting you and Instagram (or any other platform) deleting your account because of it. Ensure your spicy snaps only show up where they’re wanted
Overly broad hashtags like #model or #adultcontent are often overcrowded with posts and monitored more heavily by platforms. This increases the likelihood of your content being flagged. Niche hashtags are less competitive and attract viewers specifically interested in your content type. For example, if you create foot fetish content, hashtags like #feetpics, #footfetishnation, or #toelovers might bring in highly engaged followers.
#3 Stick to the Rules
Speaking of spicy pictures, make sure you don’t violate any guidelines when deciding what to post on which site.
Publishing nude or lewd photographs, videos, or speech on certain platforms is your one-way ticket to de-platforming!
As of November 2024, Instagram’s Community Guidelines note they don’t allow nudity on the platform, unless it’s photographs of post-mastectomy scarring or somebody actively breastfeeding.
But, according to a camming Redditor, your IG profile must also be free from any links to NSFW platforms or content. No OnlyFans linking! Instead, link to a safe-for-work buffer (like a LInktree) — there needs to be a landing between the link used for your SFW media and your adult content.
X, on the other hand, has become one of the only mainstream social networks to allow not-safe-for-work content. The platform defines adult content as “any consensually produced and distributed material depicting adult nudity or sexual behavior that is pornographic or intended to cause sexual arousal.”
All you need to do is adjust your media settings to ensure your images/videos sit behind a content warning that must be acknowledged before it can be viewed to avoid users under the age of 18 seeing your content. Pretty fair if you ask us!
As for camming sites, don’t cross-promote yourself. It’s grounds for immediate removal and one of the most common mistakes we see from newbie models getting started.
So, if you’re on CamSoda (for example), only point to your CamSoda content.
#4 Back Up Everything
One of the most common mistakes adult content creators make is relying entirely on platforms to host and manage their content.
If your account gets banned, deleted, or even hacked, you could lose years of hard work, photos, videos, and even customer interactions. Backing up your content ensures you’re always in control, no matter what happens.
Use Cloud Storage:
Platforms like Google Drive, Dropbox, or OneDrive are excellent for storing photos, videos, and other digital assets. Organize your content into folders for easy access when needed.
Invest in External Hard Drives:
Keep a physical copy of your content on an external hard drive. This is especially important for large video files that can take up a lot of cloud storage space.
Schedule Regular Backups:
Set a weekly or monthly reminder to save any new content you’ve created. Automate this process when possible to avoid forgetting.
#5 Build a Personal Brand Beyond Platforms
One of the smartest ways to safeguard your career against de-platforming is to create a personal brand that isn’t tied exclusively to any single platform.
Your brand should be recognizable and resonate with your audience no matter where they find you, giving you the freedom to pivot when needed.
The best advice we can offer here is to launch your own website and treat it as a platform in its own right.
If your identity and brand exist independently of a specific platform, fans will follow you wherever you go.
A personal website acts as a gateway hub. It can serve as the foundation of your brand. Include links to all your social platforms, a blog, an email sign-up form, and even a shop for selling content directly (if you’re in a suitable market).
De-Platforming Sucks. We Need To Talk About It
De-platforming can completely derail your business, causing you to lose precious income and the fans who give you said income.
Nobody wants to think of the devastating consequences, but trust us: if it happens, you’ll wish you did.
Thankfully, you can do a few things to mitigate the risk. But if you only pick one, make it diversification.
Reducing your reliability to one platform can pay off in the long run.
Take a look at Reddit or adult creator forums and you’ll see horror stories of models getting de-platformed dominating the discussion boards.
We’ve seen this happen first-hand, and it’s not pretty.
Got any tips for de-platforming? Feel free to share your own experiences below!
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