In a surprising turn of events, OnlyFans, a platform renowned for its adult content, has become accessible in China, a country with a strict censorship program and zero-tolerance policy for pornography. This leaves many to wonder how this platform is circumventing government censors.
Some hawk-eyed X (formerly Twitter) users first noticed the site's accessibility as early as a week ago, and CNN confirmed Thursday that OnlyFans accounts can now be viewed in China. GreatFire.org, a watchdog for internet freedom in China, notes that OnlyFans has been sporadically accessible before but never for such a sustained period.
The Mystery Behind OnlyFans' Chinese Access
Beijing typically blocks thousands of websites, including those hosting pornography, which is illegal in China. The government enforces a strict zero-tolerance policy against sexually explicit content. This is why the unexpected accessibility of OnlyFans in China has sparked online speculation.
Some Weibo users humorously suggest that the government might indirectly address the country's youth unemployment crisis by opening up avenues for content creation on the platform. "Isn't this another measure to provide employment?" one post asks.
"This is a good company that gives creators 90% of the income! Isn't it better than actual work??" said another. The unemployment rate for young adults aged 16 to 24, excluding students, stood at 17.1 percent in October, a slight decrease from the peak recorded in August, according to official data.
China's Youth Unemployment Crisis
China's youth unemployment rate reached record highs last year, prompting authorities to suspend the data and reintroduce it using a new methodology. While OnlyFans is predominantly known for adult content, the platform also hosts creators sharing music, fitness videos, and other non-explicit material.
Last year, the company even introduced a separate, porn-free streaming service focusing on comedy and sports. Despite this diversity, the platform's accessibility in China, a country notorious for its strict censorship and harsh penalties for VPN usage to access pornographic content, remains puzzling.
VPN User Faces Consequences
A Chinese man in the southern region faced administrative punishment in July 2020 for going around the country's stringent internet censorship system to access pornographic content, state media reported.
Local authorities in Jinshi, Hunan Province, apprehended a man surnamed Chen for using the Shadowrocket app to bypass China's Great Firewall and access pornographic content. Shadowrocket is a popular tool that allows users to connect to proxy servers, including those using the censorship-circumvention protocol Shadowsocks.
Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) are the primary tools used to circumvent China's Great Firewall, which blocks access to numerous foreign websites and apps, including Facebook, Google, and major news outlets.
In 2017, Chinese authorities implemented new regulations requiring VPN providers to register with the state, removing many VPN apps from Apple's Chinese App Store. More advanced circumvention techniques, such as Shadowsocks, are employed to bypass the Great Firewall.
Bypassing The Great Firewall Of China
Often miscategorised as a VPN, Shadowsocks is a sophisticated SOCKS5 proxy designed to evade censorship. While VPNs and Shadowsocks encrypt internet traffic, authorities claimed to have identified Chen's online activities, which primarily involved accessing pornographic websites. The revelation was made in a now-deleted WeChat post from the city's public security bureau.
Police did not disclose the method used to uncover Chen's online activities. While the specific punishment for Chen remains undisclosed, the Jinshi police warned that individuals using personal channels to access international networks could face fines of up to 15,000 yuan (US$2,142). Those selling such services could face imprisonment.
While some speculate that being able to access OnlyFans could be a strategy to address the country's youth unemployment crisis, only time will tell the true intentions behind this surprising shift.
