OnlyFans will begin requiring criminal background checks for creators on its platform, marking a significant shift in its verification practices.

The move follows Pornhub’s recent announcement that it will require background screenings for studios and producers. Unlike Pornhub’s policy, OnlyFans plans to apply these checks directly to content creators.

The update comes after years of heightened scrutiny over how adult platforms manage safety, moderation, and identity verification. OnlyFans CEO Keily Blair said the company is adding this new layer of screening through its partnership with Checkr Trust, a United States-based background check provider.

“One of our core principles at OnlyFans is safety by design,” Blair said. “As a community of over 370 million fans and 4 million content creators, the people who create and connect on our platform put a lot of trust in us, and we are always looking for new and innovative ways to protect our community.”

She noted that the platform already has what it considers one of the strictest onboarding systems in the user-generated content industry. New creators must complete age and identity verification, which includes submitting a valid government-issued ID and taking a live image that is matched to the document.

This biometric step is designed to confirm that the person holding the ID is the same person in the photo and the same person operating the account. These biometric checks are repeated periodically for active creators through random prompts that require new face scans tied to the original identification record. The system is intended to detect account sharing, impersonation, or attempts to transfer account ownership.

Checkr Trust adds a further layer of screening. The company processes more than 10 million user checks each month and uses more than 2400 real-time criminal record sources. OnlyFans said the partnership helps identify individuals whose criminal convictions may pose safety risks to the community and prevents them from creating accounts.

The shift also aligns with the financial industry’s “know your customer” regulations. Platforms that distribute earnings must verify identity and account ownership to reduce fraud and limit liability exposure. Pressure increased on adult platforms after the sex trafficking convictions of the GirlsDoPorn operators, which triggered broader legal and regulatory demands aimed at improving safety and vetting standards across the industry.

OnlyFans has repeatedly stated that safety and trust must be built directly into the product. Its 2021 Transparency Report showed that roughly 59 percent of creator applications submitted that year were rejected for failing to meet its verification or vetting standards. The company continues account-level checks after creators join the platform through ongoing biometric confirmation and documentation reviews.

Although Pornhub has explained that its screenings focus on fraud, child predation, and violent criminal history, OnlyFans has not yet detailed which offenses would prevent someone from joining as a creator. The company also did not clarify whether background checks will apply to current creators or only to new sign-ups. With more than four million creators already on the platform, the scale of implementation remains an open question.

OnlyFans is expected to begin rolling out the new requirement in the United States before expanding it to other regions. More information is expected as the company integrates Checkr Trust into its onboarding system.

This is a developing story and will be updated as new details emerge.