Why are Bella Thorne, Cardi B launching accounts on uncensored site OnlyFans?

OnlyFans, a social media network, has created a buzz among netizens four years after its launch as A-listers like Bella Thorne and Cardi B have taken to the site to provide exclusive content to their fans.

OnlyFans is a content subscription service based in London, where content creators can earn money from users who subscribe to their content-- the "fans." It allows the creators to receive funding directly from their fans on a monthly basis as well as on tips and the pay-per-view (PPV) feature.

The subscribers pay a monthly membership fee to access the creator's exclusive content, 80 percent of which is transferred to the creator at the end of the month while the remaining 20 percent is retained by OnlyFans. The site is different from other social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube as it allows its users to publish NSFW content which is not permitted elsewhere.

After its launch in 2016, the platform became synonymous with the adult entertainment industry and sexual content as pornography was allowed, even though it hosted content creators from other genres such as physical fitness experts, chefs and musicians too. In a documentary published by BBC Three in April 2020, it was reported that on a single day, a third of Twitter profiles globally advertising 'nudes4sale' (or similar) appeared to belong to underage individuals on various platforms, and many of those used OnlyFans to share their content.

However, the platform recently got a mainstream boost with artists like Cardi B taking to the site to control their content. The latest artist to join the platform is Bella Thorne, who often shares controversial content with her 23.5 million fans on Instagram.

The "Disney" alum, who created a wave last year by making her directorial debut with an adult film "Her & Him" on pornographic site Pornhub, shared a steamy video on her Instagram account to announce her launch on OnlyFans. "Excuse me, I have an announcement," the "Infamous" actress says in the video which shows her in a bikini and wearing a cheeky necklace that reads "sex."

While Cardi B's account subscription is set at $4.99 per month, Thorne comparatively charges much more at $20 a month. The 22-year-old also offers a subscription bundle of six months for $102.

Thorne spoke about her new venture in an interview with Paper magazine, saying: "OnlyFans is the first platform where I can fully control my image; without censorship, without judgement, and without being bullied online for being me."