OnlyFans was on everyone’s lips for months. Those were days when the pandemic had already become a reality that we lived through on a daily basis. And, in the middle of news about the coronavirus, those focused on this social network that works with a subscription to have full access to the material of content creators appeared. What was really striking was that a large part of that proposal was erotic or porn . XXX content on demand . Now, the platform is already known although it is no longer the only way to get this type of exclusive content. In the midst of a whirlwind of Telegram downloads, the messaging app channels have become an alternative to OnlyFans .

Mia started uploading this type of content when the quarantine began, “because she had no job or money . Like most people who make this decision, he decided to open an account at OnlyFans but, months later, he switched to LoverFans , a social network that is exclusively dedicated to adult content, but is a first cousin of OnlyFans. However, your Telegram channel is what gives you the most profitability.

The downloads of the platform have risen like foam in recent months due to the new privacy policies of WhatsApp. Telegram has managed to corner the most downloaded messaging app in the world. You could do the same with the platform that became famous for its erotic and subscription content.

Telegram channels: without intermediaries
Mia decided to open her channel on Telegram, in the first place, because there are no intermediaries in payments . On platforms such as OnlyFans, payments are made through the app and the app also receives a commission which, in the case of the latter, is 20% . On the other hand, in a private Telegram channel, all the money that Mía receives from her ‘fans’ goes entirely to her. “My money earned is mine, without commissions or giving a percentage to anyone,” he explained to Hipertextual .

The operation is simple: Mía completely controls who enters and leaves her Telegram channel because only those people to whom she sends the link can enter. For this, the ‘fan’ has to pay first for the subscription. In the case of Mía, the rates are € 10 per month, € 15 for two months and € 25 for three. “It depends on the time they have paid, once it’s over, I throw them out.” Payment options are through payment service providers such as Bizum or Verse .

‘I couldn’t enter OnlyFans because my passport was expired’

Fetish content, explicit sessions, videos … Mía uploads all kinds of content to Telegram and, as in all the app’s channels, interaction between users is not allowed. “Only I can send messages, so that there is the same thread and it doesn’t take away the magic to suddenly see other people’s reactions. However, it does have private messages enabled for those who want a ‘sexting’ session. That is paid separately , of course.

Anderson López compared the operation of the channel with a WhatsApp group but in which only he can speak. In your case, Telegram and Twitter are the promotion platforms for your porn content. “I could not enter the OnlyFans platform because my passport is expired and must be valid to register or they reject your account,” explained Anderson from Colombia to Hipertextual .

Despite not having a number of followers with many zeros, the content creator has managed to attract loyal fans that allow it to increase its financial income. Like Mía, the decision to start uploading pornographic content is explained by a difficult financial situation. “The pandemic has lowered the economy of our homes and not only in my house, but in that of many. Porn has always sold very well, it generates good income and I feel like I can do it. I have the attitude and support of some people ”.

Anderson started on Twitter and the ‘fans’ he got were enough to open his Telegram channel with exclusive content. For $ 6 a month you can access your channel with pornographic photos and videos. “They can acquire my content by sending money to my bank accounts in Colombia. I am currently enabling Skrill (an online payment platform) and Western Union shipping. They send me the money, the filing number and their Telegram username and I add them to the channel ”.

Anderson López affirmed that he was starting out in this sector but his objective is to continue growing. “I am recording and taking some photos for publicity and for the Telegram channel. I will try to handle this as professionally as possible ”, he highlighted.

Despite the fact that Mia and Anderson opted for Telegram channels as an alternative to OnlyFans, the platform that became famous for offering subscriptions for exclusive content does not seem to be going to ruin. According to Mía, based on the behavior she saw on OnlyFans before leaving the platform, many people prefer to enter these apps to see very different profiles. In the case of Telegram, it is more personal .

However, the channels on Telegram with erotic content can be a tonic that other ‘influencers’ who are present in OnlyFans begin to follow. Especially for those who want to get their payment without intermediaries. After creating their network of followers on the platform, content creators could promote their Telegram channel to get an extra on their income. Or, as in the case of Anderson, bet on the union of Twitter and Telegram.

The ‘oasis’ of porn beyond OnlyFans

Telegram Channels, OnlyFans
Dainis Graveris / Unsplash
Facebook vetoes ponographic content. Also Instagram. And Google. And YouTube. Almost everyone except Twitter . Despite the fact that the social network has tightened the fence on fake news and violent content, it has not done the same with photos and porn videos. It is not unreasonable to say, therefore, that Twitter has become one of the last havens of XXX content .

Telegram is the other. The community of the messaging app increases every day for the sake of greater privacy. There is a control on public channels, in which pornographic, terrorist content, or the violation of intellectual property will be a reason for blocking. However, private channels are confidential and encrypted. That means no one can see them. Therefore, they can only be accessed through a link or an invitation from the administrator.

Actually, the channels that Mía or Anderson have could also be transferred to WhatsApp. They could create a group of which they were administrators and control who enters or leaves it. In fact, Mia claimed that she has sexted with some of her ‘fans’ through this platform. But this strategy is watering for a number of reasons. First of all, because WhatsApp groups have a maximum of 100 members . It is not a good place to increase the community of followers.

On the other hand, to add someone it is necessary to have their phone number and the administrator’s contact would also be exposed. In Telegram, on the other hand, only the username is necessary to access the channels or to create them.

Is it more insecure?
In private channels, all control is in the hands of whoever created it. But what is gained in personality can be lost in security. “Any type of illegal content can be distributed, also fake news and people can be harassed and things like that,” warned Hypertextual Marco Preuss, director of Kaspersky’s global research and analysis team (GReAT) for Europe . He continued that, regardless of the psychological aspect, “users who use these channels have to be aware that they are also controlled and intervened by the police and the forces of order. Private channels are not outside the law and can be traced. “.

If we think of possible fraud, we can think of users who transfer to a content creator who never adds them to the channel. Or that you receive a virus folder disguised as erotic photos and videos. However, Preuss indicated that even though the scam is possible, it is not a specific Telegram problem . “It is necessary to always be careful with what is done on these types of platforms and be cautious with the data that is shared, as well as with the places where the money is sent,” he explained to Hypertextual .

Is it less secure for content creators to have a Telegram channel instead of managing everything by OnlyFans? There is no clear answer because, the expert pointed out, each platform has its pros and cons. But all precautions are necessary , Marco Preuss concluded:

“Content creators need to be aware that content leaks can occur, regardless of the platform they use. In addition, there may be other repercussions that must be taken into account before entering this area.”

Marco Preuss, Director of the Global Research and Analysis Team (GReAT) for Europe at Kaspersky
Porn vs. pandemic
We may or may not agree with these new ways of consuming ponography, but it is a growing phenomenon that began with the coronavirus pandemic. Since March of last year, when in countries like Spain a home confinement was established that would last more than two months, the consumption of pornography began a golden age.

It is not surprising, therefore, that the consumption of pornography increased worldwide by 11% during the month of March 2020, according to a study published after the first confinement in the Journal of Behavioral Addictions. So much so that even Pornhub extended its free porn period so that everyone could enjoy the content.

But the real winner of the pandemic was OnlyFans . Currently, the platform adds half a million users to its community every day. In total, you’re paying $ 200 million a month to content creators. The numbers are only growing .

And, while the pandemic does not seem to have a near end, the channels and options to access pornographic content are increasing. And, unfortunately, so do the difficulties for many young people without work who end up creating their Telegram channel with pornographic content to earn money. Like Mia and Anderson.