In May 2024, the UK’s media regulator opened a formal investigation into OnlyFans over whether its age checks were doing enough to keep minors off the platform. In June 2026, the US House of Representatives passed a bill that would make age verification a federal requirement for any commercial site where more than a third of the content is “harmful to minors,” by a vote of 267 to 117. Two countries, two different mechanisms, one direction: age verification on adult platforms is no longer optional, and it is no longer something each platform quietly decides on its own.
If you post or plan to post adult content for money, this affects you directly, whichever country you’re in. Here is what is actually changing, what it means for you day to day, and why the platform you choose matters more than it did a year ago.
What’s actually changing
The UK: Ofcom investigating OnlyFans directly
Ofcom, the UK’s communications regulator, is investigating whether OnlyFans failed to take “appropriate measures to prevent under-18s from accessing pornographic material,” a requirement for UK-based video-sharing platforms. Ofcom is also checking whether OnlyFans gave complete and accurate answers to its formal information requests. The investigation is still open, and Ofcom says it will update the public once it has more to share.
The US: a federal verification standard moves through Congress
The SCREEN Act, part of the broader KIDS Act, passed the House on June 29 and now sits with the Senate. It would require any commercial site where more than a third of the content counts as harmful to minors to verify a user’s age before letting them in, with the Federal Trade Commission writing the actual standards. OnlyFans and similar platforms already verify age for creators and subscribers, so the basic idea is not new. What would be new is a single federal rulebook, FTC enforcement and audits, and liability if a platform gets it wrong, replacing the patchwork of state laws creators and platforms currently track one by one. You can read more detail in this report on the bill and what it changes.
Context worth knowing: earlier in 2026, the Supreme Court upheld a Texas law requiring age verification for adult sites, which is part of why this kind of bill has momentum now.
France: Arcom investigates platforms directly
France’s media regulator, Arcom, opened an investigation in October 2026 into Mym, a French creator-subscription platform, over suspected violations of the EU’s Digital Services Act: how its age checks are set up and activated, and whether its terms of use and recommendation-system disclosures are transparent enough. Arcom sent a formal information request on October 14 with a 15-day deadline to respond. No violation has been established yet, Arcom says it is still checking whether its concerns hold up, and the platform can face fines of up to 6% of global turnover if a genuine breach is found, or up to 1% for an inadequate response. Reporting on the investigation notes this follows the same EU rules Arcom already applies to other adult platforms with French users.
What this means for you as a creator
None of this changes whether you can be a creator. It changes how the verification happens and who is responsible when it fails.
- Verification gets more formal, not more frequent. You’re already proving your age once to sign up. What changes is the standard behind that proof and who audits it.
- Geo-blocking stops being a shortcut. A single federal standard, if the Senate passes it, would replace the state-by-state rules platforms currently juggle by blocking entire states. That is good news if you’ve ever lost access to your own account while traveling or moving.
- Your ID data becomes a bigger target. Neither bill spells out exactly how long verification providers keep your documents or how well they’re secured. A breach at a verification vendor, not at the platform itself, is the real risk worth watching.
Why platform choice matters more now
Every platform will eventually run the same verification check. What differs is what happens around it: how long your documents are kept, whether the platform treats a compliance update as routine maintenance or an excuse to freeze your balance, and whether it tells you anything when the rules change. We wrote more about what separates a platform worth staying on from one worth leaving, and verification practices are now part of that checklist, not a footnote to it.
On Youfanly, verification is a one-time step, not a recurring obstacle course, and your documents aren’t shared beyond what’s needed to confirm you are who you say you are. Payouts stay predictable and your privacy stays yours, whichever country’s rules change next.
What to do right now
- Keep your own copy of whatever verification confirmation your platform gives you. If a platform disappears or locks you out, you’ll want proof you were already verified.
- Read your platform’s actual data retention policy for ID documents, not just its marketing page. Look for how long they’re stored and whether a third party holds them.
- Don’t wait for a law to force a platform’s hand. If a platform has been vague about verification or payouts before now, this is the moment that vagueness gets more expensive for you.
FAQ
I don’t live in the UK or the US. Does this affect me?
Indirectly, yes. Platforms tend to build one verification system and apply it everywhere rather than maintaining different rules per country, so a US or UK standard usually becomes the global standard for that platform.
Will I have to re-verify my age again?
Possibly, if your platform updates its system to meet a new standard. That’s a normal, one-time step, not a sign anything is wrong with your account.
Is this legal advice?
No. Laws differ by country and change quickly. This is a summary of public reporting and regulator statements, not legal guidance for your specific situation. Talk to a local professional if you need advice for your country.
Become a creator on Youfanly
Verification requirements are getting stricter everywhere. The difference is whether your platform treats that as a reason to protect you or a reason to make your life harder. Become a creator on Youfanly and get verified once, get paid predictably, and keep your documents yours.
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