Website Errors, Elections And Laws

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Please forgive a rather boring email this time. I recently had a problem with thumbnail generation on SilkSoles.com, now fixed, but symptomatic of what’s shaping up to be a turbulent few months for all adult industry content creators. The reason for the thumbnail problem is, indirectly, legal changes in the USA. Various states have brought in age verification requirements with conflicting regulations, and all web hosting platforms are having to decide what to do about it. Our web hosts and billing provider, Surfnet, has very kindly implemented a system for us to use to handle this automatically.

However, it involves some sweeping changes under the hood, which can cause issues with our content management system which has been faithfully underpinning our sites since 2007. The next few months may see in a few more niggling errors
as the AVS software gets updated and more legal requirements are placed upon us; rest assured we are working to fix these as they arise.

There is a broader issue: the recent election result in the USA brings in a new administration, and some of their backers have made a lot of noise about banning pornography and locking creators and web hosts in prison. This is an attempt to explain what is going on, without getting political, and what we in the industry are doing to prepare.

TL;DR version: the message is that if you are a fan of kinky content, STOCK UP ON IT NOW. The creators need to build resources so we can adapt to necessary changes, and it’s almost certain that heavier censorship is coming to the kink arena. If you wait, you may not be able to buy it at all.

In Detail

Despite the fact that we are British, the USA is our single largest market. Our websites are hosted in the USA, as they have been for a couple of decades, and many of the large platforms through which we sell are also based in the USA.

There is a faction within the incoming administration which openly seeks to shut down the adult industry entirely. The “Mandate for Leadership” document which is guiding framework for Project 2025 explicitly states “Pornography should be outlawed” – something which they are using as a way in to attacking representation and resources for LGBT+ people online. Furthermore it states “The people who produce and distribute it should be imprisoned. Educators and public librarians who purvey it should be classed as registered sex offenders. And telecommunications and technology firms that facilitate its spread should be shuttered.”

That’s US they are talking about – your favourite creators, models, producers, websites and the platforms through which we sell. They want it all shut down and all of us doing other things, or in prison.

How strong an influence this view will have in the new administration is currently unknown and we may be catastrophizing.

What is not catastrophizing is that various states in the USA have recently introduced “Age Verification” measures. Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, Utah and Virginia have all introduced laws like this. More will probably come. Each has conflicting requirements imposed on the age verification solution, so one solution cannot be used for all of them. (For example one state requires re-verification every hour). To the proponents, this is feature not a bug – the more onerous it is for us to comply, the greater the likelihood we just give up.

Surfnet is kindly implementing state-by-state systems for all their hosted sites to at least try to keep our work available to people in those states. It’s a complex problem and is causing endless niggling technical conflicts which need fixing as they arise (in between shoot days and editing days).

It should be up and running on the eStore already, SilkSoles.com has it implemented and it’s broken the model pages and some of my webmaster admin pages; we’re fixing that now. RE and Elegance Studios will follow. We hate to do it – all of the arguments against age verification that we advanced when the UK attempted to bring in similar laws a
few years ago still apply. But we don’t really have a choice at this point.

I should emphasise again that this is real and current.

Kinky content is always the first to get attacked. I can’t put anything implying Slave Auctions up on Clips4Sale any more, no matter how clear the video makes that it is consensual, fictional or a game. For now I am editing a special version of the clip removing reference to the “auction” parts but if other billing companies follow suit the days of cheery Slave Auction videos may well be numbered. Many producers and creators are making alternate edits for the platforms vs. their own sites to pass compliance – that’s not catastrophizing either, it’s already the daily reality of production. I can’t see that getting any better – indeed what’s most likely is that all the billing platforms, even the ones outside the USA, will be pressured into applying similar rules to C4S eventually.

In short – although kinky content is never going to go away, we may well be in for a turbulent few years in terms of how we supply it. The range of what we can offer on the more public platforms may be quite restricted, and the same restrictions may eventually get applied even to smaller platforms and websites.

This alone is enough to cause upheaval in the adult industry. Add to that the continuing evolution of X (nee Twitter) under its new ownership and the adult-unfriendly nature of most other social media platforms and we’re not sure where we will be able to advertise or reach our broader fan bases. Platforms like instagram are only going to clamp down harder on anything which sniffs even faintly of kink or adult content if the administration takes a hard line approach. Clips4Sale and ManyVids will buckle under VISA and Mastercard demands to make content much more vanilla.

If you have favourite models or creators, make sure you get on their mailing lists. Following them on a platform doesn’t help if the platform shuts them down.

Obviously we are all going to try to do something about it, individually and collectively. To do that the one thing we are really going to need is your support. Implementing systems to follow the laws costs money and takes time. Changing billing or hosting or distribution channel is hugely disruptive. What we collectively as an industry beg you to do is to support us, especially for the next six months so we can build up some resources.

Analysis by Alexandra Snow

In case you still think it is just me being alarmist, I’ll quote you a thread by Alexandra Snow (Edited for brevity):

“A non-political thread.

Let’s talk realistic impacts on the adult industry for independent content creators, and my advice for both fans and SWers.

TLDR: fans of kink, femdom, niche fetishes, and individual creators should buy/stockpile content now

Creators: diversify, plan

There’s a high probability that online adult content platforms will face heightened attention from conservative policymakers and advocacy groups, leading to more cautious environments in as little as 3-6 months.

We know this because it’s already happening.

Anticipate that major social media and content-sharing platforms are likely to preemptively adjust their policies to align with anticipated regulatory shifts, potentially leading to stricter content moderation and increased deplatforming of adult content creators.

No marketing.

Introduction of bills aimed at restricting or regulating online adult content is likely. These could include measures to impose more age verification requirements, limit payment processing for adult content, or expand definitions of obscenity.

You can’t access or buy content.

Payment processors and financial institutions may begin to distance themselves, and sites must implement more aggressive content filtering to comply with new laws, leading to loss of income for creators whose content is deemed non-compliant. OF, C4S, IWC, LF, Fansly, PH, etc.

What kind of content is likely to be most affected?
Kink/Fetish/BDSM – Always the first to be impacted.
LGBTQIA+ Themes – Especially trans, but all are at risk
Female Empowerment – See also, femdom.
Fan platforms and custom content – often branded as “unregulated” and “risky”

Hardcore and explicit fetish content often pushes the boundaries of what is considered “acceptable” by conservative standards and may be deemed “obscene” or morally objectionable under more restrictive policies. These categories are often the first to be flagged or restricted.

Platforms may begin to enforce stricter guidelines on hardcore content, banning certain fetishes or practices altogether. Content creators working in BDSM, CNC, or other edge-play scenarios may be forced to significantly alter or censor their content, more than it already is.

Conservative movements often seek to police LGBTQIA+ representation, especially in adult content, under the guise of “protecting traditional values.” LGBTQIA+ adult content is frequently at risk of censorship, especially when coupled with sex-positive or exploratory themes.

LGBTQIA+ creators and those producing queer-themed adult content could face increased scrutiny and removal from mainstream platforms. This might also extend to content labeled as “educational” or “expressive,” if it doesn’t fit heteronormative standards.

That includes girl/girl.

Content creators who focus on educating about safe sexual practices, consent, kink, and other sex-positive topics may see their videos, posts, or websites flagged or removed from platforms.

Policymakers often view it as “promoting” sex work or alternative lifestyles.

Platforms like OnlyFans, LoyalFans, and others that facilitate direct engagement between creators and fans are often seen as a target because they are viewed as enabling “unregulated” adult content.

Payment processors and platforms may impose stricter verification protocols, limit types of content allowed, or outright ban certain activities on fan sites. Creators who rely on custom content requests (which may include fetishes or themes not allowed on other platforms) might be forced to move to more underground channels.

Content that explores female or queer empowerment, particularly around sexual freedom and autonomy, often clashes with conservative values. Content that encourages personal empowerment, or challenges traditional roles may face shadowbanning, deplatforming, or forced moderation.

Here’s my advice:

Diversify Platforms: Utilize multiple platforms to distribute content, reducing reliance on any single platform.

Organize your content and have a plan for how you would redistribute it to other sites if you lose one.

Diversify your topics too.

Stay Informed: Regularly monitor legislative developments and platform policy changes to anticipate and adapt. See also
@FSCArmy

Connect with fans directly: Have your own website, discord, mailing list, Telegram, etc. Keep fans informed, educate them!

For fans and supporters:

– Follow creators on multiple platforms
– Use direct support options, such as Throne, gift cards, crypto, etc
– Engage intelligently on platforms and avoid language and terms that get us flagged
– Subscribe to newsletters and private channels (if avail)

Be patient and understanding if content frequency or type changes.
Recognize that creators may have to adapt or take breaks for their mental health and safety.
Express your support and understanding, and know that these are often necessary to ensure long-term sustainability.
If you’re comfortable, consider advocating for creators’ rights by supporting organizations and policies that protect freedom of expression and digital rights. Raise awareness about the importance of supporting adult creators and the threats we face. Join
@FSCArmy
and
@EFF

Take time to learn about digital rights, online censorship, and how these issues affect adult content creators specifically.

Buy up your favorite topics and content now before you can’t find it.

Learn how to use VPNs.

And send your favorite creators encouragement.

Also understand that unlike legislation, censorship in the adult industry happens more quickly because no one wants to be caught holding the hot potato of obscenity.

It’s easier for sites to comply with these shifts than to fight them because you risk losing your $$ processors.”

We Are Not Going Anywhere. But We Need Your Support, More Than Ever

I’m sorry for the gloom and doom. I feel like I’ve cried Wolf before – because when the UK government tried to introduce these measures they pulled back at the last minute. Restrained Elegance was being investigated when the censorship body was itself wound up. I delayed sending in my response until they’d been abolished. That is not going to happen this time – the state-by-state age verification is already here.

We, and hopefully your other favourite kinky creators, are not planning on going anywhere. But it looks like we in for upheavals in the ways we can distribute what we shoot, so please bear with us. Your continued support is what keeps the adult industry alive.

I’ll send a cheerier post along tomorrow with all the latest releases. In the meantime, please support your favourite creators, the next few months are going to be a bit up and down for the industry I suspect.