On May 20, the Swedish Parliament passed a law called Lex OnlyFans, which bans the purchase of sex content online. If a user pays for a subscription or pays a model – this qualifies as the purchase of sexual services.
Historical context
Sweden has had a “Scandinavian model” regarding sex work for over 20 years. Visiting a brothel or buying intimacy on the street is punished against the buyer, not the one who provides the service.
The logic is simple: sex workers (more often women) do it under pressure, due to poverty and exploitation, so they should not be punished, while clients (more often men) finance this business.
A clause has been added to the law that prohibits pimping or soliciting sex on the internet – platforms, authors who collaborate with each other or those who simply live together and shoot content can be fined.
Sex workers vs
Sex worker support organizations have criticized the law. They believe it threatens the “safety and privacy” of authors and makes sex work more dangerous and difficult.
“It feels like politicians don’t understand how we work and what we actually do. Many work independently, safely and legally, and a proposal like this could hit hard those who choose to leave the traditional sex industry for a safer sphere,” one model shared.
Supporters of the law, on the contrary, are happy to see the emergence of “clear and understandable rules.”
“Buying sex is buying sex, no matter what platform it happens on. You are paying for something that the person would not have done voluntarily,” the former sex worker is convinced.
Conclusions
The law will go into effect in the summer: the punishment is up to a year in jail. Some content creators from Sweden have said they will move to Denmark or travel to neighboring countries for filming.