Researchers Accuse TikTok of Promoting Sex Industry to Girls

A new report indicates that TikTok is helping normalize the sex industry by distributing videos made by popular adult content creators. Researchers say these performers use the platform to market pornographic content they have uploaded on external websites like OnlyFans.

The study was carried out by researchers from two campaigning groups: Cease in the UK and Collective Shout in Australia. The team spent months watching posts from major creators and following recommendations provided by TikTok’s algorithm. Through this process, they found that performers hide references to pornography inside everyday lifestyle posts about shopping, baking, and skincare.

While TikTok bans direct links to OnlyFans and prohibits sexual solicitation, performers use emojis, crude gestures, and coded words to point viewers toward their adult pages. Creators use these euphemisms, such as substituting the word “corn” for “porn” or pairing a corn emoji with a star emoji, to prevent their content from getting blocked.

Many viral posts focus on the money earned from selling sexual services, displaying images of cash, big houses, and expensive cars. Performers often present these ventures as rag-to-riches stories that offer a way out of poverty and unemployment. Responding to these findings, Melinda Tankard Reist of Collective Shout criticized the platform, calling it an industrial-scale digital pimp that funnels girls into the sex industry.

The authors of the report want governments to expand existing bans on showing pornography to minors so the rules also cover posts that promote the sex industry.

A TikTok spokesperson stated that the platform strictly prohibits sexual content, uses advanced technologies to enforce its rules, and designs its systems to stop age-inappropriate material from reaching teens. An OnlyFans spokesperson noted that its platform is strictly for adults aged 18 and over and uses onboarding processes to keep minors away.

Summary

The report highlights how adult content creators use mainstream social media platforms with young audiences to promote paid pornography. It raises questions about how well automated safety filters can catch hidden references and lifestyle marketing.