Study Alleges TikTok Promotes Adult Industry Content to Young Users

A newly released report alleges that the video-sharing platform TikTok is contributing to the normalisation and promotion of the sex industry to young users. According to researchers, prominent adult content creators utilize the platform to covertly market material hosted on external subscription sites such as OnlyFans.

The study, titled the "TikTok to OnlyFans pipeline," was conducted by researchers representing the United Kingdom-based campaign organisation Cease (Centre to End All Sexual Exploitation) and the Australian group Collective Shout. Over the course of a year, investigators analysed non-explicit content produced by popular young female performers on TikTok.

The report states that creators embed coded references to adult material within standard lifestyle videos, including skincare routines, baking tutorials, shopping trips, and pet care. While TikTok rules prohibit direct links to OnlyFans or explicit sexual solicitation, researchers found that performers employ euphemisms, specific emojis such as a corn cob alongside a star, and gestures to signify that adult content is available elsewhere.

Investigators observed that algorithm recommendations frequently directed users toward viral posts where performers discussed financial success allegedly achieved through selling sexual content. These posts often featured displays of wealth, such as cash, luxury vehicles, and large homes, alongside narratives framing adult content creation as a solution to financial hardship.

Melinda Tankard Reist of Collective Shout criticised the platform's role in distributing the material, arguing that young audiences require protection from predatory marketing tactics. The research was initiated following observations that prominent adult creators maintained substantial teenage followings on the application and promoted the advantages of producing pornography.

Data cited in the report indicates that while top creators on OnlyFans have achieved significant earnings since the platform's launch in 2016, average earnings for the broader base of registered performers are estimated to be lower. The findings focus specifically on TikTok due to its high proportion of young users.