Ukraine launches crackdown on ‘OnlyFans’ models – media
Ukraine’s Economic Security Bureau (ESBU) has launched a series of raids on the homes of models registered on ‘OnlyFans’, according to a report by Ekonomicheskaya Pravda on Wednesday. The operation is part of a broader crackdown on alleged tax evasion in the adult entertainment industry.
In September, a Kiev district court granted the tax authorities access to the personal data of Ukrainian citizens registered as creators on OnlyFans, a popular subscription-based website known for its sexually explicit content. This data included names, dates of birth, and tax information.
Following this decision, ESBU officers began visiting content creators with search warrants alleging large-scale tax fraud, Ekonomicheskaya Pravda reported.
However, the authorities have reportedly targeted creators who had already registered their income and filed tax declarations. Lawyer Lesya Mikhaylenko criticized the raids, claiming the warrants are based on “fictitious information.”
Earlier this year, Ukraine’s Tax Service informed OnlyFans creators that it had access to their earnings records. This prompted many to register with the tax authorities and submit income declarations, Mikhaylenko said.
Despite this, the ESBU’s actions have sparked backlash. Critics, including Tax Committee Chairman Daniel Getmantsev, have called the prosecutions hypocritical. Speaking on Wednesday, Getmantsev commended OnlyFans creators for contributing approximately 59 million hryvnia ($1.59 million) to the national budget and described their prosecution as a “festival of hypocrisy.”
While the production, distribution, and sale of pornography has been illegal in Ukraine since 2009, enforcement of the law has been inconsistent. Last month, MP Yaroslav Zhelezniak announced the registration of a parliamentary bill aimed at decriminalizing pornographic content production, following a year of legislative discussions.
