Russian companies check employees for OnlyFans accounts

Russian companies are increasingly checking employees for links to the adult content platform OnlyFans as part of internal reputational risk assessments, according to people familiar with the practice.

Human resources departments, particularly at large firms, are scrutinising staff with high public visibility, including top managers and public figures, Caliber.Az reports via Russian media. 

Checks reportedly extend beyond identifying employees who create or sell explicit content to include reviewing social media accounts that follow OnlyFans models, which HR specialists say could also pose reputational concerns.

The move comes amid a broader tightening of state control over foreign digital platforms in Russia. In August 2025, the country’s media regulator, Roskomnadzor, began deliberately slowing down Telegram and WhatsApp and imposed restrictions on voice calls on both services. WhatsApp is owned by Meta Platforms, which Russian authorities have designated as an extremist organisation and banned.

OnlyFans itself has been largely inaccessible to Russian users since the early months of the war in Ukraine. After Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022, the platform suspended payments to content creators in Russia and Belarus and barred users in those countries from subscribing to new creators or accessing paid content.

By Sabina Mammadli