New bill could force OnlyFans, erotic sites to verify model identities
Online platforms frequently used by sex workers to advertise services, such as OnlyFans and Kinky.nl, should be required to identify their users, political party VVD proposed in a new bill during a parliamentary debate on Thursday. Their bill was drafted in an effort to prevent minors from being exploited online.
The party wants websites that advertise sex to not only mandate identification from the users on the platform, but to also verify the authenticity of the documents. “So, don’t simply check the passport but also verify it”, said VVD Member of Parliament Dennis Wiersma to RTL Nieuws. “This must be mandatory for online platforms whether they are hosted in the Netherlands or abroad.”
The VVD also demanded that these platforms have an explicit duty to file a report with the police and the judiciary should there be any suspicion that a person is underage. Currently, there is only an obligation to block or remove content, which the VVD thinks is insufficient.
“A post is quickly made on social media but after that, it can haunt you for a lifetime”, Wiersma said.
The children’s rights organization Terre des Hommes said it was very satisfied with the legislative proposal. According to the organization, there are still too many inconsistencies when it comes to verifying the age of models on erotic websites.
“That makes abuse capable of happening at any time. Therefore, this bill is very much needed”, a spokesperson for Terre des Hommes said.
