I am calling for OnlyFans and similar adult-content platforms to raise the minimum age for content creators from 18 to 25.

While 18 may be the legal definition of adulthood, it does not reflect emotional, psychological, or financial maturity— especially in an online environment that permanently archives sexual content and exposes young people to lifelong consequences. The current age requirement allows individuals to sign up the very day they turn 18, and this has created a deeply troubling culture around “countdowns,” anticipation, and grooming-like behavior.

There are countless examples of child influencers and public figures whose comment sections are filled with people openly stating they are “waiting” for their 18th birthday. This behavior is predatory in nature. Even if the law technically allows it, the normalization of adults anticipating a minor’s sexual availability is deeply unethical and dangerous. It blurs the line between legal consent and exploitation.

There have also been instances where underage individuals-some as young as 17-have been invited into adult-content environments, such as “content houses” or networks, only to be pushed toward explicit work immediately upon turning 18. This shows that the pipeline to adult content often begins before legal adulthood, making the current system vulnerable to coercion, pressure, and grooming.

At 18, many individuals are still financially dependent, inexperienced, and ill-equipped to fully understand the long-term impact of selling explicit content online. Once posted, this content can be downloaded, shared, and resurfaced indefinitely—affecting future careers, relationships, mental health, and personal safety. These consequences do not disappear with time.

Society already recognizes that younger adults require additional protection in other areas. We restrict alcohol until 21 and car rentals until 25 because of maturity and risk—but somehow draw the line at 18 when it comes to lifelong sexual exploitation. It is deeply inconsistent to allow teenagers to permanently monetize their bodies and sexuality online at 18.

Raising the minimum age to 25 would not eliminate adult content, nor would it restrict consenting adults from making choices—it would provide a necessary buffer that protects young people during one of the most vulnerable transitional periods of their lives. It would reduce exploitation, discourage predatory behavior, and help ensure that those entering this industry are doing so with greater maturity, autonomy, and informed consent.

This petition is not anti-sex, anti-worker, or anti-choice. It is pro-safety, pro-ethics, and pro-protection. We must draw a stronger boundary between adolescence and the adult content industry.

Young people deserve time to grow into themselves—without being sexualized, commodified, or pressured the moment they become “legal.”