OnlyFans’ Law & Order

mark zuckerberg
The trial would surely have been a circus, and an embarrassing spectacle for Meta. Photo: Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images
Eriq Gardner
September 25, 2024

Two years ago, the BBC, Wired, and other major media outlets reported on what appeared to be an incredible scandal: allegations that Instagram executives were bribed to put certain adult entertainers on a terrorism watch list. According to an anonymous whistleblower, OnlyFans had orchestrated the scheme to place rival performers on the list, thereby reducing competition for its own creators. This made-for-the-tabloids scandal quickly blossomed into a proposed class action, with a group of adult performers accusing Instagram’s parent company, Meta, of collusive shadow-banning. Porn stars planned to pack an L.A. courtroom next month to confront Meta brass at trial.