In a controversial move, Sweden’s parliament, the Riksdag, has passed a new law expanding the Nordic Model of sex work regulation to the digital realm, effectively criminalizing the purchase of custom adult content and participation in paid interactive live streams.
Set to take effect on July 1, 2025, this legislation could land OnlyFans users in Sweden in prison for up to one year for engaging with personalized content, such as custom videos or live cam shows, where buyers directly interact with creators. The law, however, allows the purchase of pre-recorded, non-interactive adult content without penalty.
The Nordic Model, first introduced in Sweden in 1999, criminalizes the purchase of sexual services while decriminalizing the act of selling them, framing sex work as a form of exploitation and aiming to reduce demand. The new amendment extends this approach to online platforms like OnlyFans, targeting transactions where buyers request specific acts or engage in real-time interactions.
The bill’s text explicitly states that criminal liability for purchasing sexual services no longer requires physical contact, broadening the scope to include digital interactions.
Proponents of the law, such as Social Democrat MP Teresa Carvalho, argue that it modernizes Sweden’s approach to sex work by addressing new forms of online transactions. They claim it aligns with the Nordic Model’s goal of protecting sex workers from exploitation by curbing demand for paid sexual services.
However, critics, including sex workers’ rights organizations like the European Sex Workers’ Rights Alliance and Red Umbrella Sweden, argue that the law undermines the very workers it claims to protect.
By criminalizing the purchase of custom content — one of the primary revenue streams for independent creators on platforms like OnlyFans — the law effectively pushes sex workers back toward older, studio-driven models of adult content production.
These traditional models often involve intermediaries like labels and agencies, which have historically been criticized for exploiting performers through unfair contracts and limited control over their work. “Like most anti-porn and anti-sex work legislation, the law is full of contradictions, all of which come at the expense of actual workers,” said Mike Stabile, director of public policy at the U.S.-based Free Speech Coalition.
Sex workers and advocates have voiced strong opposition, highlighting the law’s potential to harm their livelihoods. Posts on X reflect the frustration, with users like @sannababys lamenting that the ban on custom orders and paid live streams directly targets their ability to earn income independently.
Others, such as @teenslave02, expressed disgust at the legislation, arguing it restricts their financial autonomy. The law’s enforcement also raises practical questions, with some users questioning its feasibility. “How the fuck is this even enforceable?” one X user, @Tr00peRR, remarked.
Critics further argue that the Nordic Model itself has a problematic track record. Research, including a 2019 study by Berlin et al., suggests that while street prostitution in Sweden decreased after the model’s introduction, it may have inadvertently increased other forms of gender-based violence, such as domestic violence, by displacing demand.
Migrant sex workers, who make up a significant portion of the industry, face additional risks, including deportation under Sweden’s Aliens Act, despite the supposed decriminalization of selling sex.
The new law’s focus on online platforms also raises concerns about privacy and surveillance. Enforcing bans on private transactions, such as those on OnlyFans, could require extensive monitoring of digital communications, potentially infringing on personal freedoms. Meanwhile, the exemption for pre-recorded content creates a loophole that benefits larger studios producing generic material, further marginalizing independent creators who rely on direct fan interactions for their income.
While the Swedish government frames this as a step toward protecting sex workers, the reality may be a return to an era where performers had less control and faced greater exploitation. “This is a new form of sex purchase, and it’s high time we modernize the legislation to include digital platforms,” Carvalho stated, but the move risks alienating the very workers it claims to safeguard.
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As the July 1 implementation date approaches, the global sex work community watches closely, fearing that Sweden’s law could set a precedent for other countries to follow, further restricting the autonomy of digital creators.
